US Government As Represented by the Secretary of the Army

Other

Thelma G Manning

Bernard D Strauss

Sam M Moy

Joseph P Prezelski

Mark J Mezger

Joseph Turci

Joseph L Prezelski

Zafar Iqbal

Arpad A Juhasz

Scott Hildebrandt, Legal Representative

James A Hartwell

Ronald L Simmons

Floyd J Hildebrandt

Carol Simmons, Legal Representative

A method of fabricating a non-brittle, carbon nanopaper from single wall, multiwall, and combination thereof, from carbon nanotubes, using a vacuum deposition, high temperature annealing, and polystyrene polymer rinse process; which nanopaper can be nitrided by either a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) process, or an by an electrochemical method, to obtain a useful chemically functionalized substrate, a substrate containing metastable N, N, and longer chain polymeric nitrogen clusters. Such nitrided carbon nanopaper can be used to enhance the ballistic performance of gun propellants, while reducing gun barrel wear and erosion thereof.

Nitriding of carbon nanotubes

A gun propellant formulation comprising: a nitrocellulose component comprising from about sixty-five percent (65.0%) to about ninety-five (95.0%) of the gun propellant by weight, having a nitrogen proportion of substantially twelve and six-tenths percent (12.6%) nitrogen; an energetic plasticizer component comprising from about 5.0 percent (5.0%) to about 35 percent (35.0%) of the gun propellant by weight, and comprising N-Butyl-2Nitratoethyl Nitramine (BuNena); a burning rate moderator and stabilizer component comprising from about one-half of one percent (0.5%) to about five percent (5.0%) of the gun propellant by weight, and comprising Sym-Diethyl Diphenyl Urea, N,N'-Diethyl Carbanilide (Ethyl Centralite, Centralite I); and a stabilizer component comprising about one-half of one percent (0.5%) to about five percent (5.0) of the gun propellant by weight, and comprising Acetyl triethyl citrate (ATEC). Additional components comprising less than 5% of the gun propellant may optionally include Graphite, carbon black, and candelilla wax.

Single-base propellant composition using BuNena as energetic plasticizer

A high energy propellant, comprising an oxetane thermoplastic elastomer energetic binder admixed with a high energy explosive filler. The oxetane thermoplastic elastomer energetic binder preferably comprises from about five percent to about thirty percent by weight and the high energy explosive filler comprises from about seventy percent to about ninety-five percent by weight of the composition. A preferred propellant further includes an explosive plasticizer, preferably in an amount of about four percent to about seven percent of the plasticizer by weight of the propellant. The preferred filler is selected from the group consisting of CL-20, TNAZ, RDX and mixtures thereof. The preferred plasticizer is selected from the group consisting of TNAZ, BTTN, TMETN, TEGDN, BDNPA/F, methyl NENA, ethyl NENA and mixtures thereof. In a preferred embodiment, the propellant is actually a pair of high energy propellants comprising a mixture of first and second high energy propellants with the first propellant having a burning rate at least two times faster than the burning rate of the second propellant. The first propellant includes an oxetane thermoplastic elastomer energetic binder admixed with CL-20 high energy explosive filler. The second propellant including an oxetane thermoplastic elastomer energetic binder admixed with RDX high energy explosive filter. Plasticizers and relative amounts for each of the first and second propellants are the same as for the single propellant.

High energy thermoplastic elastomer propellant

Propellant compositions

A main energetic ingredient filler useful for propellant-based munitions, comprising filler particles having a fine particle size of less than about 10 micrometers diameter and a thin coating of graphite on the filler particles in an amount such that the weight of the graphite is less than about two percent of the weight of the filler particles. Preferred filler particles have a fine particle size of less than about ten micrometers diameter, and most preferred are fillers with a particle size having an average particle diameter ranging from about two to about eight micrometers. The preferred filler is selected from the group consisting of CL-20, TNAZ, NQ, RDX, HMX and mixtures thereof. Most preferred is a filler of CL-20 ground to an average particle diameter of about five to ten micrometers. The preferred amount of graphite comprises about one percent by weight of the filler particles. The filler may be formed into a propellant including a binder and a plasticizer. The method of making the main energetic ingredient filler of this invention includes the steps of grinding the filler to a fine particle size and coating graphite on the particles in an amount such that the weight of graphite is less than about two percent of the weight of the filler particles.

Reduction of energetic filler sensitivity in propellants through coating

A high energy propellant, comprising at least one oxidizer; a nitrocellul binder; an ethyl centralite stabilizer; a plasticizer; and an oxetane thermoplastic elastomer energetic binder. The oxetane thermoplastic elastomer energetic binder comprises from about zero percent to about fifteen percent by weight of the propellant. The preferred oxidizer is selected from the group consisting of CL-20, TNAZ, RDX, HMX and mixtures thereof. The oxidizer comprises from about five percent to about forth percent by weight of the propellant. The nitrocellulose binder comprises from about fifteen percent to about fifty percent by weight of the propellant and the ethyl centralite stabilizer comprises from about 0.7 percent to about 1.5 percent by weight of the propellant. The plasticizer is selected from the group consisting of TNAZ, BTTN, TMETN, TEGDN, BDNPA/F, methyl NENA, ethyl NENA and mixtures thereof. The plasticizer comprises from about five percent to about thirty-five percent by weight of the propellant.

High energy TNAZ, nitrocellulose gun propellant

A method of formulating high energy explosives and propellants, including e steps of melting the explosive at a temperature just above its melting temperature, admixing and dissolving or plasticizing a binder, and extruding or casting the resultant solution into a useful form for further forming the resulting material into a munitions. The first step in this method includes the use of any high energy explosive material. Examples of these include hexanitrohexaazaisowurtzitane or CL-20, 1,3,3-trinitroazetidine or TNAZ, 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene or S-TNT, 1,3,5-trinitrobenzene or S-TNB, HMX, RDX, butane-trio-trinitrate or BTTN, trimethylolethane trinitrate or TMETN; triethylene glycol dinitrate or TEGDN, bis, 2,2-dinitro propyl acetal/bis 2,2 dinitro propyl formal or BDNPA/F, methyl nitrato ethyl nitramine or methyl NENA, ethyl NENA, mixtures thereof and the like. Binders that are useful for the present invention include cellulose acetate butyrate, ethyl centralite, oxetane thermoplastic elastomers, nitrocellulose, HYTREL and ESTANE polymers, and the like.

Method of making high energy explosives and propellants

A multi-layer propellant and a method for making the same is provided, in ich the propellant has at least one slow burning formulation and at least one fast burning formulation, such that the ratio of these burning rates is at least 2:1. The propellant produces an impetus of at least 1300 Joules/gm. The preferred binder is a high energy oxetane thermoplastic elastomer. The preferred slow burning formulation employs RDX, while the preferred fast burning formulation employs CL-20. The two formulations are formed separately, such as in layers that are then fused, using the bonding strength of the binder. The shape may be any shape that is useful in munitions and may include one or many layers of each burning rate. Preferred shapes include a multi-layered propellant with one slow burning formulation on top and a bottom layer of the fast burning formulation. The layers may be formed from ribbons, discs, cones, truncated cones and partial spheres. The amount of binder in each formulation should be sufficient to provide a uniformly dispersed oxidizer throughout the layer. Preferred amounts of binder range from about five percent to about thirty percent by weight, based on the total weight of the propellant.

Multi-layer high energy propellants

7 The invention is an insensitive energetic composition that is an explosive and the related articles and systems. The composition has HMX or RDX as an energetic filler, a nonenergetic binder and an energetic plasticizer. The plasticizer is a nitrato-nitramine or a liquid nitrate ester. This provides a matrix with a glass transition temperature below minus 45 degrees Centigrade. In another variation, the composition can also include aluminum powder. Generally, the materials have particularly strong blast effects.

Insensitive energetic compositions, and related articles and systems and

The explosive blasting composition in this invention contains 1 to 40 pert Aluminum powder, 40 to 80 percent Cyclotetramethylene Tetranitramine, 4 to 15 percent Cellulose Acetate Butyrate, 5 to 20 percent of 1:1 mixture of bis 2,2-dinitropropyl acetate and bis 2,2-dinitropropyl formal, and, and 0.25 to 0.75 percent Tri (dioctyl Phosphato) Titanate. The method of making the above composition consists of combining Cyclotetramethylene Tetranitramine, Cellulose Acetate Buterate, 1:1 bis 2,2-dinitropropyl acetate and bis 2,2-dinitropropropyl formal, and tri (dioctyl phosphato) titanate, mixed at an elevated temperature for a period of time. Prior to blowdown, the Aluminum powder is added. to the mix. Mixing continues and blowdown is initiated to remove excess solvents for the purpose of extrusion.

Growing community of inventors

Montville, NJ, United States of America

Thelma G Manning