Abstract: A dual stage airbag inflator is disclosed to include a housing having an exhaust chamber and multiple peripheral exhaust holes, two chemical chambers disposed within the housing and separately in fluid communication with the exhaust chamber and the exhaust holes, and two igniters respectively mounted in the chemical chambers and adapted for igniting respective gas generant materials in the chemical chambers separately for enabling generated gases to pass out of the first chemical chamber and the second chemical chamber to the outside of the housing via the exhaust chamber and the exhaust holes. There is no interference between different inflation gases that are produced at different times, and a one-way valve flap is used that assures the desired dual stage inflation effect.

Abstract: A process for the preparation of a guanidinium 5,5'-azotetrazolate by reacting 5-aminotetrazolate monohydrate with potassium permanganate in an aqueous hydroxide solution to form sodium 5,5'-azotetrazolate dihydrate as an intermediate, then reacting 5,5'-azotetrazolate dihydrate with guanidine nitrate or guanidine chloride to obtain guanidinium 5,5'-azotetrazolate.