US Government As Represented by the Secretary of the Army

Other

Porter H Mitchell, Jr

Barry D Allan

William S Melvin

Apparatus and method for supporting at least a portion of an article while the article is being formed. A source of self-adhering particles is directed by a particle jetting device, or the like, to a predetermined position in a controlled environment to form the article. A support structure is carried in the controlled environment for substantially rigidly supporting at least a portion of the article during the formation of the article (by build-up of the self-adhering particles). The support structure is a fluid which changes state to a solid responsive to an electrical charge and reverts back to a fluid responsive to removal of the electrical charge.

Method and apparatus for manufacturing an article using a support

An effective method to recover the catalyst material, ferrocene or its deatives, from high burn rate propellants comprises the method which uses compressed gas in the form of a near critical liquid to extract, remove, and recover the specific catalyst material directly from rocket motors or from chunks of cut propellant. The method comprises introducing compressed carbon dioxide into a pressure vessel containing the propellant from which the catalyst material is to be recovered. The carbon dioxide as a near critical liquid (NCL) is circulated within the pressure vessel where extraction of ferrocene or its derivatives directly from the propellant takes place. The NCL with extractibles is transported to a warming and recovery zone where the extractibles are recovered after the carbon dioxide is volatilized and returned for recycling, compressing, and further extracting after being adjusted to a near critical liquid. Analytical data indicates that from 99.8% to 100% of ferrocence or its derivatives is readily recoverable from propellant which is undergoing demilitarization after it is determined to have burning rate, sensitivity, or other measureable changes to be out of system specification. After recovery of the high dollar value catalyst material, the propellant can be safely handled for removal using conventional water jet apparatus to cut and remove the propellant for reclamation of any of the propellant ingredients.

Demilitarization of high burn rate propellants containing ferrocene or

The incorporation of a nitrated pentaerythritol additive selected from the ono-, di-, tri-, and tetra-nitrated pentaerythritols into hydrazine is effective in lowering the freezing point of the combination while enhancing the performance of the monopropellant by contributing to the total energy of the monopropellant combination. Hydrazine content varies from about 65 to 95 weight percent while the additive of a nitrated pentaerythritol varies from about 5 to about 25 weight percent. An optional additional additive of methyl alcohol from about 5 to about 20 weight percent can be employed with a corresponding adjustment in weight percent of hydrazine when said additive of methyl alcohol is employed in addition to said additive of said nitrated pentaerythritol.

Growing community of inventors

Fayetteville, TN, United States of America

Porter H Mitchell, Jr