Task-Specific Ferrocene-Based Ionic Liquid as a High-Efficiency and Antimigration Burning Rate Catalyst for Composite...

Area of Science:

• Propellant Chemistry
• Materials Science
• Combustion Engineering

Background:

• Catocene is an effective propellant catalyst but suffers from migration, causing instability and safety issues.
• Existing ferrocene derivatives are often solids with poor propellant dispersibility.
• There is a need for stable, highly dispersible ferrocene-based catalysts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and evaluate novel ferrocene-based room-temperature ionic liquids (F1-F4) as safer, more effective propellant catalysts.
• To investigate the migration suppression and combustion performance of these ionic liquids, particularly F1.
• To compare F1's performance against catocene and catalyst-free propellants.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of ferrocene-based room-temperature ionic liquids (F1-F4).
• Incorporation of F1 into compound solid propellant (CSP) and assessment of its dispersion and migration.
• Experimental evaluation of combustion performance, including heat of explosion, burning rate, and combustion temperature.

Main Results:

• F1 demonstrated uniform dispersion and complete suppression of migration in CSP.
• Addition of 2 wt% F1 increased the heat of explosion by 15.6% and the burning rate to 6.54 mm·s⁻¹.
• F1-catalyzed CSP showed a burning rate approximately 4.0 times faster than the baseline and 1.9 times faster than catocene-containing CSP, with a significant rise in combustion temperature.

Conclusions:

• F1 functions as a highly effective, non-migrating burning rate catalyst for propellants.
• F1 offers superior combustion performance compared to catocene, addressing key limitations of existing catalysts.
• F1 represents a promising candidate for next-generation propellant formulations.