Development of a Low‐Cost Method for the Determination of Stabilizers in Smokeless Propellants Using Thin‐Layer Chromatography and Image Densitometry

ABSTRACT This work developed and evaluated a rapid, cost‐effective, and mobile analytical method for the quantification of stabilizers in nitrocellulose‐based propellants, using thin‐layer chromatography and image densitometry. The method demonstrated effectiveness in the separation and quantification of diphenylamine and N ‐nitrosodiphenylamine, showing linearity, accuracy, and precision for concentrations above 0.3 wt%. To address limitations at low concentrations, a screening test approach with a cutoff value of 0.3 wt% was proposed. Innovations included a custom‐built dark chamber to improve photographic records, and a custom script for automated image analysis, using open‐source software. The developed analytical procedure, along with the supporting tools created, offers a promising solution for rapid and efficient field monitoring of nitrocellulose‐based propellant stability, with the potential to complement existing laboratory methods in ammunition surveillance.