High-nitrogen Compounds for Use in Low-erosivity Gun Propellants

Nitrogen rich compounds are suitable as ingredients in low smoke propellant charges. Several high-N energetic materials are presented which are based on tetrazoles. Tetrazoles are an unique class of compounds, since they combine a high nitrogen content and a high heat of formation with good thermal and kinetic stabilities due to their aromatic ring system. The reaction of 5azidotetrazole with hydrazine yields hydrazinium 5azidotetrazolate (1), which is the tetrazole salt with the highest nitrogen content (88.1 %) reported, yet. In addition ammonium and aminoguanidinium 5azidoterazolate were synthesized and characterized. The detonation and propulsion parameter were calculated using the EXPLO5 program. In addition several outperforming tetrazole derivatives (N% > 80 %), which are currently under our investigation as additives in propellant charges, are presented. Using the heats of formation and the X-ray densities, the detonation parameter of hydrazinium 5-aminotetrazole, 5,5’bis(1H-tetrazolyl)-hydrazine, 5,5’-bis(1H-tetrazolyl)amine, 5,5’-bis(1-methyltetrazolyl)-triazene, 1,5bistetrazole and its ammonium salt were calculated.