5. Theory

5.1 Adiabatic combustion

The performance of energetic materials depends on the characteristics of the combustion gases, which can be estimated using purely thermodynamic approaches. The description of decomposition is particularly simple in the absence of heat exchange with the outside world. This adiabatic assumption implies either a reaction too rapid to allow such exchanges (explosion), or a reaction in a relatively isolated enclosure (combustion chamber).

5.1.1 Energy balance

For an adiabatic...