Bioinspired Fabrication of an Insensitive Ammonium Perchlorate Core–Shell Composite with Polydopamine Coating

In this research, an ammonium perchlorate/polydopamine (AP/PDA) core–shell composite was prepared in a non-aqueous solution to reduce the mechanical sensitivity of ammonium perchlorate (AP). The result showed that the AP/PDA core–shell composite could be successfully constructed in ethyl acetate solution with an AP recovery rate that reached 86%. The mechanical sensitivity of the obtained AP/PDA core–shell composite was significantly reduced with a PDA content of only 0.76%. The DSC and TG also indicated that the coating of PDA showed catalytic activity in the thermal decomposition of AP with a lower decomposition temperature and a decreased Ea value of AP. Thus, this study proposed a simple strategy for achieving a good balanced between harnessing the energy and ensuring the safety of ammonium perchlorate by significantly reducing its mechanical sensitivity by using a very low polydopamine coating layer content, and this shows great potential for the design and fabrication of insensitive energetic composites for use in propellants.