In this study the applicability of Carbon-13 NMR and XPS to the detection of chemical changes in a solid composite rocket propellant was studied. Storage at elevated temperatures was used to simulate the propellant ageing process. In the XPS analysis, changes in the sources for the N(1s) and Cl(2p) photopeaks were investigated. The propellant loses "organic" nitrogen as it ages. Changes in the amount of Cl⁻ present are in doubt due to instrumental considerations. Carbon-13 NMR analysis showed that with increasing age of a sample there is a corresponding loss of vinylic groups from the binder. This loss of vinylic character is preferential in the order pendant>>cis>trans. Due to the long scan times involved this method is of limited utility for ageing analysis. / Master of Science

A tetrazole is a 5-membered ring containing 4 nitrogens and 1 carbon. Due to its energetic potential and structural similarity to carboxylic acids, this ring system has a wide number of applications. In this thesis, a new and safe sustainable process to produce tetrazoles was designed that acheived high yields under mild conditions. Also, a technique was developed to form a trityl-protected tetrazole in situ. The rest of this work involved the exploitation of the energetic potential of tetrazoles. This moiety was successfully applied in polymers, ionic liquids, foams, and gels. The overall results from these experiments illustrate the fact that tetrazoles have the potential to serve as a stable alternative to the troublesome azido group common in many energetic materials. Due to these applications, the tetrazole moiety is a very important entity.