The enhanced catalytic decomposition behaviors of RDX by using porous activated carbon loaded with nanosized metal oxides

The nano-sized metal oxides (MOs) as combustion catalysts have been widely employed in solid rocket propellants, but the functionality of these materials is greatly restricted owing to their agglomeration. The catalytic activity of MOs on nanoscale was found to be significantly improved by the incorporation of MOs with carbon nanomaterials, which normally act as carriers allowing for well-distribution of MOs. In this paper, the CuO and Fe 2 O 3 nanoparticles were produced by hydrothermal method and the CuO@C and Fe 2 O 3 @C nanocomposites with a uniform structure have been fabricated by an in-situ growth of corresponding MOs on the porous activated carbon (pAC). The morphology of the prepared MOs nanoparticles and resultant pAC carried ones were characterized using scanning electron microscope. It has been shown that the CuO and Fe 2 O 3 nanoparticles are tightly adhered and dispersed on the surface of pAC. Their catalytic effects on the thermal decomposition of hexogen (RDX) were analyzed using thermal analysis techniques. Results indicate that the thermal decomposition of RDX was considerably promoted in the presence of these catalysts, where the CuO@C and Fe 2 O 3 @C were found to be capable of lowering the T p for RDX by 14.8 °C and 12.4 °C, respectively. In addition, the decomposition kinetics of RDX in the presence of these catalysts have been evaluated with the DTG and DSC experimental data, and results show that the CuO@C and Fe 2 O 3 @C were able to reduce the E a of RDX decomposition by 39.8 kJ mol −1 and 50.7 kJ mol −1 , which is suggestive of an enhanced decomposition process for RDX by addition of carbon-loaded catalysts. The TG-FTIR analysis indicates that, in the presence of CuO@C and Fe 2 O 3 @C, the gaseous products are dominated by N 2 O in RDX decomposition.