Bioinspired Fabrication of an Insensitive Ammonium Perchlorate Core-Shell Composite with Polydopamine Coating

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering
• Energetic Materials

Background:

• Ammonium perchlorate (AP) is a widely used oxidizer in propellants.
• High mechanical sensitivity of AP poses safety risks during handling and processing.
• Developing safer energetic materials is crucial for advanced applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To prepare an ammonium perchlorate/polydopamine (AP/PDA) core-shell composite.
• To reduce the mechanical sensitivity of ammonium perchlorate (AP).
• To investigate the thermal decomposition properties of the composite.

Main Methods:

• Core-shell composite preparation in a non-aqueous solution (ethyl acetate).
• Characterization of mechanical sensitivity.
• Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TG) for thermal decomposition studies.

Main Results:

• Successful synthesis of AP/PDA core-shell composite with 86% AP recovery.
• Significant reduction in mechanical sensitivity with only 0.76% polydopamine (PDA) content.
• PDA coating exhibited catalytic activity, lowering AP decomposition temperature and activation energy (Ea).

Conclusions:

• A simple strategy was developed to balance energy output and safety of AP.
• Low polydopamine content effectively reduces AP's mechanical sensitivity.
• The AP/PDA composite shows potential for designing insensitive energetic materials for propellants.