Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company

Birger Johannessen

Anthony P Manzara

Epichlorohydrin is polymerized in the presence of anhydrous stannic chloride catalyst and an alcohol initiator to produce a polyepichlorohydrin product comprising predominantly secondary hydroxyl-terminated polyepichlorohydrin polymer having low polydispersity, from which polyurethanes and azide derivatives can be made, polyurethanes prepared from such azide derivatives being useful as a binder for solid rocket propellants.

Low polydispersity glycidyl azide polymer

A normally liquid, non-detonable product having less than about 45.7 weight percent nitrogen comprising polymer which can be represented by the general formula:

Non-detonable poly(glycidyl azide) product

Epichlorohydrin is polymerized with an active hydrogen-containing initiator and the resulting secondary hydroxyl-containing polyepichlorohydrin is further reacted to produce a hydroxyl-terminated polyepichlorohydrin product having chains terminating in a primary hydroxyl group, said polyepichlorohydrin product being reactable with an inorganic azide to produce a poly(glycidyl azide) product useful as a binder for solid rocket propellants.

Primary hydroxyl-terminated polyglycidyl azide

Hydroxyl terminated polyepichlorohydrin having a polydispersity of less than 1.2 and a molecular weight of at least 2000, and method of preparation using stannic chloride and strong carboxylic acid co-catalysts.

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Maplewood, MN, United States of America

Birger Johannessen