USA As Represented by Secretary of the Navy

Kerry A Clark

Lee Foltz

William M Koppes

Daniel J McCarthy

Keith Chamberlain

David R Whittaker

Eric S Schlegel

Peter A Margiotta

David M Rosenberg

Matthew J Bradley

Samuel Emery

Brian W Vos

Jody W Lang

Erin E Koelling

Andrea D Warren

An amputation system includes a cutting element having a cutting blade traversing a V-shape. The V-shape has a vertex and an angle in a range of 90-120&#xb0;. A rod, rigidly coupled to the cutting element, has its longitudinal axis aligned with the vertex so it bisects the angle of the V-shape. A barrel having a bore receives at least a portion of the rod therein wherein the rod's outboard end resides in the bore. An energetic energy source, positioned in the bore adjacent to the rod's outboard end, generates a pressure force that is incident on the rod's outboard end. The pressure force is one that peaks within 0.5 milliseconds to propel the rod from the bore at a velocity in a range of 300 to 1000 feet per second.

Amputation system for field use

A method for chemically neutralizing a nitroarene explosive uses a nitroarene hypergol having an &#x3b1;,&#x3c9;-amine and an accelerant that is applied to the explosive composition to cause ignition of the explosive composition. The method may be used to neutralize active mines.

Reagents for hypergolic ignition of nitroarenes

Growing community of inventors

La Plata, MD, United States of America

Kerry A Clark