A Green Approach for Photometric Determination of Copper β-Resorcylate in Double Base Solid Propellants

This paper describes the applicability of micellar media instead of extraction steps with toxic solvents for direct determination of copper beta-resorcylate as burning rate catalyst in double base propellant (DB propellant). The method is based on a simple and safe sample preparation of DB propellant, and then complex formation of copper ion with Diethyldithiocarbamate (DDTC) in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) as a micellar media. Under optimal conditions, at λmax= 445 nm, the calibration graph was linear in the range of 0.25-4.5 µg mL-1 for copper with detection limits 0.125 µg mL-1. The validity of the method was evaluated by means of the data statistical analysis. For this purpose, the method was applied to the determination of copper beta-resorcylate in DB propellant and the results were statistically compared based on t- and F-tests with those obtained by the by ICP-AES. There was no significant difference between the mean values and the precisions of the two methods at the 95% confidence level. The results showed that the proposed method offers an accuracy and reliable approach for the determination of copper β-resorcylate in DB propellant, and can be suggested as a routine method in military quality control laboratories.