The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 21, 1996
Filed:
Jun. 21, 1994
Irwin A Taub, Framingham, MA (US);
Kenneth Kustin, Cambridge, MA (US);
The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army, Washington, DC (US);
Abstract
Flameless chemical heaters based on the iron-promoted magnesium-water reaon (Mg+H.sub.2 O.fwdarw.Mg(OH).sub.2 +H.sub.2) are reliable and potentially useful. The major limitation to their widespread application is the cogeneration of flammable dihydrogen gas in this reaction. The invention is a new chemical composition that removes this drawback by producing a controlled surge of heat without the release of large quantities of dangerous dihydrogen gas. The release of H.sub.2 gas is avoided by completely or almost completely suppressing H.sub.2 creation rather than by removing H.sub.2 after it is created. The reagents that suppress dihydrogen gas generation react with and remove (i.e., scavenge) precursors of H.sub.2 such as aquated electrons and H-atoms. The overall heat-generating reactions of the invention, for example, Mg+CuCl.sub.2 .fwdarw.Mg.sup.2+ +2Cl.sup.- +Cu.sup.0 release more heat per unit weight of magnesium than the Mg-H.sub.2 O reaction; in this case, approximately 70% more heat. Flameless chemical heaters using iron-promoted magnesium with various scavengers of H.sub.2 precursors can be formulated for diverse and safe applications, especially where numerous rations or medical supplies are to be heated in confined spaces such as cockpits, tents, and underwater shelters, without concern for explosion or fire.