Abstract Ionic liquids are regarded as promising propellants for green spacecraft propulsion. A well understanding of their fundamental properties is essential to accelerate the applications in practical propulsion. Therefore, the decomposition properties of an imidazole-based ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methyl imidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([EMIm][BF4]) were studied in this paper to help evaluate its chemical propulsion performance. Decomposition experiments were carried out with a high-temperature integrated thermal analyzer with heating rates of 5–20 °C/min. Results showed the decomposition process can be divided into four stages by three characteristic temperatures. The mass loss and heat absorption mainly occurred in the second and third stages. The activation energy of decomposition reactions was also obtained. Analyses indicated mechanisms in the first and second stages are multiple-step kinetics. But that of the third and fourth stages can be simplified as single-step kinetics.
Highlights Decomposition properties of [EMIm][BF4] were systematically studied. Decomposition process was found to have four stages. Activation energy of the decomposition reactions was obtained. Decomposition process of [EMIm][BF4] should be described as multiple-step kinetics.
Study on the thermal decomposition of an ionic liquid propellant [EMIm][BF4]
Acta Astronautica ; 213 ; 676-680
2023-10-07
5 pages
Article (Journal)
Electronic Resource
English
Contribution to chemistry of EMIM .BF4 ionic liquid
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