Exposing Inert Solid Rocket Propellants to Shock Waves for Viscoelastic Property Characterization

Solid rocket propellants are energetic materials that can be used as fuel in military applications to generate thrust for tactical or strategic rockets and missiles. In the case of solid rocket motors that experience high strain rate conditions (e.g. bullet impact or fragment impact), interfacial debonding of the microscopic solid oxidizer particles in the elastomeric matrix occurs. This debonding manifests as cracks in the solid rocket propellant, which affects the ballistic performance and structural integrity of the propellant. Therefore, designing health-monitoring sensors that can quantify the structural integrity of the solid rocket propellants would be invaluable. However, the predictive capabilities of the health-monitoring sensors require additional research into the viscoelastic behavior of the solid rocket propellant at high strain rates. This talk will highlight a study that couples both shock tube experiments and inverse finite element simulations to quantify the viscoelastic properties of inert solid rocket propellants. Validation of the simulations are performed using the output following digital image correlation analysis. The results from this study will add to the limited knowledge of the linear viscoelastic behavior of inert solid rocket propellants at high strain rates. Thus, aiding in improving the predictive capabilities of health-monitoring sensors for solid rocket propellants.