The Propulsion and Energetics Panel Symposium on Service Life of Solid Propellant Motors was held from 10-14 May 1996, in Athens, Greece. It dealt with the methods of extending and predicting service life of solid propellant systems for rockets, gas generators and guns. It also dealt with shelf life under varying conditions. This defence-specific symposium was aimed at improving system reliability, safety and cost. There were five sessions (43 papers) and a keynote address: (1) Chemical and Physical Aging Mechanisms (9); (2) Non-Destructive Test Methods (6); (3) Gun Propellants (7); (4) Methodologies and Techniques for Determining Service Life (11); and (5) Application of the Service Life Methodology and Techniques to Rocket Motor Systems (10).

Despite significant developments and widespread theoretical and practical interest in the area of Solid-Propellant Nonsteady Combustion for the last fifty years, a comprehensive and authoritative text on the subject has not been available. Theory of Solid-Propellant Nonsteady Combustion fills this gap by summarizing theoretical approaches to the problem within the framework of the Zeldovich-Novozhilov (ZN-) theory. This book contains equations governing unsteady combustion and applies them systematically to a wide range of problems of practical interest. Theory conclusions are validated, as much as possible, against available experimental data. Theory of Solid-Propellant Nonsteady Combustion provides an accurate up-to-date account and perspectives on the subject and is also accompanied by a website hosting solutions to problems in the book.