Energetic Characterization of 3-D Printed Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene Fuels for Hybrid Rocket Propulsion Applications

Hybrid rocket technologies are gaining recognition as eco-friendly alternatives to traditional propulsion systems. Utah State University’s Propulsion Research Laboratory has developed a High-Performance Green Hybrid Propulsion (HPGHP) technology, leveraging 3D-printed ABS fuel for reliable, low-energy ignition. Among tested materials, only ABS shows suitable electrical-breakdown properties for arc ignition. Unfortunately, due to the proprietary formulations in commercial ABS blends, and its limited use as a rocket-propellant, related composition and combustion data are limited. This study uses spectroscopic evaluation and bomb calorimetry to estimate material compositions, enthalpies of formation, and combustion energies for multiple commercially available 3-D print feed stock ABS types, finding minimal differences amongst the samples tested. Based on these test results, “representative” ABS properties including chemical formula, mean molecular weight, enthalpy of formation, and Higher Heating Value, is recommended. Follow-on tests with 5 alternative, commonly used, 3D-printable thermoplastic feed stocks demonstrate that ABS has significantly higher energy content. This result supports ABS’s advantages and utility as a conveniently fabricated hybrid rocket fuel.