Thiokol Corporation

Alliant Techsystems Inc.

David W Turner

David R Dillehay

James A Blackwell

Horace L Wingfield, Iii

Jim Blackwell

Processes are disclosed for making black powder and black powder substitutes without requiring binder-effective amounts of a binder and lacquers.

Method for manufacturing of black powder and black powder substitute

A continuous process of manufacturing black powder and black powder substitute using a twin screw extruder is disclosed. Guar gum mixed with the composition at a concentration in the range from 0.05% to 0.5%, by weight, dramatically reduced the friction in the dies and permitted extrusion of the powder at much lower water levels. Different size dies used in combination with face cutting of the extruded strands produce various sized granules. The process can be operated remotely and automatically. The process reduces the number of buildings, equipment and personnel required to manufacture black powder or black powder substitute. The process produces more uniform and reproducible particle sizes.

Black powder processing on twin-screw extruder

Infrared illuminant compositions are disclosed which produce significant quantities of infrared radiation when burned but which produce very little visible light. The infrared illuminant compositions provide specific illumination in the spectral range visible with night vision devices. The disclosed infrared illuminant compositions include ammonium nitrate as the main oxidizer, an infrared generator such as cesium nitrate, rubidium nitrate, or mixtures thereof, and a fuel. By eliminating potassium and its direct and indirect visible light contributions, from the illuminant compositions, improved concealment indexes are obtained. Other additives, including conventional binders and burn rate modifiers may be used as to tailor the performance and physical characteristics of the infrared illuminant composition.

Infrared illuminating composition

Energetic materials are continuously processed in a twin-screw extruder to provide safe, low-cost, high quality manufacturing of pyrotechnic compositions, gun propellants, and high explosives. The energetic materials are processed by first lacquering the binder and other soluble ingredients in a solvent. The lacquer solution is introduced into a twin-screw extruder. At least one solid reactive material ingredient, such as metal and/or oxidizer particles, is also introduced into the twin-screw extruder. The solid reactive material ingredient and the lacquer solution are mixed within the twin-screw extruder. After mixing, sufficient solvent is removed by heating or by vacuum to permit bulk granulation of the energetic material. Moist energetic material is then granulated using a remote continuous rotary granulator. The energetic material is dried to produce free-flowing granules which may be used as feedstock for further processing.

Energetic materials processing technique

A process forms decoy flare pellets which satisfy predetermined burn requirements without milling additional grooves into the pellet flare material after that material is consolidated. The process includes providing sufficient surface area to the flare material during consolidation to eliminate the need for milling. Consolidated flare pellets are then coated with an ignition composition and installed in a decoy flare housing.

Flare pallet and process for making same

A continuous extrusion process for manufacturing composite gun propellant is disclosed. The disclosed process is particularly suitable for preparing gun propellant formulations based upon a cellulose ester binder. In the process, the binder ingredients are dissolved in an organic solvent and then pumped directly into a twin-screw extruder. The other ingredients, except the oxidizer, may optionally be dissolved in the organic solvent prior to introduction into the twin-screw extruder. The oxidizer is dried, ground, and also fed dry to the twin-screw extruder. In the extruder, the materials are thoroughly mixed and the solvent is reduced to sufficient level for direct extrusion through the desired dies.

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Marshall, TX, United States of America

David W Turner