Crash bag propellant compositions for generating high quality nitrogen gas
AssigneeHercules Incorporated
InventorsRichard V. Cartwright, Steven J. Hardwick
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A crash bag propellant composition and method for generating non-toxic nitrogen gas comprising an azide salt and an oxidant component in which metal oxides are substantially replaced with one or more bi-metallic complexes containing copper or iron in combination with chromium, molybdenum or tungsten.
Claims32
A method for improving the stability and speed of azide/oxidizer containing propellant compositions comprising replacing metal oxides within the oxidizer component with an active amount of a metal complex represented by the formula
- M.sub.(a) M.sub.(b).sup.l X.sub.(c)
- wherein M is defined as copper or iron;
- M.sup.l is defined as chromium, molybdenum or tungsten;
- X is defined as an electronegative element selected from the group consisting of oxygen, sulfur, and chlorine;
- (a) has a value within the range of about 1-5;
- (b) has a value within the range of about 0.7-3.0;
- and (c) has a value within the range of 4-12.
A gas-generating propellant composition comprising, in combination,
- (a) an alkali or alkaline earth metal azide component, and
- (b) an active amount of an oxidizer complex of the formula
- M.sub.(a) M.sub.(b).sup.l X.sub.(c)
- wherein M is defined as copper or iron;
- M.sup.l is defined as chromium, molybdenum or tungsten;
- X is defined as an electronegative element selected from the group consisting of oxygen, sulfur, and chlorine;
- (a) has a value within the range of about 1-5;
- (b) has a value within the range of about 0.7-3.0;
- and
- (c) has a value within the range of about 4-12.
The nitrogen gas-generating propellant of claim 11, wherein the azide component is sodium azide or potassium azide;
- and the oxidizer complex has the formula
- Cu.sub.4.41 Cr.sub.0.77 O.sub.5.00.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.