Low‐Temperature Oxidation of Catocene and Its Influence on the Mechanical Sensitivities of a Fine‐AP/Catocene Mixture

High burning‐rate composite solid propellants with fine ammonium perchlorate (fine‐AP) and catocene have high mechanical sensitivities. The products of fine‐AP and catocene mixtures after low‐temperature exothermic reactions at about 173 °C were analyzed by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The result showed that FeO, Fe₂O₃, or FeCl_x were generated during the oxidation of catocene in the fine‐AP/catocene mixture. The mixture of fine‐AP and catocene has high impact and friction sensitivities, whereas the impact sensitivity of the after‐heated fine‐AP/catocene mixture reduced from 88 to 18 % and the friction sensitivity also decreased from 80 to 66 %. The low‐temperature oxidation of catocene is one important incentive for the high mechanical sensitivity of fine‐AP/catocene mixtures.