PEDCS Mission Areas
Mission Area I: Liquid Propellants
Papers are sought on research, development, and improvement of methods of analysis of liquid propellants; development and characterization of new and existing liquid engine and gun propellants; assessment of materials compatibility and reactivity with various propellants including hydrazine fuels, dinitrogen tetroxide oxidizers, gels, ionic and other monopropellants, and liquid gun propellants. Also of interest is the evaluation of liquid propellant supply status and qualification of new or alternate suppliers.
Mission Area II: Explosives Formulation and Development
Development, characterization and testing of explosive and reactive material formulations; relationship of composition to sensitivity, metal acceleration, air-blast performance, mechanical properties, and initiation; phenomenology of non-ideal explosives, influence of ingredients, non-energetic components and additives, on composite explosive materials. Abstracts are especially sought in the following areas:
- Insensitive munitions
- The effect of binder chemistry on cook-off or shock reactivity
- Explosives for microdetonics, especially writeable formulations for micro track applications.
- Lead azide replacements
- New materials
Mission Area III: Propellant and Explosives Process Engineering
Papers are sought in the areas of propellant and energetic formulation development and processing technology. Additional areas of interest include the measurement and characterization of rheological properties such as viscosity, yield stress, pot life/gelation time, cure rate, and viscoelasticity and their effect on properties such as processability, ballistics, and mechanical behavior. Of particular interest are the continuous processing of energetic materials and lessons-learned in propellants and explosives manufacture. Novel propellant processing topics are also solicited.
Mission Area IV: Energetic Materials Characterization and Raw Material Obsolescence
Areas of interest include chemical and combustion test methods to analyze and characterize energetic materials and their formulations including solid and liquid propellants, warheads, pyrotechnics, fuses, and initiators, especially those pertaining to tactical and strategic propellants and associated energetics that contain novel ingredients; modifications of current test methods or alternate procedures that minimize/eliminate the use of ozone depleting solvents or other adverse organic chemicals; statistics of sample selection; techniques of sample preparation; methods development for microcalorimeter instruments, gun propellant, and rocket propellant; and related subjects. A newly added focus will be an emphasis to document and track on-going propellant and warhead raw material obsolescence and related testing of new replacement materials.
Mission Area V: Solid Propellant Ingredients and Formulations
Identification of advances and challenges in the area of solid propellant ingredients and formulations with emphasis on ingredient synthesis and production, industrial base and supplier status, chemical, structural and physical characteristics (including reactivity), and recovery, reuse, and disposal of ingredients as well as the qualification and use of new and novel ingredients in propellant formulations.
Mission Area VI: Propellant and Explosive Surveillance and Aging
Papers are sought on analysis techniques for the determination of the chemical aging behavior and safe storage of solid propellants. Of particular interest are the decomposition of solid propellants that contain nitrate esters and the autoignition risk that may result from their degradation.
Mission Area VII: Gun and High Gas Output Devices
Research in the areas of formulation and processing of propellants and associated components (igniters, case and packaging materials, etc.) for use in gun propulsion. This can include new compositions, new ingredient development, novel geometries and structures, propellant development protocols, performance diagnostics, aging and shelf life, increased performance, reduced wear and erosion, as well as insensitive munitions response.
Mission Area VIII: Green Energetic Materials (GEM) Joint PEDCS - SEPS Mission Area
Papers are sought on the development of environmentally sustainable energetic ingredients, formulations, and processing technologies with an emphasis on the following: reduction of impacts from energetic materials and unexploded ordnance on military ranges, manufacturing and demilitarization facilities; enhancement of recycling, recovery, reuse and reduction of waste; and response to specific impacts that environmental regulations have had on military readiness, such as limiting training with live ordnance, outsourcing of manufacturing overseas or explicit banning of the use of specific materials.