Estimation of the critical temperature of thermal explosion for the highlynitrated nitrocellulose using non-isothermal DSC

Two methods for estimating the critical temperature (T-b) of thermal explos ion for the highly nitrated nitrocellulose (HNNC) are derived from the Seme nov's thermal explosion theory and two non-isothermal kinetic equations, d alpha/dt=Af(alpha)e(-E/RT) and d alpha/dt=Af(alpha)[1+E/(RT)(1-T-o/T)]e(-E/ RT), using reasonable hypotheses. We can easily obtain the values of the th ermal decomposition activation energy (E), the onset temperature (T-e) and the initial temperature (T-o) at which DSC curve deviates from the baseline of the non-isothermal DSC curve of HNNC, and then calculate the critical t emperature (T-b) of thermal explosion by the two derived formulae. The resu lts obtained with the two methods for HNNC are in agreement to each other.