Oxidizing agent

#This invention relates to oxidizing agents and more particularly to liquid oxidizing agents.

#Storable liquid oxidizers commercially available and used for propulsion purposes include (1) inhibited red fuming nitric acid (IRFNA), (2) high strength hydrogen peroxide (HSP), (3) nitrogen tetroxide (N.sub.2 O.sub.4), and (4) chlorine trifluoride. All of these oxidizers have very poor handling characteristics and they pose great dangers if spilled on-board ships or airplanes. They are hypergolic with most combustible materials, cause severe burns, and blisters when they contact the skin or eyes, and they cause explosion hazards if mixed with organic matter. There is a need for liquid oxidizers which are safer and which have better handling and toxicity characteristics. The liquid oxidizers should also have low freezing points, high thermal stability, and high performance as oxidizers.

#Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide new liquid oxidizers.

#The present invention provides liquid oxidizers which may be used in gun propellants, torpedo propellants, catapult propellants, and gas generators for air bags. Preferably the liquid oxidizer and the propellant fuel are stored separately and then mixed as propellant as needed. The oxidizer and fuel may be safely mixed because the oxidizers of this invention do not react hypergolically with organic materials such as propellant fuels.

#The liquid oxidizers comprise (1) a nitrate that is ammonium nitrate (AN), hydrazine mononitrate (HN), or mixtures thereof, (2) hydroxylamine nitrate (HAN), and (3) water (H.sub.2 O). The ammonium nitrate/hydroxylamine nitrate/water (AN-HAN-H.sub.2 O) liquid oxidizer comes in a high combustion temperature, high energy formulation for use in rocket propellants and explosives and a low temperature, low energy formulation for use as propellants and gas generators for torpedoes, catapults, and air bags. The high energy AN-HAN-H.sub.2 O liquid oxidizer formulation comprises (1) preferably from 5 to 30 and more preferably from 10 to 25 weight percent of ammonium nitrate, (2) preferably from 60 to 85 and more preferably from 60 to 75 weight percent of hydroxylamine nitrate, and (3) preferably from 10 to 25 and more preferably from 10 to 20 weight percent of water. The low energy AN-HAN-H.sub.2 O liquid oxidizer formulation comprises (1) preferably from 10 to 60 and more preferably from 10 to 40 weight percent of ammonium nitrate, (2) preferably from 10 to 70, more preferably from 30 to 70, and still more preferably from 30 to 65 weight percent of hydroxylamine nitrate, and, (3) preferably from 10 to 60, more preferably from 20 to 50, and still more preferably from 20 to 40 weight percent of water.

#The hydrazine mononitrate/hydroxylamine nitrate/water (HN-HAN-H.sub.2 O) liquid oxidizer comprises (1) preferably from 4 to 50 and more preferably from 5 to 30 weight percent of hydrazine mononitrate, (2) preferably from 30 to 80 and more preferably from 50 to 80 weight percent of hydroxylamine nitrate, and (3) preferably from 10 to 30 and more preferably from 10 to 20 weight percent of water. The HN-HAN-H.sub.2 O liquid oxidizer can be adjusted within these ranges for use in high combustion temperature, high pressure, high energy applications such as rocket propellants and explosives or low temperature, low pressure, low energy applications such as air bags, torpedo propellants, or catapult propellants. Increasing the water content of the liquid oxidizer lowers the combustion temperature and energy produced by the reaction of the oxidizer with a fuel.