US Government As Represented by the Secretary of the Army

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

Thiokol Corporation

William D Stephens

Brenda K Rodman

Christi L Salter

Linda E Jones

Leo K Asaoka

Larry C Warren

Robert L Stanley

Erin G Nieder

William W Schwarz

Charles S Combs, Jr

Jonathon S Prickett

Charles I Ashmore

Terry E Hice

Richard C Hatcher

Gregory K Hodges

In the development of new minimum signature ducted rocket technology, the U.S. Army MICOM Propulsion Directorate has conducted studies for the development of fuel-rich gas generators for ducted rockets. The propellant formulation goals of this study include increasing burning rate, pressure exponent, and combustion efficiency without significantly decreasing fuel value. Formulations described in this application contain an energetic nitramine-prepolymer, a range of curing agents, and zirconium hydride (ZrH,) fuel element and carbon (C) as an optional fuel element.

Solid fuel gas generator for ducted rocket engine

Sticky high water content gelled fire extinguisher compositions hold the antage of providing a high water content, slightly viscous (sticky) gel with flow properties similar to water. The ability of this material to stick to burning surfaces is what sets it apart from water extinguishers. Not only are fires extinguished, but also surfaces are cooled by the sticky gel as the water evaporates. The basic gelled fire extinguisher composition is comprised of about 88 weight percent water and about 12 weight percent of a 7 nanometer particle size silicon dioxide gellant. The silicon dioxide gellant is available as EH5 tradename by Cabot for this silicon dioxide gellant. Other ingredients such as dispersants, wetting agents and flame retardants can be used as additives in combination with the gelling agent. The actual gel system is inexpensive, made from readily available ingredients and easily prepared.

Sticky high water content gels for extinguishers

The cool insulator incorporates a water gel coolant and poly-p-ethylene tphthalamide fibers (Kevlar) in an elastomeric rubber binder selected from the group consisting of silicon rubber, ethylene-propylene-diene-monomer, polybutadiene, and polyisoprene. The fiber provides erosion resistance required for long motor burning periods. This insulation includes a submicroscopic particulate water source with high temperature water release properties. The submicroscopic particulate water source is in the form of a flowable solid when formulated and in a weight percent amount from about 10 to about 20. The preferred water source is submicroscopic particulate silica containing over 11.times.10.sup.15 particles per gram and has a surface area of about 200 square meters per gram. The submicroscopic particulate silica is known as 'dry water' and specifically described by its method of preparation in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,008,170. The submicroscopic particulate silica water source is retained during processing and during a curing temperature up to about of 145.degree. F. The specific water source functions to provide water retention cooling up to about 150.degree. C. to thereby provide more efficient cooling as a result of lowering the thermal conductivity of the cool insulator in which it is formulated.

Cool insulator

This invention involves a process for achieving more energetic fuels by ug high density fullerenes and fullerene derivatives, mixed with liquid hydrocarbon or hydrocarbon derivative fuels. The advantages of the these materials are that they constitute a form of high density carbon which will evaporate or sublime quite easily by comparison to particles of carbon. The fullerenes, or derivatives of fullerenes, exist as molecules which are relatively volatile. These materials are generally solids and therefore easily compounded into hydrocarbon fuels slurries. The derivatives can be tailored for high solubility in hydrocarbon solvents. In addition, the fullerenes can be modified easily to adjust the oxidization susceptibility so that the residence time in the combustion zone can be shortened even further.

Fullerene jet fuels

This invention involves a process for improving the energy and ignitability of a metal slurry gel rocket fuel by the use of an energetic metal compound of higher energy than the parent metal. An energetic metal compound is added slowly to a liquid rocket fuel with appropriate stirring to form a suspension of the metallic compound in the liquid fuel. To this is added a small quantity of a gelling agent, such as silicon dioxide, with stirring, to form an energetic metal fuel gel. The energetic metal compound is prepared by using a high purity metal in the form of a wire. As an example, a sample of aluminum wire weighing 2.26 grams is supplied with an external source of high voltage and amperes, while the wire is in an environment of an inert gas (e.g., argon) under about 40 atmospheres pressure, to achieve electrical explosion of the wire. The product produced is a fine, gray, non-conductive powder in high yield. This powder contains aluminum and argon. This powder can be used to replace the aluminum of a prior art thixotropic fuel gel to obtain a thixotropic fuel gel with an improved performance with higher energy.

High energy fuel gel slurries

A breech assembly similar to a modified shotgun breech is used to fire gaus combustion products from a shotgun type pyrotechnic cartridge into a tank that holds the compressed gas. This compressed gas can then be used to drive power tools, inflation assemblies or any device which normally operates on compressed air.

Lightweight pyrotechnic compressor

Solid fuel gas generator compositions for use in ducted rockets, in which fullerenes or substituted fullerenes are used. Fullerene compounds in which easily oxidizable groups, oxidizing groups, or salts of oxidizing acids are attached to the spherical carbon skeleton of the fullerene.

Fullerene rocket fuels

A solid propellant composition employing 2,2-bis(t-butyldicyclopentadienyon)propane (TBD) as the burn rate enhancer in a weight percent from about 2 to about 6 weight percent yields higher threshold values for ignition by impact and improved friction and spark testing values to thereby render the solid propellant composition less hazardous to personnel during handling as compared to similar solid propellant compositions containing Catocene, (2,2-bis(ethyldicylopentadienyliron)propane). The TBD solid propellant composition also comprises from about 9 to about 10 weight percent of hydroxyterminated polybutadiene binder system including an isocyanate curative added in amount of up to 1.0 weight percent and optional modifiers in small amounts with adjustment of the weight percent of other ingredients. Other propellant ingredients comprise a trimodal mix of 200, 1.7, and 0.7 micron particle sizes of ammonium perchlorate oxidizer in amounts from about 66 to about 70 weight percent, and aluminum metal powder in amounts from about 18 to about 20 weight percent. TBD is synthesized to contain no alpha hydrogens, i.e., does not have hydrogens on carbon adjacent to the aromatic ring structure which contributes to long term oxidation and migration problems of Hycat 6D and Catocene.

High burn rate ammonium perchlorate propellant

The present invention concerns itself with the synthesis of N-octyl(2-ethylhexyl)urethane and its use as an internal plasticizer for isocyanate-cured solid propellant compositions.

Plasticizer system for propellant compositions

The present invention concerns itself with the synthesis of N-octyldecylbutyl urethane and its use as an internal plasticizer for solid propellants.

This invention discloses the synthesis of a dilinoleate ester plasticizer and its use as a plasticizer for propellant compositions.

This invention discloses the synthesis of a polytetramethyleneglycol pivalate polyether and its use as a plasticizer for propellant compositions.

The present invention discloses the preparation of a novel family of polytetramethyleneglycol monooctaneoate ester-ethers and their use as internal plasticizers for propellant compositions.

A plasticizer for propellant compositions is 2-hydroxy-3-butoxypropyl oleate. The plasticizer can be incorporated into propellants which conventionally include a binder fuel component, oxidizer component, isocyanate curing agent as well as other conventional components as desired such as bonding agents, curing catalysts and ballistic modifiers. Specifically, a preferred propellant having the internal plasticizer therein includes ammonium perchlorate oxidizer, HTPB binder, aluminum powder fuel, isophorone diisocyanate curing agent, a bonding agent and a delayed quick-cure catalyst. The migration of the plasticizer is substantially reduced so as to extend the shelf-life of rocket motors having the plasticized propellant therein.

Propellant plasticizer

A composite solid propellant wherein the burning rate thereof is materially increased by the addition thereto of a ferrocene combustion catalyst.

Growing community of inventors

Huntsville, AL, United States of America

William D Stephens