Autoignition material for a vehicle occupant protection apparatus

An autoignition material for initiating combustion of a main gas generating material in a gas generator or pyrotechnic device exposed to a flame or a high temperature environment consisting essentially of:

• a particulate metal fuel, a binder, and a particulate oxidizer material selected from the group consisting of alkali metal nitrates, alkali metal nitrites, alkali metal chlorates, alkali metal perchlorates, alkaline earth metal nitrates, alkaline earth metal nitrites, alkaline earth metal chlorates, alkaline earth metal perchlorates, complex salt nitrites, complex salt nitrates ammonium perchlorate, silver nitrate, silver nitrite, solid organic nitrates, solid organic nitrites, mixtures thereof, and comelts thereof;
• said particulate metal fuel being present in a weight ratio effective to substantially stoichiometrically balance the oxidizer material particle and exothermically reacting with the oxidizer material particle when the autoignition material is heated to a temperature of about 80° C. to about 250° C., said particulate metal fuel being in intimate contact with said particulate oxidizer material;
• and
• said binder being present in an amount of about 0.1% to about 1.5% by weight based on the combined weight of the metal fuel and oxidizer material, said binder being effective to maintain the particulate metal fuel in intimate contact with the particulate oxidizer material when the autoignition material is vibrated.

An autoignition material of a plurality of agglomerates, each agglomerate consisting essentially of;

• an oxidizer material particle, the oxidizer material being selected from the group consisting of alkali metal nitrates, alkali metal nitrites, alkali metal chlorates, alkali metal perchlorates, alkaline earth metal nitrates, alkaline earth metal nitrites, alkaline earth metal chlorates, alkaline earth metal perchlorates, complex salt nitrites, complex salt nitrates, ammonium perchlorate, silver nitrate, silver nitrite, mixtures thereof and comelts thereof;
• a plurality of molybdenum fuel particles having an average particle size substantially smaller than the average particle size of the oxidizer material particle, the molybdenum fuel particles being disposed on the oxidizer material particle, the molybdenum fuel particles being present in a weight ratio effective to substantially stoichiometrically balance the oxidizer material particle and exothermically reacting with the oxidizer material particle when the autoignition material is exposed to a temperature of about 80° C. to about 250° C.;
• and
• a thin binder film being present in an amount of about 0.1% to about 1.5% by weight based on the combined weight of the metal fuel and oxidizer material, said thin binder film being effective to adhere the molybdenum fuel particles to the oxidizer material particle and maintain the molybdenum fuel particle in intimate contact with the oxidizer material particle.

An autoignition material of a plurality of agglomerates, each agglomerate consisting essentially of;

• an oxidizer material particle, said oxidizer material including silver nitrate and having an average particle size of about 10 microns to about 100 microns;
• a plurality of molybdenum fuel particles having an average particle size substantially smaller than the average particle size of the oxidizer material particle, the molybdenum fuel particles being disposed on the oxidizer material particle, the molybdenum fuel particles being present in a weight ratio effective to substantially stoichiometrically balance the oxidizer material particle and exothermically reacting with the oxidizer material particle when the autoignition material is exposed to a temperature of about 80° C. to about 250° C.;
• and
• a thin binder film adhering the molybdenum fuel particles to the oxidizer material particle and maintaining the molybdenum fuel particles in intimate contact with the oxidizer material particle, said binder being present in an amount of about 0.1% to about 1.5% by weight, based on the combined weight of the molybdenum metal fuel and the oxidizer material.

An autoignition material of a plurality of agglomerates, each agglomerate consisting essentially of;

• a silver nitrate particle having an average particle size of about 10 microns to about 100 microns;
• a plurality of molybdenum fuel particles having a average particle size substantially smaller than the average particle size of the silver nitrate particle, the molybdenum fuel particles being disposed on the silver nitrate particle, the molybdenum fuel particles being present in a weight ratio effective to substantially stoichiometrically balance the silver nitrate particle and exothermically reacting with the silver nitrate particle when the autoignition material is exposed to a temperature of about 80° C. to about 250° C.;
• and
• a thin binder film adhering the molybdenum fuel particles to the silver nitrate particle and maintaining the molybdenum fuel particles in intimate contact with the silver nitrate particle, said binder being present in an amount of about 0.1% to about 1.5% by weight, based on the combined weight of the molybdenum fuel particles and the silver nitrate particle.