POLYMERICA MATERIAL SUITABLE FOR MAKING AMMUNITION CARTRIDGE CASINGS

• US 20100305261A1
• Filed: 08/09/2010
• Published: 12/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Solvay Advanced Polymers LLC (Solvac SA)
• Original Assignee: Solvay Advanced Polymers LLC (Solvac SA)
• Inventors: Rushing, Todd S., Maljkovic, Nikica
• Application Number:
  US12/853,128
• Publication Number:
  US 20100305261A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 524/521
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 2261/312 Non-condensed aromatic systems, e.g. benzene
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/14 Macromolecular compounds according to C08L59/00 - C08L87/00; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 65/02 Polyphenylenes
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 69/00 Compositions of polycarbonates; Compositions of derivatives of polycarbonates
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 81/06 Polysulfones; Polyethersulfones
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 5/297 with plastics
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 5/30 of plastics , i.e. the cartridge-case tube is of plastics
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 5/307 formed by assembling several elements
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 5/313 all elements made of plastics

Abstract

An ammunition article is provided which comprises a casing and a cap wherein the casing is formed from a polymeric material that has a room temperature notched Izod impact value greater than about 10 ft lbs/in and then has a ratio of notched Izod impact value at room temperature to notch Izod impact value at about −40° C. of less than about 4.

Claims

1-65. -65. (canceled)

66. A method of improving the viscoelastic response of a polymeric ammunition cartridge casing material comprising a polyphenylsulfone by blending the material with a high modulus polymer, wherein said high modulus polymer is a rigid-rod polyphenylene polymer or copolymer.

67. A blend comprising a polyphenylsulfone and a rigid-rod polyphenylene polymer or copolymer.

68. The blend of claim 67, wherein the rigid-rod polyphenylene polymer or copolymer is a copolymer comprising the general structural formula:

69. The blend of claim 68, wherein A is selected from the group consisting of alkyl, aryl, alkyl ketone, aryl ketone, alkoxy, aryloxy, alkylester, arylester, alkylamide and arylamide.

70. The blend of claim 69, wherein A is selected from the group consisting of acetyl, benzoyl, carbomethoxy, formyl, phenoxy, phenoxybenzoyl, and phenyl.

71. The blend of claim 68, wherein Y is nil and the polymer has the structure:

72. The blend of claim 71, wherein A′

is selected from the group consisting of alkyl, aryl, alkyl ketone, aryl ketone, alkoxy, aryloxy, alkylester, arylester, alkylamide and arylamide.

73. The blend of claim 72, wherein A′

is selected from the group consisting of acetyl, benzoyl, carbomethoxy, formyl, phenoxy, phenoxybenzoyl, and phenyl.

74. The blend of claim 71, wherein the meta-phenylene repeat units comprise at least about 10% of the repeat units.

75. The blend of claim 71, wherein the metaphenylene repeat units comprise at least about 30% of the repeat units.

76. The blend of claim 68, wherein Y is nil and the polymer has a structure selected from the group consisting of the following structures:

77. The blend of claim 67, wherein the rigid-rod polyphenylene polymer or copolymer is a soluble rigid rod polymer having repeat units of the formula:

78. The blend of claim 77, wherein at least about 30% of the monomer units incorporate a solubilizing side group.

79. The blend of claim 77, wherein at least one of the R groups is:

80. The blend of claim 77, wherein the rigid-rod polyphenylene polymer or copolymer is segmented.

81. The blend of claim 67, wherein the rigid-rod polyphenylene polymer or copolymer has a room temperature flexural modulus of at least 500,000 psi (as measured by ASTM D790).

82. The blend of claim 67, wherein the polyphenylsulfone has a room temperature notched Izod impact strength or value greater than about 10 ft-lb/in (as measured by ASTM D256-00) and that has a ratio of notched Izod strength value at room temperature to notched Izod impact value at about −

40°

C. of less than about 4.

83. The blend of claim 67, which consists of the polyphenylsulfone and the rigid-rod polyphenylene polymer or copolymer.

84. The blend of claim 67, which further comprises an additive selected from the group consisting of plasticizers, lubricants, molding agents, fillers, thermooxidative stabilizers, flame-retardants, coloring agents, compatibilizers, impact modifiers, release agents, reinforcing fibers, and combinations thereof.

85. The blend of claim 67, wherein the amount of the rigid-rod polyphenylene polymer or copolymer is up to about 50% by weight.

86. The blend of claim 67, wherein the amount of the rigid-rod polyphenylene polymer or copolymer is from about 5% by weight to about 50% by weight.

87. The blend of claim 67, wherein the amount of the rigid-rod polyphenylene polymer or copolymer is from about 5% by weight to about 25% by weight.

88. A method of producing a polymeric material useful for making an ammunition cartridge casing, said method comprising blending a high modulus polymeric material that has a room temperature flexural modulus of at least 500,000 psi (as measured by ASTM D790) with a resin material that has a room temperature notched Izod impact strength or value greater than about 10 ft-lb/in (as measured by ASTM D256-00) and that has a ratio of notched Izod strength value at room temperature to notched Izod impact value at about −

40°

C. of less than about 4,

wherein the high modulus polymeric material is a rigid-rod polyphenylene polymer or copolymer material, and

wherein the resin material is a polyphenylsulfone material.