USA As Represented by Secretary of the Navy

United States of America As Represented by the Secretary of the Air Force

Thomas Krawietz

Victor Bellitto

Robert L McKenney, Jr

John F Leahy

Spencer T Parkin

An explosive composition, an insensitive munition with a metal eutectic binder, and a method include using a metal eutectic binder with metal coated explosive particles. The metal eutectic binder concept represents novel melt-cast solid mixtures having explosives such as RDX (cyclonite) or HMX (octogen) distributed in an alloy including, for example, eutectic bismuth (Bi)/tin (Sn). Eutectic alloys are particularly considered to provide a melting point of the mixture below the exothermic point of the explosive so that vented munitions disarm by melting without exploding in the event of fire or other elevated heating. Particularly novel is the pre-coating of crystals of explosive (RDX/HMX) with a metal to promote wetting and bonding during melt fabrication of the final mixture. Copper, aluminum, and other metals are considered for use as coating.

Metal binders for insensitive munitions

A melt-castable explosive composition not based on TNT consisting essentially of about 10 to 20 weight percent of a matrix material having a melting temperature of about 80&deg; to 100&deg; C., about 1 to 5 weight percent of a plasticizer, up to about 20 weight percent of a metal powder, up to about 20 weight percent of an oxidizer and about 70 to 89 weight percent of a high explosive. The matrix material is carnauba wax modified with ozokerite wax in a weight ratio of about 1:1 to 20:1.

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Shalimar, FL, United States of America

Thomas Krawietz