Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging of solid rocket propellants at 14.1 T

Proton NMR images of solid propellant materials, consisting of a polybutadiene binder material filled with 82% solid particles, have been obtained at a magnetic field strength of 14.1 T and at a resolution of 8.5 x 8.5 micron. The images are the first of elastomeric materials obtained at a proton frequency of 600 MHz and have the highest spatial resolution yet reported. The images display a high contrast and are rich in information content. They reveal the distribution of individual filler particles in the polymer matrix as well as a thin polymer film of about 10-30 micron which is found to surround some of the larger filler particles.