Towards understanding the effects of heat and humidity on ageing of a NASA standard pyrotechnic igniter

Ageing of pyrotechnic substance, primarily fuel oxidisation, can cause changes in composition that degrade their performance. This study investigates the effect of ageing on zirconium potassium perchlorate (ZPP), a widely used NASA Standard Initiator. Although prior studies have investigated the effects of accelerated ageing on ZPP, this is the first to conduct kinetic analyses at different relative humidity (RH) levels. Here, both thermal and kinetic analyses are conducted for a variety of hygrothermal ageing cases in order to replicate the natural ageing process. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results reveal that oxidant levels drop and zirconium dioxide levels rise as ZPP ages. Lower heats of reaction and increases in activation energy were also observed under the RH conditions. Calculations using van’t Hoff equation indicate that moisture shortened the lifespan of the unaged ZPP up to about 85% under extreme RH conditions, while significantly deteriorating the heat of reaction, sensitivity, and thus increased the risk of a misfire.