Thermal Decomposition and Combustion Behavior of Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2) as Sustainable Fuel for Green Propulsion Technologies via Heterogeneous  Low-Cost Catalysts

Hajar Jabri; Kainaubek Toshtay; Ahmed Bachar; Assia Mabrouk; Seitkhan Azat; Abdelaziz Sahibeddine; Rachid Amrousse

doi:10.18321/ectj1665

Authors

Hajar Jabri University of Chouaib Doukkali, Faculty of Sciences, 24000 El Jadida, Morocco
Kainaubek Toshtay Department of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty 050040, Kazakhstan
Ahmed Bachar School of Education and Training (ESEF-A), Ibnou Zohr University, Agadir 80000, Morocco
Assia Mabrouk Faculty of Applied Sciences, Ibnou Zohr University, Ait Melloul 80000, Morocco
Seitkhan Azat rachid.amrousse@gmail.com
Abdelaziz Sahibeddine University of Chouaib Doukkali, Faculty of Sciences, 24000 El Jadida, Morocco
Rachid Amrousse University of Chouaib Doukkali, Faculty of Sciences, 24000 El Jadida, Morocco

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18321/ectj1665

Keywords:

Propellant, Specific impulse, H2O2, Green sustainability, Catalyst, Combustion

Abstract

Recently, hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) is largely used as green propellant due to its high performance, high specific impulse and low toxicity. This study investigates the catalytic performance of manganese dioxide (MnO₂) supported on silica (SiO₂) and binary silica-alumina (SiO₂-Al₂O₃) support careers for the decomposition and combustion behavior of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂). The primary goal is to evaluate how the addition of alumina to silica influences the catalyst’s properties, particularly its textural characteristics and catalytic activity. The catalysts were thoroughly characterized using nitrogen adsorption (BET─BJH) for surface area and porosity measurements, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) for morphological and elemental analysis, and thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis (DTA─TG) to assess the decomposition kinetics of H₂O₂. The results show that incorporating alumina with silica significantly enhances the dispersion of MnO₂ active phase, leading to an increase in catalytic efficiency and combustion characteristics. The SiO₂-Al₂O₃ support exhibited improved catalytic activity compared to pure silica, facilitating faster and more complete decomposition of H₂O₂. These findings suggest that optimizing the support composition can significantly improve the performance of catalysts for H₂O₂ decomposition, with potential applications in space propulsion systems where efficient, eco-friendly propellants are required.

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