Nitrate ester plasticized energetic compositions, method of making and rocket motor assemblies containing the same
AssigneeAlliant Techsystems Inc.
InventorsIngvar A. Wallace, II, Jeffery Oyler
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A nitrate ester plasticized energetic composition in which the binder is made of, prior to curing, lower alkylene glycol prepolymer blocks end-capped with ethylene glycol monomers and/or oligomers. The end-capped prepolymer blocks are preferably difunctional or trifunctional. The lower alkylene glycol are preferably propylene glycol, butylene glycol, and/or copolymers thereof. The difunctional end-capped alkylene glycol prepolymer blocks are cured with a diisocyanate or polyisocyanate. In the case of a trifunctional (or higher functional) end-capped alkylene glycol prepolymer block, preferably a diisocyanate is used to effect crosslinking.
Claims30
A curable energetic composition comprising, as ingredients prior to cure:
- at least one difunctional or polyfunctional binder comprising lower alkylene glycol prepolymer blocks end-capped with at least one member selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol monomers and ethylene glycol oligomers, said lower alkylene glycol prepolymer blocks comprising as a lower alkylene glycol at least one member selected from the group consisting of propylene glycol and butylene glycol;
- at least one curative selected from the group consisting of a diisocyanate and a polyisocyanate;
- at least one nitrate ester energetic plasticizer;
- and
- at least one inorganic oxidizer.
A method of making an energetic composition comprising:
- providing at least one binder comprising at least one difunctional or polyfunctional lower alkylene glycol prepolymer block end-capped with at least one member selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol monomers and ethylene glycol oligomers, the lower alkylene glycol prepolymer blocks comprising as a lower alkylene glycol at least one member selected from the group consisting of propylene glycol and butylene glycol;
- combining the binder with at least one inorganic oxidizer, at least one nitrate ester energetic plasticizer, and at least one curative selected from the group consisting of a diisocyanate and polyisocyanate to form a curable composition;
- and
- casting the curable composition and curing the binder with the curative.
A rocket motor assembly comprising a rocket motor case, a cured rocket motor propellant loaded in said rocket motor case, and a nozzle in operative association with said rocket motor case to receive and discharge combustion products generated upon ignition of said cured rocket motor propellant, said cured rocket motor propellant comprising, as ingredients prior to cure:
- at least one difunctional or polyfunctional binder comprising at least one lower alkylene glycol prepolymer block end-capped with at least one member selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol monomers and ethylene glycol oligomers, said lower alkylene glycol prepolymer blocks comprising as a lower alkylene glycol at least one member selected from the group consisting of propylene glycol and butylene glycol;
- at least one curative selected from the group consisting of a diisocyanate and polyisocyanate;
- at least one nitrate ester energetic plasticizer;
- and
- at least one inorganic oxidizer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.