Abstract: A process for dissolving modified cellulose is disclosed. The process includes contacting modified cellulose with a solvent in a mixture to form swelled modified cellulose and then contacting the mixture with a salt to dissolve the swelled modified cellulose.

Abstract: Substituted tetraazapentalenes have two benzenoid rings and eight substitutable positions. Substitutions are made of hydrogen or C—H groups in favor of amino groups, nitro groups or nitrogen atoms. The tetraazapentalenes are synthesized through an intermediate azo, which is made from a 1:1:1 molar ratio of a nitroaniline, sodium nitrite and an amine.

Abstract: A method of preparing salt of dinitramidic acid, comprising nitration of an initial compound with a nitrating acid mixture to form dinitramidic acid in a reaction mixture. A positive ion is added to the reaction mixture and forms with the dinitramide ion an ion pair complex which precipitates in the acidic reaction mixture, and the precipitate is separated from the mixture. The remaining spent acid can be reprocessed for recovery of acid for preparation of a new nitrating acid mixture. The preferred positive ion is the guanylurea ion which gives a precipitate of guanylurea dinitramide. The precipitate can be used as starting material for preparation of other dinitramide salts, such as KDN and ADN. The guanylurea ion can be formed in situ in the process by cyanoguanidine being reacted with the reaction mixture.

Abstract: A method of decomposing an organic azide is provided and comprises allowing an organic azide to contact a catalytic metal halide, main group halide, mixed metal-main group halide, or mixture thereof. Organic azide fuel sources comprising an organic azide/catalyst combination are also provided.

Abstract: This thermoplastic elastomer is present in a substantially solid state suitable for use as a binder for a propellant, explosive, and/or gas generant of a supplemental restraint system. The thermoplastic elastomer is formed from a composition including A blocks which are crystalline at temperatures below about 75° C. and B blocks which are amorphous at temperatures above about ?20° C. The A blocks are derived from oxetane derivatives and the B blocks are derived from oxiranes and derivatives thereof. The A blocks and B-blocks are end-capped with a diisocyanate having a first isocyanate moiety that is substantially more reactive with the terminal groups of the blocks than the second isocyanate moiety, whereby the more reactive first isocyanate moiety is capable of reacting with the terminal groups of the blocks, leaving the less reactive second isocyanate moiety free and unreacted.

Abstract: The present invention provides an ecofriendly method for preparing dinitramidic acid and its salts by nitration of ammonium sulfamate with fuming nitric acid as a nitrating agent using solid acid catalysts selected from the group consisting of a montmorillonite clay catalyst and metal ion exchanged K10 montmorillonite clay catalysts and surface supported catalysts and preparation of ammonium dinitramide by neutralization of the dinitramidic acid with ammonia and separation of ammonium dinitramide.

Abstract: An energetic copolyurethane thermoplastic elastomer (ETPE) is prepared by polymerizing a dihydroxyl terminated telechelic energetic polymer having a functionality of two or less with a diisocyanate at a NCO/OH ratio of about 0.7 to 1.2. The resulting copolymer is easy to incorporate in gun propellant or explosive formulations and is recyclable. These energetic copolyurethane thermoplastic elastomers were obtained mainly by macropolymerization of GAP prepolymers with 4,4′-methylenebis-phenyl isocyanate (MDI). In these syntheses, GAPs having molecular weights of 500, 1000 and 2000 were used as macromonomers and polymerized with MDI to yield three different copolyurethane thermoplastic elastomers. This process may be applied to any dihydroxyl terminated energetic prepolymers. The hard segments of the ETPE are obtained by the formation of hydrogen bonds between the urethane groups.

Abstract: A process for preparing ammonium dinitramide by:(1) nitrating either ethyl carbamate or methyl carbamate to form the corronding mononitrate compound, ethyl N-nitrocarbamate or methyl N-nitrocarbamate;(2) reacting the N-nitrocarbamate with ammonia under anhydrous conditions to produce the corresponding ammonium salt, ammonium ethyl N-nitrocarbamate or ammonium methyl N-nitrocarbamate;(3) nitrating the ammonium salt and then treating the reaction mixture with ammonia to produce ammonium dinitramide, ammonium nitrate, and regenerate the original ethyl carbamate or methyl carbamate compound.

Abstract: The incorporation of methyl alcohol into a hydrazine, and hydrazine nitrate uel blend is effective in lowering the freezing point of the combination while enhancing the performance of the monopropellant blend by contributing to the total energy of the monopropellant ternary combination. Hydrazine content varies from about 58 to about 68 weight percent, the hydrazine nitrate varies from about 20 to about 25 weight percent, and the methyl alcohol varies from about 12 to about 17 weight percent. The freezing point of this monopropellant fuel blend has a freezing point from about -29.degree. F. to about -65.degree. F., which renders this monopropellant fuel blend useful as a tactical monopropellant fuel blend over a wide temperature range.

Abstract: Polymerizing 3,3-bischloromethyloxetane to yield halomethyl polymer products having hydroxy functionality and a molecular weight between about 500-15,000 followed by reacting such products with metal azide provides poly(azidomethyloxetanes) particularly useful as energetic binders for explosives, gas generators and gun and rocket propellants. Polyhydric initiators are used in the polymerization step.

Abstract: This invention relates to hydroxyalkyl esters of carboxy-terminated polybutadienes and to cetain high-energy derivatives thereof which are useful as binders in solid propellants, sheet explosives, etc.

Abstract: 1,2,4,5-tetrakis (diazidomethyl) benzene and a method of making the same by eacting 1,2,4,5-tetrakis (dibromomethyl) benzene with sodium azide in dimethylformamide for three hours at 70.degree. to 80.degree. C.