Patents by Inventor May L. Chan

May L. Chan has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 6955732
    Abstract: The invention disclosed herein relates to an explosive capable of enhanced combustion efficiently capable of sustaining a high pressure over a period of time in a confined environment, such as an air tight room or a cave, where oxygen may be in limited supply. An embodiment of the present invention is a metal composite that combines a binder, a reactive metal and an oxidizer. In another embodiment, a plasticizer and a catalyst are added. In another embodiment of the present invention, a solid fuel-air explosive (SFAE) having an annular construction is used. In a typical annular construction, a cylindrical shell of SFAE surrounds the cylindrically shaped high explosive. The SFAE includes at least one of reactive metal and metal composite. In addition, the metal composite is formed from at least one reactive metal, at least one binder and an oxidizer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2005
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: May L. Chan, Gary W. Meyers
  • Patent number: 6863751
    Abstract: This invention relates to energetic compositions, which offer increased performance in conjunction with a total absence of halogen based oxidizers to eliminate exhaust products, such as hydrogen chloride. The oxidizers of choice are various combinations neat ammonium dinitramide, ammonium dinitramide prills and CL-20, because these oxidizers do not produce halogen containing exhaust products, such as the HCl gas of ammonium perchlorate. The exhaust these novel propellants consist mostly of CO2, H2O, N2, and small amounts of CO. These exhaust species are friendlier and much less hazardous to the environment than those emitted by conventional AP-based propellants. The plasticizers are selected from energetic plasticizers that do not contain halogens, but maintain other desirable properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2005
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: May L. Chan, Alan D. Turner
  • Patent number: 6790299
    Abstract: This invention relates to energetic compositions, which offer increased performance in conjunction with a total absence of halogen based oxidizers to eliminate exhaust products, such as hydrogen chloride. The oxidizers of choice are various combinations neat ammonium dinitramide, ammonium dinitramide prills and CL-20, because these oxidizers do not produce halogen containing exhaust products, such as the HCl gas of ammonium perchlorate. The exhaust these novel propellants consist mostly of CO2, H2O, N2, and small amounts of CO. These exhaust species are friendlier and much less hazardous to the environment than those emitted by conventional AP-based propellants. The plasticizers are selected from energetic plasticizers that do not contain halogens, but maintain other desirable properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: May L. Chan, Alan D. Turner
  • Patent number: 6783614
    Abstract: This invention relates to energetic compositions, which offer increased performance in conjunction with a total absence of halogen based oxidizers to eliminate exhaust products, such as hydrogen chloride. The oxidizers of choice are various combinations neat ammonium dinitramide, ammonium dinitramide prills and CL-20, because these oxidizers do not produce halogen containing exhaust products, such as the HCl gas of ammonium perchlorate. The exhaust these novel propellants consist mostly of CO2, H2O, N2, and small amounts of CO. These exhaust species are friendlier and much less hazardous to the environment than those emitted by conventional AP-based propellants. The plasticizers are selected from energetic plasticizers that do not contain halogens, but maintain other desirable properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2004
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: May L. Chan, Alan D. Turner
  • Patent number: 6682615
    Abstract: The invention disclosed herein relates to solid propellant formulations, which exhibit good processing properties, good safety characteristics, desirable combustion properties, good safety characteristics and excellent mechanical attributes. The solid propellant formulations disclosed herein burn at a rate of about 0.5 in/s at 1000 psi and show no pressure slope break up to 8000 psi. The solid propellant formulations of the disclosed invention incorporate oxidizers of varying particle size to avoid a pressure slope break. The solid propellant formulations of the present invention avoid the use of large-size ammonium perchlorate (AP) particles having particle size in the range of 200-400 &mgr;m to avoid the pressure slope break problem, which typically occurs at about 2500 psi to 3500 psi.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2004
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: May L. Chan, Alan D. Turner
  • Patent number: 6682614
    Abstract: The invention disclosed herein relates to solid propellant formulations, which exhibit good processing properties, good safety characteristics, desirable combustion properties, good safety. characteristics and excellent mechanical attributes. The solid propellant formulations disclosed. herein burn at a rate of about 0.5 in/s at 1000 psi and show no pressure slope break up to 8000 psi. The solid propellant formulations of the disclosed invention incorporate oxidizers of varying particle size to avoid a pressure slope break. The solid propellant formulations of the present invention avoid the use of large-size ammonium perchlorate (AP) particles having particle size in the range of 200-400 &mgr;m to avoid the pressure slope break problem, which typically occurs at about 2500 psi to 3500 psi.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2004
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: May L. Chan, Alan D. Turner
  • Publication number: 20030168139
    Abstract: The invention disclosed herein relates to solid propellant formulations, which exhibit good processing properties, good safety characteristics, desirable combustion properties, good safety characteristics and excellent mechanical attributes. The solid propellant formulations disclosed herein bum at a rate of about 0.5 in/s at 1000 psi and show no pressure slope break up to 8000 psi. The solid propellant formulations of the disclosed invention incorporate oxidizers of varying particle size to avoid a pressure slope break. The solid propellant formulations of the present invention avoid the use of large-size ammonium perchlorate (AP) particles having particle size in the range of 200-400 &mgr;m to avoid the pressure slope break problem, which typically occurs at about 2500 psi to 3500 psi.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2003
    Publication date: September 11, 2003
    Inventors: May L. Chan, Alan D. Turner
  • Patent number: 6576072
    Abstract: The invention disclosed herein relates to solid propellant formulations, which exhibit good processing properties, good safety characteristics, desirable combustion properties, good safety characteristics and excellent mechanical attributes. The solid propellant formulations disclosed herein burn at a rate of about 0.5 in/s at 1000 psi and show no pressure slope break up to 8000 psi. The solid propellant formulations of the disclosed invention incorporate oxidizers of varying particle size to avoid a pressure slope break. The solid propellant formulations of the present invention avoid the use of large-size ammonium perchlorate (AP) particles having particle size in the range of 200-400 &mgr;m to avoid the pressure slope break problem, which typically occurs at about 2500 psi to 3500 psi.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2003
    Assignee: The United States of Americas as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: May L. Chan, Alan D. Turner
  • Publication number: 20030047260
    Abstract: This invention relates to energetic compositions, which offer increased performance in conjunction with a total absence of halogen based oxidizers to eliminate exhaust products, such as hydrogen chloride. The oxidizers of choice are various combinations neat ammonium dinitramide, ammonium dinitramide prills and CL-20, because these oxidizers do not produce halogen containing exhaust products, such as the HCl gas of ammonium perchlorate. The exhaust these novel propellants consist mostly of CO2, H2O, N2, and small amounts of CO. These exhaust species are friendlier and much less hazardous to the environment than those emitted by conventional AP-based propellants. The plasticizers are selected from energetic plasticizers that do not contain halogens, but maintain other desirable properties.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2001
    Publication date: March 13, 2003
    Inventors: May L. Chan, Alan D. Turner
  • Publication number: 20020166612
    Abstract: The invention disclosed herein relates to solid propellant formulations, which exhibit good processing properties, good safety characteristics, desirable combustion properties, good safety characteristics and excellent mechanical attributes. The solid propellant formulations disclosed herein burn at a rate of about 0.5 in/s at 1000 psi and show no pressure slope break up to 8000 psi. The solid propellant formulations of the disclosed invention incorporate oxidizers of varying particle size to avoid a pressure slope break. The solid propellant formulations of the present invention avoid the use of large-size ammonium perchlorate (AP) particles having particle size in the range of 200-400 &mgr;m to avoid the pressure slope break problem, which typically occurs at about 2500 psi to 3500 psi.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2001
    Publication date: November 14, 2002
    Inventors: May L. Chan, Alan D. Turner
  • Publication number: 20020079030
    Abstract: An explosive suitable for low energy initiation is made by coating epsilon structure one to five micron crystals of CL-20 with a polymeric binder where the polymeric binder is one to three percent by weight of the coated crystals and a method of applying such polymeric binders by either a slurry method or an alternate method of using a nonaqueous liquid to suspend CL-20 crystals then adding a lacquer of polymeric binder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2001
    Publication date: June 27, 2002
    Inventors: May L. Chan, Que Thingoc Bui-Dang, George N. Hennings, Thomas Lee Reynolds, Richard Kent Reynolds, Michael Damon Ladika
  • Patent number: 5750921
    Abstract: A process has been developed to produce high-quality high explosive (HE) molding powder which is safe, efficient, has a low-cost, and is non-polluting. The method involves utilizing a chemically inert, non-aqueous carrier fluid as a processing liquid to facilitate the coating process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 12, 1998
    Inventors: May L. Chan, Alan D. Turner
  • Patent number: 5712511
    Abstract: A high energy shock-insensitive explosive composition for use in deformable warheads. This high energy shock-insensitive explosive composition is comprised of a shock-insensitive explosive and hexa-nitro-hexa-aza-isowurtzitane constituting about 35-45 wt. % and a having an average particle size of about 3 .mu.m. The high performance explosive consists of ammonium nitrate, nitroguanidine, 3-nitro-1,2, 4-triazol-5-one, or mixtures of the three and constitutes about 30-40 wt. %.The CL-20 explosive is wet ground in aqueous alcohol to reduce the size thereof, prior to incorporation in the explosive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 27, 1998
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: May L. Chan, Alan D. Turner
  • Patent number: 5316600
    Abstract: A castable, energetic, plastic-bonded explosive containing glycidyl azide lymer (GAP) an energetic polymer binder combined with the energetic plasticizers trimethyloethane trinitrate (TMETN) and trimethylene glycol dinitrate (TEGDN) or bisdinitropropyl formal and acetal mixture (BDNPF/A), and the explosive solid cyclotetramethylene tetranitramine (HMX) or cyclotrimethylene trinitramine (RDX) having the desirable mechanical properties, insensitivity, and excellent aging properties at much higher solids loading and thus explosive performance than previous compositions. The invention uniquely combines the high energy of high solids loading combined with energetic polymers and plasticizers to provide the insensitivity of rubbery explosive compositions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 31, 1994
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: May L. Chan, Edward M. Roy, Alan Turner
  • Patent number: 5120479
    Abstract: Energetic materials exhibiting low sensitivity comprise a solid solution of itroaliphatic oxidizer, preferably trinitroethyl derivatives, in a plasticized thermoplastic elastomer such as a block copolymer of polystyrene and polyacrylate plasticized with dioctyl adipate. The energetic material is prepared by forming molten plasticized elastomer and then incrementally dissolving the oxidizer in the molten binder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 1991
    Date of Patent: June 9, 1992
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: May L. Chan, Alan D. Turner
  • Patent number: 5092945
    Abstract: The invention describes a composition and a process for making void free id propellants for rockets. This is accomplished by adding amino silanes and dimer diepoxide to GAP binder and deflagrating additive and then curing it.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 1982
    Date of Patent: March 3, 1992
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Russell Reed, Jr., May L. Chan
  • Patent number: 5061330
    Abstract: A cast cured propellant and explosive with a higher volume percentage of ymer resulting in improved mechanical and safety properties is made from glycidyl azide polymer, an energetic plasticizer and HMX or RDX. Aluminum powder can also be added.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 1982
    Date of Patent: October 29, 1991
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Russell Reed, Jr., May L. Chan
  • Patent number: 5061329
    Abstract: High nitrogen smoke compositions capable of rapid dispersion of smoke dyes nd capable of low temperature deflagration. Some compositions are capable of flameless deflagration in air. Compositions include pressed mixtures of 5,5'-bitetrazole and smoke dyes such as red, green, or yellow dyes. Other compositions include cast cured mixtures of azido binders such as glycidyl azide polymer and dyes, some of these compositions also including 5,5'-biterazole or an ammonium salt of 5-nitraminotetrazole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 1982
    Date of Patent: October 29, 1991
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Russell Reed, Jr., May L. Chan
  • Patent number: 5053086
    Abstract: Gas generant compositions comprised of a high nitrogen content solid and an nergetic polymer, which release high levels of nitrogen and minimum levels of toxic and flammable gases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 1985
    Date of Patent: October 1, 1991
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Ronald A. Henry, Russell Reed, Jr., May L. Chan
  • Patent number: 5049213
    Abstract: A high energy, thermally stable plastic bonded explosive comprising HMX, a lasticizer and a fluoroalkyl acrylate or urethane fluorocarbon binder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 1985
    Date of Patent: September 17, 1991
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: May L. Chan, Russell Reed, Jr., Herb G. Gollmar, Carl Gotzmer, Robert C. Gill