Combustion of a composite solid propellant under conditions of static mechanical tensile stresses

Mechanical stresses have a progressive effect on the combustion characteristics of composite solid propellants. On the basis the kinetic theory for the durability of polymers within their composition the mechanism is studied for the effect of stress-strain state on steady combustion rate. Chemical bonds of the polymer matrix are activated as a result of an applied stress and there is an increase in the rate of their thermal destruction. It is shown that this is an important reason for an increase in combustion rate with uniaxial tension. An analytical equation is obtained which expresses the dependence of combustion rate on the magnitude of a prescribed stress or that measured by experiment.