The thermal behaviour of BTAw, a high nitrogen fuel

BTAw (bis-(1(2)H-tetrazol-5yl)-amine monohydrate) has recently been considered for use as a low-smoke pyrotechnic fuel. There is relatively little information available in the literature concerning the thermal properties of BTAw or its precursors. In the present work, various thermoanalytical experiments were performed on BTAw and BTA (bis-(1(2)H-tetrazol-5yl)-amine) in an effort to better characterize the thermal stability and decomposition of these compounds. Variable heating rate studies were carried out on BTAw samples in a helium atmosphere using DSC and TG. Two steps were seen in the results: dehydration followed by decomposition. Kinetic parameters were determined for both of these steps using a number of methods. Experiments using simultaneous TG-DTA coupled with FTIR and MS were performed on BTAw in both helium and dry and CO₂ free air atmospheres, and evolved gas analysis was used to determine the gaseous decomposition products. The thermal stability of BTAw and BTA was examined using accelerating rate calorimetry (ARC).