In order to reduce thermal decomposition temperature and enhance the decomposition enthalpy of ammonium perchlorate (AP) in solid fuels, metal spinel nano-catalysts (M3O4, M = Mn, Fe) were prepared simultaneous with AP thermal decomposition, using metal oxalates dihydrate (MC2O4 center dot 2H(2)O). The catalytic effect of nano-particles on AP thermal decomposition was studied by Differential Scanning Calorimetric (DSC) and Thermo Gravimetric (TG) analysis, which showed a decrease in the decomposition temperature from 428 degrees C to 311 degrees C for MnC2O4 center dot 2H(2)O in one step, whereas for FeC2O4 center dot 2H(2)O the thermal decomposition occurred in two steps at 294 degrees C and 393 degrees C respectively. The activation energy of pure AP, MnC2O4 center dot 2H(2)O@AP and FeC2O4 center dot 2H(2)O@AP were investigated under non-isothermal conditions. Two model-free methods such as Flynn-Wall-Ozawa (FWO) and Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose (KAS) were used to determine the E-a,E-alpha on a conversion fraction of alpha = 0.05 until 0.95. The results showed that both methods led to similar values of E-a,E-alpha, and they are in agreement with each other. (C) 2017 Published by Elsevier B.V.