Thruster Propellants
AssigneeGovernment of the United States as Represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
InventorsKamran B. Ghiassi, Rusty L. Blanski, Nicolas Cena, Kellsie G. Knoerzer
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Abstract
The present invention relates to thruster propellants, processes of making thruster propellants and space vehicles comprising thrusters that employ such propellants. The disclosed thruster propellants are advantageous because do not readily uptake water and are conductive. Furthermore, when compared to previous thruster propellants they have a higher mass, a higher density and/or a lower surface tension. Thus, when used in a thruster, such propellants can generate equal or higher thrust than previous thruster propellants.
Claims24
A thruster propellant according to Formula 1
- wherein
- P is phosphorus;
- R is an alkyl moiety;
- and
- X is bromide, bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)azanide, hexafluorophosphate, or tetrafluoroborate, chloride, iodide, acetate, dicyanamide, trifluoromethanesulfonate, methylsulfate, or nitrate.
A process of making a thruster propellant, said process comprising heating a mixture comprising:
- a) tri(2-ethylhexyl)phosphine;
- b) a terminal bromoalkene;
- c) an optional solvent selected from the group consisting of tetrahydrofuran, acetonitrile, N,N-dimethylformamide, N,N-dimethylacetamide and mixtures thereof;
- said heating comprising heating said mixture at temperature of from about 40° C. to about 165° C., for from about 4 hours to about 168 hours.
A process of making a thruster propellant comprising combining:
- a) a phosphonium bromide ionic liquid:
- b) a reagent selected from the group consisting of lithium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)azanide, sodium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)azanide, potassium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)azanide, lithium hexafluorophosphate, sodium hexafluorophosphate, potassium hexafluorophosphate, lithium tetrafluoroborate, sodium tetrafluoroborate, potassium tetrafluoroborate, silver tetrafluoroborate and mixtures thereof;
- and
- c) a solvent that comprises water and/or acetone.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.