Methods of preparing nitrocellulose based propellants and propellants made therefrom
AssigneeNorthrop Grumman Innovation Systems, Inc.
InventorsWilliam J. Worrell, Benjamin R. Vaughan, Jeffrey D. Archambault, Milca Fils-Aime
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Abstract
Methods of preparing propellant compositions for power loads and firearms that include providing pre-shaped particle sized starting material, shaped consistent with a desired final propellant product shape, and thereafter nitrating and stabilizing the pre-shaped starting material using boiling stabilization processes. The resulting nitrated propellants of the methods reliably exhibit complete stabilization, high nitrogen substitution, high shelf life and acceptable ballistic performance.
Claims19
A method of making a propellant comprising separate particles, the method comprising:
- nitrating pre-shaped particles comprising cellulose to form nitrated particles comprising nitrocellulose and thereafter stabilizing the nitrated particles by a boiling regimen, whereby the particles are completely stabilized and have a final shape that is substantially similar to that of the pre-shaped particles, wherein the stabilized nitrocellulose particles in the propellant comprise at least 12.5% nitrogen and have a chemical stabilizer concentration of 2.0 wt % or less.
A propellant comprising separate particles comprising nitrocellulose, the separate particles having a final shape and size and comprising one or more perforations and being formed from pre-shaped particles comprising non-nitrated cellulose and one or more perforations and having a shape and size substantially similar to the final shape and size, wherein the separate particles are completely stabilized and comprise at least 12.5% nitrogen and the particles, in cross-section, have a felted and non-plasticized appearance.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.