towards the reliable chemical stability testing of the single base gunpowder using a microcalorimetry method

Introduction/purpose: gunpowder is a type of explosive material (em), a mixture of chemical compounds capable of releasing their potential energy in a very fast exothermic chemical reaction. this paper investigates the single base gunpowder samples. methods: microcalorimetry (mc), or heat flow calorimetry (hfc), is the only modern method that monitors the direct cause of autoignition - the rate of heat release, which is a key factor for gunpowder storage explosive safety. it is based on high-sensitivity calorimeters which allow monitoring of chemical reactions at low speeds. the microcalorimeter tam iii was used and the method given by the nato standard stanag 4582. a very reliable result was obtained on the chemical stability of the observed single base gunpowder samples, as well as an assessment of its behavior in the next 10 years. results: the thermal activity of gunpowder depends on several factors, the most important of which are: chemical composition, size and shape of the gunpowder grain, the degree of decomposition of the gunpowder, storage conditions, etc. namely, it is a much more exact and consistent indicator of the chemical stability of gunpowder compared to the critical diameter. conclusion: the mc method should be used both for monitoring the chemical stability of gunpowder during storage and for the prediction of the service life of gunpowder.