Effects of different additives on the thermal decomposition of ammonium perchlorate

IR spectral investigations on ammonium perchlorate (AP) in the presence of varying amounts of ammonium permanganate (APm) and 2% by weight of different rare earth oxide additives were made over the temperature range 25–290°. Heating and spectral scanning were done simultaneously and the peak intensity was presumed to be proportional to the amount of undecomposed AP. Presence of 10% APm lowered the temperature of AP decomposition from 200 to 110° and increased the rate by several folds. Mixed oxide produced as a result of deflagration of APm are considered catalyzing the process. In the presence of rare earth oxides additives, the NH 4 + stretching peak intensity decreased considerably, the extent followed the trend Gd2O3 > MnO2 > Nd2O3 > Pr2O3 > Dy2O3 > Y2O3 > La2O3 > virgin AP. An electron transfer mechanism is envisaged to explain the results.