Preparation of strengthened ammonium nitrate propellants
AssigneeUniversal Propulsion Company, Inc.
InventorsWayne C. Fleming, Hugh J. McSpadden, Donald E. Olander
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Abstract
The present invention is directed to an age-stabilized and/or strengthened ammonium nitrate propellant composition wherein the strengthening agent is selected from the group consisting of azodicarbonamide, dicyandiamide, oxamide and mixtures thereof and wherein the age-stabilizing agent is a molecular sieve having a pore size of 13 angstroms or less.
Claims25
A process of forming a strengthened propellant composition comprising the steps of:
- providing ammonium nitrate;
- and
- forming a primary mixture by adding a strengthening agent and a binder to the ammonium nitrate, wherein the amount of the binder is sufficient to form the primary mixture into a desired shape.
A process of forming a strengthened propellant composition comprising the steps of:
- grinding ammonium nitrate;
- and
- forming a mixture comprising:
- ground ammonium nitrate in an amount from about 40 percent to about 80 percent by weight of the composition;
- azidocarbonamide in an amount from about 8 percent to about 12 percent by weight of the composition;
- polyglycol adipate;
- and
- an additional component selected from the group consisting of trimethylol ethane trinitrate, triethylene glycol dinitrate, triethylene glycol trinitrate, butanetriol trinitrate, diethyleneglycol dinitrate, ethyleneglycol dinitrate, nitroglycerine, diethylene glycerin trinitrate, dinitroglycerine, nitrobenzene, N-butyl-2-nitratoethylnitramine, methyl-2-nitratoethylnitramine, ethyl-2-nitratoethylnitramine, cyclotrimethylene trinitramine, cyclotetramethylene tetranitramine, dinitroxyethylnitramine, and mixtures thereof.
A process of forming an age-stabilized, strengthened propellant composition comprising the steps of:
- forming a primary mixture of ammonium nitrate and a molecular sieve, wherein the molecular sieve is present in an amount from about 0.2 percent to about 6 percent by weight of the composition;
- aging the primary mixture for a first aging period;
- forming a secondary mixture by adding a strengthening agent and a binder to the primary mixture, wherein the binder is present in an amount from about 5 percent to 30 percent by weight of the composition;
- and
- aging the secondary mixture for a second aging period.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.