In-situ inverse co-precipitation synthesis of CuCrO2/MWCNTs nanoparticles for thermal decomposition of ammonium perchlorate

In this study, copper chromium oxide (CuCrO2) nanoparticles as nanocatalyst were synthesized by inverse co-precipitation method and loaded on multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) followed by investigating its catalytic effect on the thermal decomposition behavior of ammonium perchlorate (AP) using Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). In this method, cupric nitrate trihydrate, (Cu(NO3)(2)center dot 3H(2)O) and chromium nitrate nonahydrate, (Cr (NO3)3.9H(2)O) with a mole ratio of 1 : 1 were used. Characterization of CuCrO2/MWCNTs nanoparticles were performed by Thermo-Gravimetric-Differential Scanning Calorimetry (TG-DSC), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray Diffraction Spectroscopy (XRD), and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM). The prepared catalysts were mixed with AP and the products were analyzed by DSC to determine the decomposition temperature of AP. The results showed that using 3 wt.-% nano-CuCrO2/MWCNTs catalyst lowered the decomposition temperature of AP by 87.34 degrees C. The total enthalpy, for this case, was 1367.40 J g (-1).