A strategic approach to thermal stability enhancement of nitrocellulose

In this study, the stability of nitrocellulose (NC) in the presence of triphenylamine (TPA), Akardite-II (AK-II), and N-Methyl-4-nitroaniline (MNA) was investigated through kinetic modeling and gaseous product analysis. The samples, consisting of pure NC and mixtures, were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetry (TG), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The kinetic triplet was determined through iterative iso-conversional methods. The results obtained from TG-DSC revealed that the NC stabilized with TPA exhibited the highest average value of activation energy compared to those stabilized by other stabilizers. The addition of AK-II and MNA altered the decomposition mechanism of NC from the Avrami–Erofeev mechanism to the n-order model, whereas the addition of TPA did not affect the thermal decomposition of NC. FTIR results indicated satisfactory compatibility between the stabilizers and NC. The primary gaseous products of NC and its mixtures were identified under a helium atmosphere. The findings of this study provide guiding principles for the pyrolysis reaction model and storage safety of NC.