Thiokol Corporation

Cordant Technologies Inc.

Morton International, Inc.

Morton Thiokol Inc.

Robert B Wardle

Jerald C Hinshaw

Thomas K Highsmith

R Scott Hamilton

W Wayne Edwards

Gary K Lund

Robert M Hajik

Carol J Hinshaw

Tom K Highsmith

Reed J Blau

Paul C Braithwaite

Russell A Crook

William W Edwards

Louis F Cannizzo

Roger R Hendrickson

Corey S McLeod

Harold Eugene Johnston

Hexabenzylhexaazaisowurtzitane is converted to tetracetyl, dibenzyl azaisowurtzitane. The benzyl groups are removed by catalytic transfer hydrogenolysis leaving a pair of available nitrogens. The available nitrogens are acetylated, and the resulting intermediate is converted to CL-20 with a strong nitrating agent.

Method for making new polycyclic polyamides as precursors for energetic

A process is disclosed for producing prills comprised of ammonium dinitramide The prills can include, if desired, one or more thermal stabilizers, and processing aid(s). Solid particulate ADN is introduced into the top of a melting column, allowed to melt to form pre-prills while passing through a hot-zone ('heated zone') in the prilling column. The pre-prills are allowed to spheridize in the presence of an upwardly blown inert medium which is counter current to the path of the ADN in the prilling column. The flow is designed not to blow the ADN out of the prilling column. The rate of spheridization (prill formation) can, if desired, be accelerated by providing additional cooling, such as refrigeration, to the cooling zone in the prilling column. The ADN prills are suitable for use in propellants.

Thermally-stabilized prilled ammonium dinitramide particles, and process

A process for synthesizing 4,10-dinitro-2,6,8,12-tetraoxa-4,10-diazatetracyclo-[5.5.0.0.sup.5,9 0.sup.3,11 ]-dodecane ('TEX') involves combining at least one hexa-substituted piperazine derivative with a medium containing at least one nitronium anion source and at least one acid sufficiently strong to generate nitronium anions from the nitronium anion source. According to this invention, TEX yield is significantly improved by pre-heating the medium to 55.degree. C. to about 70.degree. C. and maintaining the medium from 55.degree. C. to about 70.degree. C. to permit the hexa-substituted piperazine derivative and nitronium anions to react and form the TEX. At least one NO.sub.x scavenger is added to the medium, preferably before the addition of the hexa-substituted piperazine derivative, to increase TEX yield.

Process for the large-scale synthesis of

Energetic polymers and methods for their synthesis are provided. The polymers are preferably produced from cyclic ether monomers having 4 or 5 member rings. The cyclic ether monomers preferably include energetic functional groups such that a polymer formed from the monomer is itself energetic. Polymerization is catalyzed by a combination of alkylating salt and alcohol. The preferred salts are triethoxonium salts with anions such as hexafluorophosphate, hexachloroantimonate, and tetrafluoroborate. It is found that by employing the combination of selected triethoxonium salts and selected alcohols that it is possible to produce an energetic polymer with predetermined functionality and molecular weight. The salt is found to scavenge water in the reaction mixture, thus increasing control over the functionality of the final product. The salt-alcohol combination also rapidly initiates polymerization and allows higher molecular weights to be achieved. This is particularly important in that one limitation previously experienced in polymerization of the types of monomers used in this invention was an inability to achieve rapid and complete polymerization.

Methods for controlled polymerization of energetic cyclic ethers using

The invention relates to a new class of alkoxy silane compounds of the following general formula: ##STR1## wherein R is aliphatic or aromatic having from 1 to about 15 carbon atoms and R'comprises a hydrolyzable alkoxy functionality. These compounds are particularly useful as adhesion promoters when used with adhesives such as, for example, phenylethynyl terminated polyimide or polysulfide adhesives. The invention also relates to a method of synthesizing the alkoxy silane compounds defined above.

Adhesion promoters and methods of their synthesis and use

The invention relates to a new class of alkoxy silane compounds of the following general formula: wherein R is aliphatic or aromatic having from 1 to about 15 carbon atoms and R' comprises a hydrolyzable alkoxy functionality. These compounds are particularly useful as adhesion promoters when used with adhesives such as, for example, phenylethynyl terminated polyamide or polysufide adhesives. The invention also relates to a method of synthesizing the alkoxy silane compounds defined above.

A process of crystallizing CL-20 is disclosed. In the process, a wet CL-20 solvent/CL-20 solution is dried by azeotropic distillation of a CL-20 solvent/water azeotrope. Removal of water from the CL-20 solution permits crystallization of high density CL-20. A low density, CL-20 non-solvent is added to the resulting dry CL-20 solvent/CL-20 solution to cause precipitation of .epsilon.-polymorph CL-20. The CL-20 crystals are separated from the non-solvent and the solvent by adding sufficient water to displace the non-solvent and the solvent from the surface of the CL-20 crystals. In this fashion, the .epsilon.-polymorph CL-20 is made wet for later handling, packaging, and shipping.

Process of crystallizing

Composite propellant formulations are disclosed having a dinitramide salt oxidizer, such as ammonium dinitramide, an energetic binder, such as energetically substituted oxetane and oxirane polymers, a reactive metal, such as aluminum, and other typical propellant ingredients such as curatives and stabilizers. Propellant formulations useful for minimum smoke or reduced smoke applications, preferably include little or no reactive metal. The disclosed propellant formulations are able to combust the reactive metal efficiently, possess high burn rates, and produce little or no HCl exhaust gases.

Propellant formulations based on dinitramide salts and energetic binders

A process for the hydrogenolysis of 2,4,6,8,10,12-hexabenzyl-2,4,6,8,10,12-hexaazatetracyclo�5.5.0.0.sup.5,9.0 .sup.3,11 !dodecane ('HBIW') is disclosed. In the process, a quantity of HBIW, a cosolvent, and a bromine source are placed into a reaction vessel. Acetic anhydride and a palladium hydrogenolysis catalyst are rapidly added to the reaction vessel. The hydrogenolysis catalyst should be substantially free of water. The reaction vessel is purged of an atmosphere capable of reacting with hydrogen, and hydrogen is quickly introduced into the reaction vessel to convert the HBIW to tetraacetyldibenzylhexaazaisowurtzitane ('TADB'). The acetic anhydride is added immediately prior to hydrogen introduction so that the acetic anhydride does not have time to react with the HBIW to form an acetylated derivative prior to commencement of the desired hydrogenation reaction. The process requires very little palladium catalyst, preferably less than 10% wt/wt based on the HBIW substrate. The TADB, precipitated on the palladium hydrogenolysis catalyst, is subjected to a second hydrogenation step using a formic acid solvent in the presence of hydrogen to form tetraacetyldiformylhexaazaisowurtzitane ('TADF').

Hydrogenolysis of

A process of synthesizing HBIW using a mineral acid, such as perchloric acid, as the acid catalyst is disclosed. According to the process, glyoxal, adjusted to a pH from 4 to 7, and benzylamine are reacted in the presence of the mineral acid for sufficient time to form HBIW. The resulting HBIW is then isolated according to conventional separation techniques.

Synthesis of 2,4,6,8,10,12-hexabenzyl-2,4,6,8,10,12-hexaazatetracyclo

A nonsolvent process of synthesizing bis(2,2-dinitropropyl)acetal (BDNPA) is disclosed. In the process, 2,2-dinitropropanol (DNPOH) is reacted at low temperature with an acetaldehyde source in the presence of an acid catalyst, such as a Lewis acid catalyst or protic acid catalyst. To inhibit by product formation, the reaction temperature is maintained from about -30.degree. C. to 30.degree. C. Upon completion of the reaction, the reaction solution is quenched with water and washed with an aqueous hydroxide solution. The hydroxide concentration should be sufficient to neutralize any acid formed during the quenching step and to solubilize unreacted 2,2-dinitropropanol as well as other aqueous soluble byproducts in the reaction solution. The BDNPA product is extracted with methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) or equivalent solvent. The organic solvent is evaporated to yield usable BDNPA product. The resulting yield is at least 50% based on the starting quantity of 2,2-dinitropropanol.

Synthesis of bis(2,2-dinitropropyl)acetal (BDNPA)

High solids pressable explosive compositions containing a liquid energetic polymer and a high performance explosive oxidizer are disclosed. The pressable explosive compositions contain a solids content between 91 and 99 weight percent, with an energetic polymer content less than 9 weight percent. The energetic polymer has a weight average molecular weight greater than 10,000, determined using a polystyrene standard, sufficient to use the polymer precipitation technique in preparing the pressable explosive compositions. Chain-extended PGN (polyglycidyl nitrate) is a preferred energetic polymer. The pressable explosives disclosed herein produce extremely high detonation pressure, high detonation velocity, and excellent metal accelerating capability.

High performance pressable explosive compositions

A PBAN-based solid rocket motor propellant which includes more than 85% or more solids is provided. Propellants of this nature are possible using the combination of diepoxide curing agents and PBAN as a binder. The curing agents include diepoxides having 4 to about 10 carbon atoms. It has been observed that when a diepoxide curing agent is substituted for conventional curing agents, viscosities are significantly reduced, thus enabling the addition of higher percentages of solids in the propellant formulation. Total solids loading of over 85% are achievable while maintaining end-of-mix viscosities within acceptable ranges.

High solids rocket motor propellants using diepoxy curing agents

The use of 4,10-dinitro-2,6,8,12-tetraoxa-4,10-diazatetrocyclo[5.5.0.0.sup.5,9 0.sup.3,11 ]-dodecane as the major explosive ingredient in compositions useful in high performance, low sensitivity explosive applications is disclosed.

Insensitive high performance explosive compositions

A method of preparing a thermoplastic elastomer having A blocks and at least one B block, wherein said A blocks are crystalline at temperatures below about 60.degree. C. and said B block is amorphous at temperatures above about -20.degree. C., said A blocks each being polyethers derived from monomers of oxetane and its derivatives and/or tetrahydrofuran and its derivatives, the method comprising: providing monofunctional hydroxyl terminated A blocks which are crystalline at temperatures below about 60.degree. C. and separately providing di-, tri- or tetrafunctional hydroxyl terminated B blocks which are amorphous at temperatures above about -20.degree. C., end-capping said A blocks by separately reacting said A blocks with a difunctional diisocyanate in which one isocyanate moiety is at least about five times as reactive with the terminal hydroxyl group of the A blocks as the other isocyanate moiety, whereby the more reactive isocyanate moiety tends to react with the terminal hydroxyl group of the A blocks, leaving the less reactive isocyanate moiety free and unreacted, and adding di-, tri- or tetrafunctional B block to the end-capped A blocks at approximately the stoichiometric ratios that they are intended to be present in the thermoplastic elastomer such that the free and unreacted isocyanate moiety on the end-capped A block reacts with a functional moiety of the B block to produce ABA or A.sub.n B thermoplastic elastomers.

Growing community of inventors

Logan, UT, United States of America

Robert B Wardle