Abstract
In this paper, the precursors of composite aerogels were synthesized based on the homogeneous reaction of natural polymers with ionic liquids. Nitrochitosan (NCS) with nitrogen content of 15.99% and impact sensitivity of 12 J was synthesized under mild conditions, while nitrocellulose (NC) with nitrogen content of 12.52% was synthesized. The NC/NCS composite aerogel was prepared by using phase separation method and supercritical carbon dioxide drying system. The structure and morphology of the samples were characterized by FTIR, XRD, Raman, SEM, element mapping, and N2 adsorption and desorption. The thermal and burning behavior of precursors and composite aerogels were analyzed by TG-DSC, isothermal TG, TG-DSC-FTIR, and high-speed camera. The results show that NCS can be used as propellants in terms of thermal behavior and physicochemical property. The composite aerogel has uniform distribution of nitrogen elements, mesoporous structure with an average pore size of 20 nm, specific surface area greater than 100 m2/g, large heat of thermal decomposition, low activation energy, well thermal stability, stable burning behavior, and large size burning flame. NC/NCS composite aerogels have a great potential for use in high-speed micro-propulsion system.
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Acknowledgments
This work was supported by the Project of State Key Laboratory of Environment-friendly Energy Material, Southwest University of Science and Technology (No. 22fksy20); Luzhou Science and Technology Bureau Project (No. 2022-JYJ-151).
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Duan, X., Shi, X., Li, Z. et al. Preparation of nitrocellulose/nitrochitosan composite aerogel with mesoporous and significant thermal behavior on the basis of precursors synthesized by homogeneous reaction. Cellulose 31, 1641–1658 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10570-023-05706-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10570-023-05706-7