(665f) Entrainment and Removal of Air During Continuous Processing of Energetics: Ramifications On Rheology, Processing and Safety

Energetic fluids are highly filled suspensions which exhibit viscoplasticity and wall slip as well as a number of flow instabilities associated with binder filtration, particle migration and time dependent changes in the flow boundary conditions. One of the major challenges to have an important impact on safety of the processing of energetic materials is the entrainment of air during processing which alters the rheological and processability behavior of energetic materials. Here the mechanisms of air entrainment will be reviewed and effects of air entrainment on wall slip and shear viscosity behavior of energetics and ramifications on the safety of the processing operations will be discussed.