The Effect of Ball Milling on the Nitrogen Content of Ramie (Boehmeria nivea) Nitrocellulose as Propellant Material

Mechanical treatment by means of ball milling has been done on ramie cellulose to reduce its crystalinity and increased the amorphous region, this provides more accessible hydroxyl groups for reactions. Ball milling for 96 hours could reduce the degree of crystalinity ramie celulose from 58.1% to 55% and at the same time could increase the nitrogen content from 13.31 to 13.59. The result of study are interpreted in terms of model involving mechanical deformation by breaking hydrogen bonds in α-cellulose, opening up the structure and making more free ion H of -OH groups to be substituted by the nitronium ion.