Synthesis and characterization of hydroxyl terminated poly(butadiene)-g-poly(glycidyl azide) copolymer as a new energetic propellant binder

Poly(glycidyl azide), PGA, was grafted onto Hydroxyl Terminated Poly(butadiene), HTPB, via free radical mechanism. PGA-macro azoinitator and HTPB polymer mixture was casted from solution and the polymer film was kept at 90 degrees C for 4 hours. The grafted polymer was isolated from the product by fractional precipitation and characterized by NMR and FT-IR spectroscopy. Graft copolymer structure was also confirmed that volume ratio of nonsolvent to the solution of the graft copolymer was between those of corresponding homopolymers. TGA traces of the block polymers were containing two different maxima at 253 degrees C (for PGA units) and 469 degrees C (for HTPB units). Because of the incompatibility of the blocks, DSC curve showed two T-g's which belong to the related segments.