Dipropylene glycol bis(2-azidobutyrate) - a new energetic azido plasticizer

Dipropylene glycol bis(2-azidobutyrate) (DPG-BAB), a new energetic plasticizer has been synthesized via azidation reaction of the bromo precursor. The structure of the resulting compound, DPG-BAB, was confirmed by NMR-, RAMAN and IR-spectroscopic techniques. The compound was also evaluated via thermal analysis. Mixtures of DPG-BAB and glycidyl azide polymer (GAP) were analyzed and compared with 2-[Butyl(nitro)amino]ethylnitrate (Bu-NENA) using also thermal analysis. Our preliminary evaluation of DPG-BAB shows that in mixtures with GAP this plasticizer, concerning glass transition temperatures, has a performance as good as Bu-NENA. However, DPG-BAB is not very energetic. Most benefit from this new plasticizer can be expected in gun propellant formulations where an insensitive, moderate energetic plasticizer with low glass transition temperature is needed. In such formulations DPG-BAB will lead to a specific energy which is in the same range like the gun propellant JA2 but with a combustion temperature that is around 700 °C lower.