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Effect of emulsifiers on the thermal stability of firework propellants

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Abstract

Fireworks are composed of flammable and explosive materials, and during manufacture, transportation, and related processes, these materials are susceptible to static electricity, impact, friction, and explosion degradation, causing fire- and explosion-related accidents. Sorbitan monooleate (SPAN-80) is a widely used emulsifier in emulsion explosives. This study used differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis to characterise the propellant reaction kinetics in fireworks to explore the safety effects of emulsifiers on propellants. Additionally, the intensity of the thermal decomposition reaction of the propellant after the addition of the emulsifier was compared. Simulation models were used to simulate the thermal hazards of propellants and emulsified propellants. The results reveal that the emulsifier affected the decomposition process of the propellant, and the presence of the emulsifier reduced the sensitivity of the propellant. This paper also outlines the thermal hazard parameters of fireworks by using a thermokinetic model, which can serve as a reference for related research.

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Abbreviations

A :

Pre-exponential factor of the Arrhenius equation (s–1)

A(α):

Pre-exponential factor at conversion (s−1)

A′(α):

Amended pre-exponential factor by a product of A(α) and f(α) (s−1)

C p :

Specific heat capacity (J g−1 K−1)

E α :

Apparent activation energy at specific conversion (kJ mol−1)

E a :

Apparent activation energy (kJ mol−1)

f(α):

Kinetics function (dimensionless)

i :

Component number (dimensionless)

k i :

Reaction rate constant for ith stage (dimensionless)

n :

Unit outer normal on the boundary (dimensionless)

n 1 , n 2 :

Reaction orders of a specific stage (dimensionless)

\({\text{Q}}_{{\text{i}}}^{\infty }\) :

Reaction calorific effect (W)

R :

Gas constant (8.314 J K−1 mol−1)

r :

Reaction rate constant (mol L−1 s−1)

t :

Time (min)

T :

Temperature of sample (K)

TCL :

Time to conversion limit (day)

T 0 :

Apparent exothermic onset temperature (°C)

T p :

Peak temperature (°C)

TMR :

Time to maximum rate (day, min)

TMR ad :

Time to maximum rate under adiabatic conditions (day, min)

W :

Heat generation rate (J s−1)

w :

System external (dimensionless)

x :

Unit outer normal on the boundary (dimensionless)

z :

Autocatalytic constant (dimensionless)

∆H d :

Heat of decomposition (J g−1)

α :

Conversion degree of a component (dimensionless)

β :

Heating rate (°C min−1)

λ :

Thermal conductivity (W m−1 K−1)

ρ :

Density (kg m−3)

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank National Key Research Development Program of China (No. 2021YFC3001203), National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 21927815), and Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions of China (No. 21KJB620003) for financial support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Environmental and Safety Engineering, Changzhou University, No. 21, Gehu mid-Rd., Wujin dist., Changzhou, 213164, Jiangsu, China

    He Wu, Jun-Cheng Jiang, An-Chi Huang, Yan Tang & Zhi-Xiang Xing

  2. School of Materials Science and Engineering, Changzhou University, No. 21, Gehu mid-Rd., Wujin dist., Changzhou, 213164, Jiangsu, China

    Ye-Cheng Liu

  3. Department of Civil Engineering, Texas Tech University, 2500 Broadway, Lubbock, TX, 79409, USA

    Juan Zhai

  4. Department of Safety, Health, and Environmental Engineering, National Yunlin University of Science and Technology, No. 123, University Rd., Sec. 3, Yunlin, 64002, Taiwan, ROC

    Chi-Min Shu

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  1. He Wu
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Wu, H., Jiang, JC., Huang, AC. et al. Effect of emulsifiers on the thermal stability of firework propellants. J Therm Anal Calorim 148, 4959–4967 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-022-11473-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-022-11473-7

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