Ammonium Nitrate−Polymer Glasses: A New Concept for Phase and Thermal Stabilization of Ammonium Nitrate

Dissolving of ammonium nitrate in highly polar polymers such as poly(vinylpyrrolidone) and/or poly(acrylamide) can result in the formation of single-phase glassy solid materials, in which NH 4 (+) and NO 3 (-) are separated through an ion-dipole interaction with the polymer matrix. Below the glass transition temperature of the polymer matrix the resulting materials remain phase and thermally stable as demonstrated through the absence of decomposition as well as the solid-solid transitions and melting of ammonium nitrate. The structure of the materials is explored by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and density functional calculations. Differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetry, and isoconversional kinetic analysis are applied to characterize the thermal behavior of the materials.