Comparative study of the thermal decomposition of ammonium nitrate in the presence of nanocrystalline copper ferrite

This study aims to investigate the catalytic effects of nanocrystalline copper ferrite (CF) on the thermal decomposition of ammonium nitrate. We employed non-isothermal methods to determine the kinetic parameters of the thermal decomposition process for both pristine ammonium nitrate and ammonium nitrate/CF composition, based on thermal analysis data obtained at three different heating rates. Our findings indicate that CF remains stable within the temperature range of ammonium nitrate's decomposition, making it a viable catalyst for the decomposition of ammonium nitrate. The introduction of CF significantly reduced the activation energy required for the decomposition of ammonium nitrate. Notably, the ammonium nitrate/CF composition decomposed at a temperature 10 K lower than that of pure ammonium nitrate, with a remarkably low activation energy barrier of 81.3 ± 7.7 kJ mol−1. These findings suggest that ammonium nitrate containing 2 wt% CF has the potential to serve as an improved energetic material, offering enhanced thermal performance compared to pure ammonium nitrate.