Evaluation of energetic plasticizers for GAP-based formulations

This dissertation presents new energetic compounds that were designed, synthesized, characterized, and evaluated according to the workflow depicted in Figure 1. The order of the chapters reflects the iterative process of developing new molecules for a given application. Chapter 3 introduces the concept of energetic plasticizers based on nitrofurazanyl ethers. A variety of compounds with distinct side chains were screened to study the fundamental properties of these novel molecules. Chapter 4 built on this work with experimental compatibility and theoretical performance studies of the most promising molecule NFPEG3N3. Chapter 5 contains a comprehensive investigation of a new formulation and comparisons with formulations produced using common energetic plasticizers. Chapter 6 describes the synthesis and characterization of NFPEG2N3, a more energy-rich nitrofurazanyl ether that was designed based on the previous results with NFPEG3N3. In summary, this dissertation makes an overall contribution to the field of energetic heterocycles by adding new furazan-based materials. For the first time, it introduces nitrofurazanyl ethers as plasticizers and highlights their potential as essential components in GAP-based formulations. This achievement stems not only from synthesizing and characterizing new compounds, but also from conducting comprehensive evaluation studies that align with NATO standards, including compatibility and long-term stability tests. Additionally, energetic formulations were manufactured and compared. Due to the superior properties of the two most promising molecules, NFPEG3N3 and NFPEG2N3, documented in this work, they could potentially substitute for Bu-NENA as an energetic plasticizer.