US Government As Represented by the Secretary of the Army

Eric J Robinette

Michael C Berg

Joseph L Lenhart

Randy A Mrozek

Paul J Conroy

John R Schmidt

Andrew T Gaynor

Raymond A Wildman

A method of manufacturing and optimizing energetic propellant grains includes generating an optimal surface area to mass fraction burned ratio profile for a predetermined solid structure including propellant grains; using the profile as a target function of a topological optimization process to generate a 3D form of a propellant grain; developing a negative of the 3D form of the propellant grain; mixing and densifying the negative with an energetic material in an uncured form in a mixer to create a structure including the energetic material and embedded negative; and solvating the negative from the structure, wherein the negative comprises a 3D propellant grain. The developing of the negative of the 3D form of the propellant grain may occur using a predetermined material in an additive manufacturing process. The negative may be soluble in the predetermined material, and the energetic material may be insoluble in the predetermined material.

Propellant grain for optimizing the interior ballistic performance of a weapon

Porous polymer composites and methods of preparing porous polymer composites are provided herein. In some embodiments, a method for preparing porous polymer composites may include mixing a first polymer with a solvent and a particulate filler to form a first polymer composition, wherein the amount of particulate filler in the first polymer composition is below a mechanical percolation threshold; and removing the solvent from the first polymer composition to concentrate the first polymer and particulate filler into a second polymer composition having a porous structure, wherein the particulate filler concentration in the second polymer composition is increased above the mechanical percolation threshold during solvent removal.

Porous polymer composites

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Wilmington, DE, United States of America

Eric J Robinette