Combustion Characteristics and Propulsive Performance of Boron/Ammonium Perchlorate Mixtures in Microtubes

A microthruster is used for the operation tracking and posture control of microsatellites. In this work, the combustion characteristics and propulsive performance of a boron/ammonium perchlorate (B/AP) propellant mixture for a microthruster were investigated. Amorphous B and AP were used in different mass ratios to prepare the propellant samples. A laser-ignition solid micropropulsion test system was set up, and a differential scanning calorimeter was used. The solid combustion products of the samples with good performance were collected. Microstructural and component analyses of the combustion products were performed. Various performance parameters, including the combustion temperature, combustion velocity, spectral intensity, ignition delay time, thrust, specific impulse, density specific impulse, and heat flow, changed with the fuel–oxidant ratio. The optimal fuel–oxidant mass ratio of the propellant samples was 40%, with a density specific impulse of 0.474 kg/m2•s and a maximum heat flow of 4.4913 mW/mg. Analysis of the combustion products revealed that the clearance between particles significantly diminished after combustion. During combustion, the AP completely decomposed, and a large amount of H3BO3, B2O3, and HBO2 was generated.