Hypergolic salts with borane cluster anions
AssigneeThe Board of Trustees of The University of Alabama
InventorsParker D. McCrary, Robin D. Rogers
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Abstract
Disclosed are hypergolic salts with borane cluster anions that ignite spontaneously upon contact with nitric acid (from 70% to 100% in water) with short ignition delay. The salts, when added as trigger additive to combustible solvent or ionic liquids, make the resulting formulation hypergolic. The salts with borane cluster anions also shorten ignition delay in hypergols, such as RP-1, and additionally allow nitric acid to be used to replace liquid oxygen as an oxidizer. In some examples, the borane salts are formed in situ in an ionic liquid.
Claims18
A hypergolic salt, comprising a single cation and a single anion derived from decaborane, wherein the hypergolic salt is air-stable and hypergolic in the presence of water,
- wherein the anion derived from decaborane is a decaborane cluster anion ([B10H13]−), nonaborane cluster anion ([B9H14]−), or a combination thereof, and
- wherein the cation is an alkyl or aromatic heterocyclic cation, quaternary ammonium cation or quaternary phosphonium cation.
A hypergolic composition comprising a hypergolic salt mixed in a combustible substance, wherein the hypergolic salt comprises a single positively charged cation and a single negatively charged anion derived from decaborane, and wherein the hypergolic salt is air-stable and hypergolic in the presence of water,
- wherein the single negatively charged anion derived from decaborane is a decaborane cluster anion ([B10H13]−), nonaborane cluster anion ([B9H14]−), or a combination thereof, and
- wherein the single positively charged cation is an alkyl or aromatic heterocyclic cation, quaternary ammonium cation or quaternary phosphonium cation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.