Electric solid propellants (ESP's) ignite and extinguish upon the application and removal of an electrical voltage applied across electrodes imbedded in the propellant. Above a pressure threshold, the propellant does not extinguish but sustains combustion even without electrical inputs. Among solid propellants, ESP's have the advantage of supporting multiple observed electrical responses at lower pressures. The present study postulates a basic electrolytic theory for combustion in a baseline ESP formulation consisting of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and hydroxylammonium nitrate (HAN). The theory suggests possible oxidation/reduction equations for combustion at the anode as well as the cathode. It also provides an explanation as to why combustion is observed preferentially at the anode only under certain boundary conditions. An equation is included for the overall combustion process which accounts for the assumed combustion products.

Electrolytic combustion in the polyvinyl alcohol + hydroxyl ammonium nitrate solid propellant

255th National Meeting (2018)

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