Magnesium-copper hydrogen storage alloy material (Mg2Cu-H) was prepared with a replacement-diffusion method, and its structure was also determined. Results show that the Mg-Cu hydrogen storage alloy material was a mixture of MgCu2 and MgH2. The thermal decomposition behavior of ammonium perchlorate (AP) used as the common oxidizer in solid rocket propellant has been investigated in the presence of the Mg-Cu hydrogen storage alloy material by a method of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), showing that the Mg-Cu hydrogen storage alloy material had obvious boosting effect on the thermal decomposition of AP, and enlarged decomposition speed of AP, with clear decrease of the thermal decomposition temperature of AP and increase of its DSC heat release. The catalytic effect of Mg2Cu-H on the thermal decomposition of AP was clearly better than that of Mg2Cu, and it was enhanced with the increase of the content of Mg2Cu-H. The catalytic mechanism of Mg2Cu-H on the thermal decomposition of AP was also preliminarily studied.

Key words: magnesium-copper hydrogen storage alloy, preparation, ammonium perchlorate, thermal decomposition, thermal analysis