Facile synthesis of V ₂ O ₃ /C composite and the effect of V ₂ O ₃ and V ₂ O ₃ /C on decomposition of ammonium perchlorate

Abstract

A V2O3/carbon core–shell structured composite (V2O3/C) was successfully synthesised using V2O5 and glucose as the starting materials by a facile hydrothermal route and subsequent calcinations at 700°C for 2 h under Ar atmosphere. The as-obtained products were characterised by X-ray powder diffraction, energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer, elemental analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectrum, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Furthermore, V2O3 and V2O3/C were explored as the additives to the thermal decomposition of ammonium perchlorate (AP), the key component of composite solid propellants. The thermal decomposition temperatures of AP in the presence of V2O3 and V2O3/C were reduced by 49 and 73°C, respectively, which indicates that V2O3/C has higher activity than that of V2O3.