A bismuth 3-nitro-1,2,4-triazol-5-one (Bi-NTO) complex was prepared and characterized, and its effects on the thermal behaviors, non-isothermal decomposition reaction kinetics, and burning rates of the double-base (DB) propellant containing the mixed ester of triethyleneglycol dinitrate (TEGDN) and nitroglycerin (NG) with Bi-NTO complex as a ballistic modifier were investigated by thermogravimetry and derivative thermogravimetry (TG-DTG), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The results show that Bi-NTO complex can increase the decomposition heat by 140 J g(-1), and it can change the decomposition reaction mechanism function, the kinetic parameters and kinetic equation of the propellant under 0.1 MPa. Combustion experiment shows that Bi-NTO complex can increase the burning rate and reduce the pressure exponent of the NG/TEGDN/NC propellant effectively, with the increase of the catalysis efficiency by 40%. Crown Copyright (C) 2009 Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.