COMPARATIVE-STUDY OF UNSATURATED HALO AND NONHALO POLYESTERS AND INHIBITION OF DOUBLE-BASE ROCKET PROPELLANTS

Unsaturated halo and nonhalo polyesters, based on tetrachlorophthalic anhydride, tetrabromophthalic anhydride, and phthalic anhydride with d iethylene glycol and maleic anhydride, have been synthesized, using a ''2-step'' polyesterification process. These were mixed with 35% styre ne monomer and 0.02% hydroquinone. The structural aspects of halo and nonhalo polyesters have been studied by IR and NMR. Further, these pol yesters have been characterized for various properties. A comparison o f various properties suggests that tensile strength, bond strength, he at resistance, flame retardance, gel time, and oxygen index follow the order as BP-35 > CP-35 > NHP-35, whereas the order for other properti es, such as exotherm peak temperature, thermal conductivity, % elongat ion, and nitroglycerine absorption, is BP-35 < CP-35 < NHP-35. Variati on in the properties of cured halo and nonhalo polyesters has been dis cussed in terms of structural considerations. The nature of P-t profil e of inhibited double-base (DB) rocket propellants on static evaluatio n suggests that CP-35 is a potential inhibitor for DB propellants. (C) 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.