Contact Dr Philip Gill

Areas of expertise

  • Defence manufacturing
  • Explosives and Munitions
  • Weapons Engineering

Background

A research chemist active in the field of energetic materials and ordnance science and technology with over 20 years’ experience in the life assessment and formulation of propellants and explosives. 

Senior Chemist at ROXEL (UK Rocket Motors) Ltd and visiting Fellow within the Propellant Research Group, Cranfield Defence and Security.



Research opportunities

Applications are invited for self-funded PhD students interested in the application of solid propellant chemistry and material science.



Current activities

My research focus is in understanding the mechanistic relationships of raw ingredient specification and formulation processes; and life assessment of propellants to validate and verify materials and physical/chemical ageing models.  I have a particular interest in nitrocellulose (NC) and NC based formulations.

Current areas of interest/work

  • Formulation - ResonantAcoustic Mixing (RAM) 
  • Formulation - Nitrocellulose processing for rocket propellant manufacture 
  • Formulation - Solid propellant bond-line adhesion 
  • Life Assessment - Nitrocellulose chemical decomposition mechanisms
  • Life Assessment - Nitrocellulose mechanical properties 
  • Combustion - Lead-free ballistic modifiers for rocket propellants 

Current grad students

  • Alonso ROMERO-JABALQUINTO  - Nitrocellulose propellant investigation 
  • Kharisma YAHAYA - Study of Double Base Propellants Modified with Graphene
  • Jacopo Aldrigo BONIFACIO - Additive Manufacture of Energetic Materials 

Former grad students 

  • Dr Colum O'CONNOR - Co-crystallisation of energetic materials
  • Dr Andrew CLAYDON - Resonant acoustic mixing (RAM) of high explosives
  • Dr Peter WILKINSON - Evaluation of Novel Propellants Manufactured from Commercially Available Thermoplastic      Elastomers (TPE) using Resonant Acoustic Mixing
  • Dr Erick GALANTE - Simulation of environmental effects of open burning of explosives
  • Dr Nathan FLOOD - Cast Double base propellant studies
  • Dr Robert HUDSON - Reduced Sensitivity (RS) RDX
  • Dr James TUCKER - A whole life assessment of extruded double base rocket propellants

Scientific Committee: International Nitrocellulose Symposium

Deputy Secretary: RSC - Formulation Science and Technology interest group 

Publications

Articles In Journals

Conference Papers

  • Hudson R, Moniruzzaman M, Zioupos P & Gill P (2015) Investigation of reduced sensitivity RDX. In: 2nd International Workshop on Advances in Solid Propellant Systems (IWAPS 2015), Pune, 12-13 March 2015.
  • Mai M & Gill P (2012) ISO 17025 GPC analysis of NC. In: 5th International Nitrocellulose Symposium, Spiez, 17 April 2012.
  • Tucker J, Mai N, Gill P & Hand J (2010) Assessment of propellant stabilizer extraction methods. In: 41st International Annual Conference of ICT, Karlsruhe, 29 June 2010.
  • Hudson R, Gill P, Flower PQ & Cumming AS (2010) Assessment of RDX morphology and defects. In: 41st International Annual Conference of ICT, Karlsruhe, 29 June 2010.
  • Tucker J, Mai N, Gill P & Hand J (2010) Effect of manufacturing processes on nitrocellulose in extruded double base propellant. In: 41st International Annual Conference of ICT, Karlsruhe, 29 June 2010.
  • Hudson R, Gill P, Flower PQ & Cumming AS (2010) Thermal analysis of RDX using differential scanning calorimetry. In: 41st International Annual Conference of ICT, Karlsruhe, 29 June 2010.
  • Deacon P, Knight R, Macdonald A, Gill P, Mai N, Bohn M, Pontius H, van Hulst M, de Klerk W & Baker C (2010) Conclusions from the round robin evaluation of the nitrocellulose size exclusion chromatography method in STANAG 4178 (ed.2). In: 41st International Annual Conference of ICT, Karlsruhe, 29 June 2010.
  • Mai N, Gill P, Bellerby J, Deacon P & Baker C (2010) Whole life assessment of nitrocellulose in double base rocket propellants. In: 41st International Annual Conference of ICT, Karlsruhe, 29 June 2010.
  • Deacon P, Macdonald A, Gill P, Mai N, Bohn M, Pontius H, van Hulst M, de Klerk W & Baker C (2009) An Update on the Round Robin Test to Evaluate the Nitrocellulose Size Exclusion Chromatography Method in STANAG 4178 (Ed. 2). In: 40th International Annual Conference of ICT, Karlsruhe, 23 June 2009.
  • Moniruzzaman M, Mai N & Gill P (2009) Photo-induced changes in the viscosity and molecular weight of nitrocellulose. In: 1st Korean International Symposium on High Energy Materials (1st KISHEM), Incheon, 6 October 2009.
  • Deacon P, Macdonald A, Gill P, Mai N, Bohn M & Pontius H (2008) A round robin evaluation of the nitrocellulose gel permeation chromatography method proposed for Stanag 4178 (ed.2). In: 39th International Annual Conference of ICT, Karlsruhe, 24 June 2008.
  • Mai N, Agha A & Gill P (2007) An investigation into the safety of the continued use of old tetryl in munitions. In: 9th International Symposium on the Analysis and Detection of Explosives, Paris, 2 July 2007.
  • Bellerby JM, Deacon P & Gill PP (2006) Whole Life Assessment of Nitrocellulose in Double Base Rocket Propellants. In: 37th ICT Conference, Karlsruhe, Germany, 24 April 2006.
  • Gill PP & Bellerby JM (2004) Gases Evolved from Pentaerythritoltetranitrate (PETN) in Air at 100 C. In: Proceedings of 13th Jan Hansson Symposium on Chemical Problems, Backaskog Castle, Kristianstad, Sweden, 6 June 2004.
  • Gill PP, Bellerby JM & Welland-Veltmans WHM (2004) Decomposition of Crystaline Hydrazinium Nitroformate (HNF). In: Proc. 35th Int. Annual Conf of ICT, Karlsruhe, Germany, 29 June 2004.
  • Gill PP, Bellerby JM & Blackman CS (2001) Decomposition of Hydrazinium Nitroformate (HNF) between 60C and 80C. In: 12th Symposium on Chemical Problems Connected with the Stability of Explosives, Karlsborgs Fastning, Karlsborg, Sweden13-17 May, 2001, 13 May 2001.
  • Gill PP, Mai N, Deacon P, Macdonald A & Bohn M A Round robin evaluation of the nitrocellulose gel permeation chromatography method proposed for Stanag 4178 (ed.2). In: Proceedings of 39th International Annual conf of ICT, Karlsruhe.

Books