Optimization of Temperature for Synthesis of Low Molecular Weight Glycidyl Azide Polymer as Plasticizer

Glycidyl azide polymer (GAP) is explored as an energetic binder/plasticizer for propellant due to its superior performance compared to hydroxy terminated polybutadiene (HTPB). GAP polymer contains an azide group which is very unstable, and at lower temperatures, the azide group tends to break making it an energetic binder/plasticizer. It can be mixed with low energetic and clean oxidizers such as AN, KN to improve the specific impulse and high energetic oxidizers such as ADN to reduce chlorine emissions for greener propulsion. The present study aimed to synthesize GAP as a plasticizer and increase the yield with an increase in temperature. The present work indicates that the increase in temperature of the aziadation process helps in increasing the yield of the GAP.