In this paper, two new strategies were introduced to improve the fuel performance of hypergolic ionic liquids (HILs). Triaminoguanidinium dicyanamide ([TAG][DCA]) as solid-state energetic ionic salt was prepared and dissolved to the 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium dicyanamide ([EMIM][DCA]). 1-Ethyl-3-methylimidazolium cyanoborohydride ([EMIM][CBH]) was prepared and mixed with [EMIM][DCA] in a variety of different proportions. The properties of all mixtures were characterized and their ignition delay (ID) times were obtained by droplet tests with a high-speed camera (2000 frames/s). The ignition mechanism of mixtures was discussed with theoretical calculations by Gaussian 09. The results showed the addition of [TAG][DCA] can improve the ignition performance and increase the density of [EMIM][DCA]. And the solubility of [TAG][DCA] can reach about 7 g/100 g [EMIM][DCA]. The solutions of [EMIM][DCA] and [EMIM][CBH] combined their respective excellent properties and possessed a good stability, and two HILs with a proper ratio can promote each other in the ignition process. Of them, the solution with the mass ratio of 1:2 ([EMIM][DCA]: [EMIM][CBH]) possessed the viscosity of 17.4 cP, density of 1.004 g/mL and very short ID time of 3 ms, which is surprisingly shorter than those of the two single HILs. The two strategies can also be used for other energetic ionic salts and HILs.

Two new strategies to improve hypergolic ionic liquids as propellant fuels

255th National Meeting (2018)

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