A review of the use of rheology in the industry of producing propellants based on nitrocellulose polymer

One of the main applications of nitrocellulose polymer is producing propellants. The propellant production process includes mixing nitrocellulose with solvents and other additives and converting it from a fibrous to a non-fibrous state during gelatinization and physical gel formation. This gel is subsequently subjected to shaping processes using ram or screw extrusion. One of the main problems in producing propellant based on nitrocellulose is the lack of uniformity and product quality control. Despite the high capability of rheology knowledge as a powerful tool for measuring the quality control of raw materials and the production process of propellant based on nitrocellulose, this knowledge has received less attention from researchers and manufacturers in this field. This article reviewed the use of rheology in different parts of the production of nitrocellulose-based propellants, from the quality control of the incoming raw materials to the final mixing and extrusion. At first, the rheological behavior of nitrocellulose mixtures was discussed. Next, the effect of nitrocellulose polymer microstructure on the rheological behavior of its solution was discussed. Phenomena affecting the measurement of the rheological behavior of the mixture, such as wall slippage, were among the other cases investigated. Finally, a review of the quality control methods of nitrocellulose-based propellant products using appropriate material functions and production process modification was discussed.