Coatings on particles of high energy materials and methods of forming same
AssigneeForge Nano, Inc.
InventorsArrelaine Dameron, Ryon Tracy, Jessica Burger, Chris Gump, Andrew Broerman
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention relates to the field of coatings on high-energy materials, devices or products that comprise the coated high-energy materials, functional coating materials and methods for producing and using the same. In particular, the present invention relates to energetic materials having initiated release coatings to improve the performance and shelf-life of the devices, products and/or raw materials, suitable for use as energetics or propellants for munitions, rockets, pyrotechnics, flares or other devices or components.
Claims6
1-9. (canceled)
A method for applying a coating to a highly-energetic powder material comprising at least one Group I or Group II element, comprising:
- a) providing a volume of powder having a surface area to a reactor chamber, providing a total volume of first reagent and a total volume of second reagent, wherein the total volume of first reagent and total volume of second reagent are sufficient to saturate 100% to 150% of the surface area of said volume of powder;
- b) bringing the reactor chamber to a temperature between 25° C. and 100° C.;
- c) exposing the volume of powder to between 12.5% and 50% of the total volume of first reagent over a first time period;
- d) flushing or purging the reactor chamber over a second time period that is between 20% and 400% of the first time period;
- e) repeating steps (c) and (d) until the total volume of first reagent is exposed to the volume of powder;
- f) exposing the volume of powder to between 12.5% and 50% of the total volume of second reagent over a third time period;
- g) flushing or purging the reactor chamber over a fourth time period that is between 20% and 400% of the third time period;
- h) repeating steps (f) and (g) until the total volume of second reagent is exposed to the volume of powder.
A particle coating, comprising:
- wherein the coating is characterizable by a humidity resistance such that, when formed over a core that is metallic or semi-metallic and comprises hydrogen and/or an alkali or alkaline earth element, and when held at 45° C. for 18 hours and exposed to a flow of Argon gas humidified by flowing through a water-filled bubbler at 13° C. and 10 psig, and passed over the surfaces of the particles, a TGA of the composition shows an increase in weight of 1.0% or less, preferably 0.5 wt % or less, more preferably 0.2 wt % or less;
- wherein a TGA of the uncoated core particle under the same conditions would exhibit an increase in weight of greater than 1.0% and further comprising one or more of the following characteristics:
- wherein the coating has a thickness of 10 nm or less (or 5 nm or less) over at least 30% (or at least 50%, or at least 70%) of the surface area of the particle cores in the composition;
- or
- wherein the coating comprises an oxide, nitride, halide or phosphate of a metal, metalloid or non-metal, and wherein the coating comprises a first interdiffusion layer that comprises 60-90% lithium or aluminum, a second interdiffusion layer that comprises 10-40% lithium or aluminum, or both.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.