Low-temperature thermal decomposition of crystalline partly and completely deuterated ammonium perchlorate

Although ammonium perchlorate, widely used as a rocket propellant, has been extensively investigated for many years, the mechanism of its thermal decomposition at low temperatures remains controversial. Examination of the thermal behaviour of large crystals of partly and completely deuterated ammonium perchlorate by DSC, SEM, TG and QMS reveals that the rates of thermal decomposition depend on the degree of deuteration and decrease in the sequence N[H/D]4ClO4> NH4ClO4> ND4ClO4.