An investigation of structure-property relationships in polyvinyl nitrate

Abstract. Energetic polymers such as nitrocellulose and glycidyl azide polymer (GAP) are of great interest for applications in solid propellants as these increase energetic output and performance. Previously, polyvinyl nitrate (PVN) was considered as a potential energetic binder, but it has been reported to suffer from poor thermal stability and chemical stability, combined with variable levels of chemical purity. In the current work, we have developed an improved methodology for the preparation of PVN in order to produce a material of greater purity and chemical stability than previously reported. For this reason, we are exploring structure-property relationships of PVN including sensitivity to initiation, polymer chain length, extent of nitration and compatibilities with selected solid oxidisers, stabilisers and plasticisers. In addition, we are also exploring the effects of crosslinking as a technique for modifying the properties of PVN using a range of analytical techniques including GPC, NMR spectroscopy, and DSC/TGA. This presentation will outline recent steps towards demonstrating high purity PVN with comparison to the thermal and mechanochemical properties of nitrocellulose.