Pyrolysis Kinetics and Combustion Behaviors of a High-Nitrogen Compound, 4,4'-Azobis(1,2,4-triazole)

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering
• Energetic Materials

Background:

• 4,4 -azobis(1,2,4-triazole) (ATRZ) is an energetic material.
• Understanding its thermal decomposition is crucial for safe handling and application.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the non-isothermal thermal decomposition kinetics and combustion behavior of ATRZ.
• To determine the kinetic parameters and pyrolysis pathways of ATRZ.
• To evaluate the effect of ATRZ on the combustion of CL-20.

Main Methods:

• Thermogravimetric-differential scanning calorimetry (TG-DSC) at various heating rates.
• Kissinger, Ozawa, and Satava-Sestak methods for kinetic parameter calculation.
• Pyrolysis-gas chromatography mass spectrometry (PY-GC/MS) for decomposition path analysis.

Main Results:

• ATRZ decomposes exothermically around 310 °C with calculated activation energy (E) and pre-exponential factor (lgA) values around 760-780 kJ·mol⁻¹ and 70-72 s⁻¹.
• Three distinct decomposition pathways were identified, yielding N₂, HC-N-CH, N≡C-N, and HC=N-C≡N.
• ATRZ combustion showed a duration of 0.5033 s and peak temperature of 1913 °C, enhancing CL-20 combustion.

Conclusions:

• ATRZ possesses significant energetic properties with predictable decomposition kinetics.
• The identified decomposition products and pathways offer insights into its behavior.
• ATRZ can effectively promote the combustion energy release of other energetic materials like CL-20.