Smokeless propellant compositions having polyester or polybutadiene binder system crosslinked with nitrocellulose

A smokeless propellant composition having a binder system crosslinked with nitrocellulose comprising:

• (i) one or more binder ingredients selected from the group of binder ingredients consisting of polyglycol adipate, polyethylene glycol, polycapralactone, and hydroxy-terminated polybutadiene in an amount from about 1 to about 10 weight percent of said smokeless propellant composition;
• (ii) nitrocellulose which functions as a crosslinking agent for said binder ingredients in an amount from about 0.1 to 1.0 weight percent of said smokeless propellant composition;
• (iii) plasticizer ingredients selected from the nitrate ester plasticizers consisting of nitroglycerin, trimethylol ethane trinitrate, triethylene glycol dinitrate and butane trioltrinitrate in an amount from about 10 to about 30 weight percent of said smokeless propellant composition;
• (iv) an oxidizer ingredient selected from the group of oxidizer ingredients consisting of cyclotetramethylenetetranitramine, cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine, triaminoguanidine nitrate, and oxamide in an amount from about 10 to about 80 weight percent of said smokeless propellant composition;
• (v) thermal stabilizers selected from the group of thermal stabilizers consisting of 2-nitrodiphenylamine, 4-nitrodiphenylamine, n-methyl-p-nitroaniline, and resorcinol in an amount from about 0.2 to about 2.0 weight percent of said smokeless propellant composition;
• (vi) carbon black additive in an amount from about 0.1 to about 1.0 weight percent of said smokeless propellant composition;
• (vii) a modifying additive selected from ballistic additives and curing catalyst additives in an amount from about 0 to 4.0 weight percent of said smokeless propellant composition;
• and
• (viii) an isocyanate curing agent in an amount from about 0.3 to about 2.0 weight percent of said smokeless propellant composition.