Thermal analysis of gaptriol, an energetic azide polymer

Abstract : GAPTRIOL is a branched glycidyl azide polymer used as the starting material to produce a binder in composite propellant formulations. The mechanism and energetics for the decomposition of GAPTRIOL are therefore of interest. Accordingly, this paper will report results of DSC, TGA and ARC measurements on GAPTRIOL. Discussion of these results and comparison with literature results for GAPDIOL, the linear analogue, will be included. The decomposition of GAPDIOL has been reported as a first order process. Results of kinetic studies on GAPTRIOL using both the variable heating rate and isothermal techniques suggest that the decomposition is not a first order process. Additionally, TGA data show a two stage weight loss in nitrogen and a three stage weight loss in air. The kinetic information gleaned frorn the DSC and TGA measurements will be compared with that extracted from the ARC data.