NiCoCr2O4 as a potential catalyst for the thermal decomposition of ammonium nitrate: a kinetic investigation

The thermal decomposition of high energetic materials plays an important role in their thermal performance. Use of the catalyst is one of the efficient ways improve the thermal performance of the high energetic materials. Therefore, in this work nickel cobalt chromite (NiCoCr2O4) prepared using precipitation approach was utilized as a catalyst for decreasing the thermal decomposition temperature and activation energy of high energetic material ammonium nitrate (AN). The results suggest that AN/NiCoCr2O4 decomposes at lower temperature (240 degrees C) within a short temperature range (Thermo gravimetry decomposition curve = 180-250 degrees C). The kinetic study was investigated using Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose (KAS) and Kissinger method (5, 10, and 15 degrees C min(-1) heating rates). The activation energy of AN was reduced from 158.0 to 141.5 kJ mol(-1) and decrease in the pre-exponential factor was observed upon addition of NiCoCr2O4. The outcome of the present work can be used to design AN based high energetic formulations containing NiCoCr2O4 catalyst with better thermal decomposition performance.