Polyurethane Patents (Class 149/19.4)
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Publication number: 20020079031Abstract: The invention relates to gas-generating pyrotechnic compositions and to a continuous process which allows them to be prepared.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 6, 2001Publication date: June 27, 2002Applicant: SNPEInventors: Dimitri Charrette, Georges Chounet
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Patent number: 6395859Abstract: The present invention provides energetic thermoplastic elastomers which may be used as binders in propellant, explosive and pyrotechnic applications. The elastomers of the present invention are all hydrolyzable, allowing recycling of the elastomer's constituents and/or facilitating other constituents of the propellant, explosive or pyrotechnic. The elastomers of the present invention contain a first polymer, a second polymer having a repeating unit different from that of the first polymer, and a bridging group. Methods of preparing elastomers of the present invention include reaction of the first and second polymers with a dioic acid, or with an organic diisocyanate and a diol containing a formal linkage.Type: GrantFiled: March 22, 2000Date of Patent: May 28, 2002Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the NavyInventors: Alfred G. Stern, Horst G. Adolph
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Patent number: 6395112Abstract: A degradable polymer has an ester component adjacent to a poly(oxyethylene) component in the polymer chain. The hydrophilic nature of the poly(oxyethylene) draws water close to the ester in the polymer chain, which increases the rate of hydrolysis of the ester. The degradable polymer is useful as a binder in for explosive and propellant compositions.Type: GrantFiled: February 4, 2000Date of Patent: May 28, 2002Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the NavyInventors: Michael E. Sitzmann, Horst G. Adolph
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Patent number: 6364975Abstract: The present invention is directed to an age-stabilized and/or strengthened ammonium nitrate propellant composition wherein the strengthening agent is selected from the group consisting of azodicarbonamide, dicyandiamide, oxamide and mixtures thereof and wherein the age-stabilizing agent is a molecular sieve having a pore size of 13 angstroms or less.Type: GrantFiled: November 26, 1996Date of Patent: April 2, 2002Assignee: Universal Propulsion Co., Inc.Inventors: Wayne C. Fleming, Hugh J. McSpadden, Donald E. Olander
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Patent number: 6361630Abstract: An apparatus (10) comprises an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device (16) and a gas generating composition which when ignited produces gas to inflate the inflatable vehicle occupant protection device (16). The gas generating composition comprises a non-azide nitrogen containing organic fuel, an inorganic salt oxidizer, and a metal organic coolant selected from the group consisting of alkali metal formates, alkaline earth metal formates, alkali metal oxalates, and alkaline earth metal oxalates. The amount of metal organic coolant in the gas generating composition is a cooling amount.Type: GrantFiled: August 17, 1999Date of Patent: March 26, 2002Assignee: TRW Inc.Inventors: Abdel K. Helmy, Tracy N. Michon
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Patent number: 6340175Abstract: An air bag igniter including a foamed material, and an air bag assembly containing the same are disclosed. The foamed material is formed from a composition including, as ingredients, a polyfunctional isocyanate, a polymeric binder having a plurality of hydroxyl groups which are reactive with the polyfunctional isocyanate, a fuel source, an oxidizer, and a foaming agent which may or may not be retained in the foamed material.Type: GrantFiled: October 13, 1999Date of Patent: January 22, 2002Assignee: Alliant Techsystems, Inc.Inventors: Craig D. Hughes, Daniel W. Doll, Gary K. Lund, Dean M. Lester
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Publication number: 20020003016Abstract: An insensitive melt cast explosive composition obtained by dissolving an energetic copolyurethane thermoplastic elastomer (“ETPE”) in melted trinitrotoluene (“TNT”) is disclosed. The resulting ETPE-TNT solution is easy to mix with other ingredients such as nitramines, plasticizers, aluminum and can be processed with the existing melt cast facilities. The energetic solution can be poured into shells and upon cooling to produce a recyclable plastic bonded explosive. Instead of melted TNT, the same process works equally well with melted Octol or melted Composition B to dissolve the ETPE.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 26, 2001Publication date: January 10, 2002Inventors: Guy Ampleman, Patrick Brousseau, Sonia Thiboutot, Charles Dubois, Emmanuela Diaz
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Patent number: 6315847Abstract: This substantially water-free method for preparing high density igniter granules involves uniformly coating fuel and oxidizer particulates dispersed in a non-solvent with a thermoplastic elastomer solution to produce coated igniter granules exhibiting substantially uniform size and shape distributions. The coated igniter granules are especially useful for waterless extrusion into igniters for automobile gas generating inflation devices, solid propellant rocket motors, and thrust decoys.Type: GrantFiled: January 27, 2000Date of Patent: November 13, 2001Assignee: Cordant Technologies Inc.Inventors: Kenneth E. Lee, Gary K. Lund, Daniel W. Doll
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Patent number: 6258188Abstract: In the development of new minimum signature ducted rocket technology, the U.S. Army MICOM Propulsion Directorate has conducted studies for the development of fuel-rich gas generators for ducted rockets. The propellant formulation goals of this study include increasing burning rate, pressure exponent, and combustion efficiency without significantly decreasing fuel value. Formulations described in this application contain an energetic nitramine-prepolymer, a range of curing agents, and zirconium hydride (ZrH2) fuel element and carbon (C) as an optional fuel element.Type: GrantFiled: October 12, 1999Date of Patent: July 10, 2001Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the ArmyInventors: Richard C. Hatcher, William D. Stephens, Robert L. Stanley
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Patent number: 6238500Abstract: An inflator (14) for inflating an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device (12) comprises a pressurized container (20), a gas generating material stored under pressure in the container (20), and an igniter (36) for igniting the gas generating material in the container. The gas generating material comprises an oxidizer and a fuel. At least a major portion of the oxidizer is nitrous oxide in a liquid-gas state. At least a major portion of the fuel is polyvinyl alcohol in a porous, molded solid state (64). A portion of the liquid nitrous oxide is absorbed into the pores of the molded polyvinyl alcohol (64). The gas generating material upon combustion produces a combustion product consisting essentially of carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and water.Type: GrantFiled: July 26, 1999Date of Patent: May 29, 2001Assignee: TRW Inc.Inventor: Harold R. Blomquist
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Patent number: 6238499Abstract: A solid rocket propellant includes a binder that is a linear block co-polymer of caprolatone and tetramethylene ether and an oxidizer. The propellant may be disposed of by contacting it with an aqueous solution of 12 N NaOH or 6 N HCl at a temperature of about 140° F. for about 24 hours to decompose the binder. Solids remaining in the solution after the binder decomposes are removed.Type: GrantFiled: July 16, 1999Date of Patent: May 29, 2001Assignee: United Technologies CorporationInventors: Marvin Luther Jones, Donald Dongjaw Tzeng
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Patent number: 6237940Abstract: An apparatus (10) comprises an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device (14) having internal surfaces (48). The apparatus (10) also comprises an inflator (20) for directing gas (104) into the inflatable device (14) to inflate the inflatable device. The inflator (20) simultaneously directs a coating material (102) into the inflatable device to coat the internal surfaces (48) of the inflatable device (14) to decrease the permeability of the inflatable device to the gas.Type: GrantFiled: February 29, 2000Date of Patent: May 29, 2001Assignee: TRW Inc.Inventors: Bryan W. Shirk, Timothy A. Swann, Roy D. Van Wynsberghe
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Patent number: 6228190Abstract: The invention provides an extrudable gun propellant having a specific energy content of at least 1100 kJ/kg and typically over 1200 kJ/kg, but with reduced vulnerability to shaped charge attack compared to known colloidal propellants. This is achieved by using an energetic binder prepolymer and an energetic plasticiser with a reduced content of explosive filler. The composition comprises 65-85% by weight particulate explosive filler, 10-30% by weight of a mixture of a funtionally-terminated poly(nitratoalkyl-substituted)alkyl ether prepolymer and a cross-linking agent, and 1-12% by weight of energetic plasticiser.Type: GrantFiled: June 28, 1991Date of Patent: May 8, 2001Assignee: The Secretary of State for Defence in Her Brittanic Majesty's Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandInventor: David Frank Debenham
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Patent number: 6217682Abstract: An energetic solid rocket motor propellant having one or more plateau regions of low operating pressure exponent is disclosed. The propellant is formulated from ingredients including an energetic polyoxetane, an effective amount of a plasticizer, an inorganic oxidizer in at least two discrete particle size ranges, and a refractory oxide burn rate modifier.Type: GrantFiled: October 26, 1998Date of Patent: April 17, 2001Assignee: Cordant Technologies Inc.Inventor: Carol Jean Campbell
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Patent number: 6206988Abstract: Hexanitrohexaazaisowurtzitane-containing compositions which comprise hexanitrohexaazaisowurtzitane, polynitropolyacetylhexaazaisowurtzitanes and one or more of oxaisowurtzitane compounds represented by the specified formulae. The explosive compositions which contain the hexanitrohexaazaisowurtzitane-containing compositions have improved handling safety by lowering their sensitivity without degrading combustibility and detonability.Type: GrantFiled: May 26, 1999Date of Patent: March 27, 2001Assignee: Asahi Kasei Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Hakobu Bazaki
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Patent number: 6197135Abstract: The instant invention relates to the use of certain selected neoalkoxy organo-titanates and organo-zirconates in energetic compositions to improve their processability, physical properties, and combustion properties. The organo-titanates and organo-zirconates of the instant invention, when added to the energetic systems' matrix in advance of the introduction of particulate or other solid energetic components, improve the dispersion of the latter while reducing the energy required to achieve formulation uniformity. This enhances the processability, the physical properties, the burn characteristics and the safety and handling characteristics of the formulated composites.Type: GrantFiled: February 18, 1986Date of Patent: March 6, 2001Assignee: Kenrich Petrochemicals, Inc.Inventors: Salvatore J. Monte, Gerald Sugerman
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Patent number: 6190475Abstract: Compositions are provided which, when burned, produce significant levels of infrared radiation, but only limited levels of visible radiation. The basic components of the compositions include a binder, an oxidizer, and a fuel, where the binder also acts the fuel. Preferred oxidizers include those compounds which produce large quantities of infrared radiation when the flare composition is burned. Such oxidizers include potassium nitrate, cesium nitrate, rubidium nitrate, and combinations of these compounds. Selection of the binder is important in order to provide the composition with the desirable characteristics identified above. The binder of the present invention does not produce significant soot. At the same time, the binder serves to form a composition which is processible, avoids chunking, and is compatible with the oxidizers used. It has been found that polymer binders which include relatively short carbon chains (1-6 continuous carbon atoms) are preferred.Type: GrantFiled: January 6, 2000Date of Patent: February 20, 2001Assignee: Cordant Technologies Inc.Inventor: Daniel B. Nielson
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Patent number: 6168677Abstract: Environmentally friendly high performance minimum signature propellants have been demonstrated for use in next generation tactical missile applications. Bismuth salicylate and bismuth citrate have each been used in propellant formulations and evaluated for processing, ballistic, mechanical, aging and signature properties. These high performance formulations have potential to replace current formulations used in some fielded tactical systems. The propellant binder network is achieved using energetic nitramine polymers where inert polymers have been the polymer of choice for minimum signature propellants. The significance of this has to do with achieving propellant specific impulses greater than 245 seconds without nitroglycerin being used in the formulation. This improves propellant safety properties during the propellant processing and the manufacturing of the final missile configurations. The Army has mandated that the next generation propellant formulations show improvements in safety to the end users.Type: GrantFiled: September 2, 1999Date of Patent: January 2, 2001Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the ArmyInventor: Larry C. Warren