Synthesis and characterisation of the energetic plasticiser Bu-AENA

Abstract. FOI has been in the research field of energetic plasticisers for decades. The efforts have been focused on substances that can plasticise the polymer GAP (polyglycidylazide). Many have been investigated and all discarded. This paper contains a comparison of the plasticising properties on GAP of the hitherto little described energetic plasticiser Bu-AENA (N-butyl-N-(2-azidoethyl)-nitramine) with other energetic plasticisers. Initial studies in smaller scale, allowed the evaluation of its thermal stability with heat flow calorimetry (HFC). The same technique was then used to investigate its excellent compatibility to binders and fillers, which took place after a scale-up to kilogram batches. Then Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) showed its good plasticising capability on the low thermal properties of GAP, both uncured and uncured in a binder as well as in a GAP/ADN/FOX-7/BuAENA propellant.