Thermal stability assessment of nitrocellulose by using multiple calorimetric techniques and advanced thermokinetics

Nitrocellulose is a typical nitro-energetic material that has been widely used in civil and military fields; however, its high flammability and explosibility have made it the main hazard factor in many industrial accidents. Understanding the thermal characteristics of this material is the basis for effective hazard control. Therefore, we investigated the thermal stability parameters of nitrocellulose by using multiple calorimetric techniques (thermogravimetry, differential scanning calorimetry, and adiabatic accelerating calorimetry). The Friedman, Flynn–Wall–Ozawa, Kissinger–Akahira–Sunose, Starink, and Vyazovkin thermokinetic methods were used to analyze the activation energy of nitrocellulose under different oxygen contents (0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 21%). In addition, the mechanisms of thermal decomposition, adiabatic temperature rise, time to conversion limit, and self-accelerating decomposition temperature were determined. The results reveal that the thermal decomposition of nitrocellulose in a nitrogen atmosphere was a one-step autocatalytic reaction. The activation energy under different oxygen contents showed an “increase–stabilize–decrease” trend during thermal decomposition. The findings of this study can serve as a reference for the suitable production, storage, transportation, and usage of nitrocellulose.