Low temperature gas generating compositions

• US 3,910,805 A
• Filed: 10/17/1973
• Issued: 10/07/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: HBB Limited Partnership
• Original Assignee: Vincent Owen Catanzarite
• Inventors: Catanzarite, Vincent Owen
• Primary Examiner(s): Lechert, Jr., Stephen J.
• Application Number:
  US05/407,269
• Time in Patent Office: 720 Days
• Field of Search: 149/75,76,83
• US Class Current: 149/83
• CPC Class Codes: C06B 29/08 with an organic non-explosive or an organic non-thermic component
• CPC Class Codes: C06B 41/00 Compositions containing a nitrated metallo-organic compound
• CPC Class Codes: C06D 5/06 by reaction of two or more solids

Abstract

A pyrotechnic powder composition comprising a mixture of an oxidizer compound containing oxygen and a metal selected from the group consisting of sodium, potassium, lithium, barium, magnesium and calcium, and an oxygen bearing metal organic compound is used for inflating a passenger restraint bag for an automobile. The compounds are selected so that a stoichiometric reaction between the oxidizer and the oxygen bearing metal organic compound yields carbon dioxide and water vapor and at least a binary mixture of metal salts having a melting point substantially below the melting point of any of the resultant metal salts alone, and having net heat of reaction less than about 1,000 calories per gram of pyrotechnic composition. One preferred composition comprises about 35 percent sodium formate and 65 percent potassium chlorate, for example. When these react the low melting slag of potassium chloride and sodium oxide collects on cooler surfaces of the gas generator thereby reducing heat input to the inflatable bag and substantially preventing formation of smoke.

Claims

1. A PYROTECHNIC POWDER COMPOSITION CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF A MIXTURE OF ONE OR MORE OXIDIZER COMPOUND CONTAINING OXYGEN AND A METAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF SODIUM, PATASSIUM, LITHIUM, BARIUM, MAGNESIUM AND CALCIUM, AND ONE OR MORE OXYGEN BEARING METAL ORGANIC COMPOUNDS SELECTED SUCH THAT A STOICHIOMETRIC REACTION BETWEEN THE OXIDIZER AND THE METAL ORGANIC COMPOUND YIELDS GASEOUS PRODUCTS SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISING OF CARBON DIOXIDE AND WATER VAPOR AND NON-GASEOUS PRODUCTS AT LEAST A BINARY MIXTURE OF METAL SALTS HAVING A MELTING POINT SUBSTANTIALLY BELOW THE MELTING POINS OF ANY OF THE RESULTANT METAL SALTS AND HAVING A NET HEAT OF REACTION LESS THAN ABOUT 1,000 CALORIES PER GRAM THE PROPORTION OF OXIDIZER COMPOUND TO METAL ORGANIC COMPOUND BEGIN NO LESS THAN THE STOCHIOMETRIC PROPORATION.

2. A pyrotechnic powder composition as defined in claim 1 wherein the oxidizer compound is selected from the group consisting of chlorates and perchlorates.

3. A pyrotechnic powder composition as defined in claim 2 wherein the metal organic compound is selected from the group consisting of metal formates, and metal acid oxalates.

4. A pyrotechnic powder composition comprising a mixture of an oxidizer compound containing oxygen and a metal selected from the group consisting of sodium, potassium, lithium, barium, magnesium and calcium, and a metal organic compound selected from the class consisting of metal acid oxalates and metal formates.

5. A pyrotechnic powder composition as defined in claim 4 wherein the metal organic compound is selected from the group consisting of calcium formate, lithium formate, lithium acid oxalate, potassium formate, potassium acid oxalate, sodium formate, and sodium acid oxalate;

and the oxidizer compound is selected from the group consisting of the chlorates and perchlorates.

6. A pyrotechnic powder composition comprising a mixture of an oxidizer compound selected from the group consisting of sodium chlorate, sodium perchlorate, potassium chlorate, potassium perchlorate, lithium chlorate, lithium perchlorate, barium chlorate, barium perchlorate, magnesium chlorate, magnesium perchlorate, calcium chlorate, calcium perchlorate, aluminum chlorate, ammonium chlorate, ammonium perchlorate, cadmium chlorate, cobaltous chlorate, cobaltous perchlorate, cupric chlorate, ferrous perchlorate, lead chlorate, lead perchlorate, manganese perchlorate, nickel chlorate and nickel perchlorate;

and an oxygen bearing metal organic compound selected from the group consisting of aluminum acetate, aluminum citrate, barium formate, barium acetate, barium citrate, barium butyrate, barium malonate, barium propionate, barium succinate, cadmium formate, cadmium acetate, cadmium lactate, calcium formate, calcium acetate, calcium citrate, calcium tartrate, calcium lactate, calcium benzoate, calcium salicylate, cerous acetate, cesium acid tartrate, chromic acetate, cobaltous acetate, columbium acid oxalate, cupric formate, cupric acetate, dysprosium acetate, erbium acetate, ferric acetate, ferrous formate, ferrous acetate, ferrous tartrate, ferrous lactate, gadolinium acetate, lead formate, lead acetate, lithium formate, lithium aceTate, lithium citrate, lithium acid oxalate, lithium benzoate, lithium salicylate, magnesium formate, magnesium acetate, magnesium citrate, magnesium tartrate, magnesium benzoate, manganese formate, manganese acetate, manganese lactate, manganese benzoate, mercuric acetate, nickel formate, nickel acetate, potassium formate, potassium acetate, potassium acid acetate, potassium citrate, potassium tartrate, potassium acid tartrate, potassium acid oxalate, potassium benzoate, potassium acid phthalate, samarium formate, samarium acetate, silver acetate, silver citrate, silver tartrate, sodium formate, sodium acetate, sodium citrate, sodium tartrate, sodium acid tartrate, sodium acid oxalate, sodium salicylate, sodium methylate, strontium formate, strontium acetate, strontium tartrate, strontium lactate, strontium salicylate, thallium acetate, ytterbium acetate, zinc formate, zinc acetate and zinc oxalate.

7. A pyrotechnic powder composition as defined in claim 6 wherein the oxygen bearing metal organic compound is selected from the group consisting of aluminum citrate, barium formate, barium citrate, calcium formate, calcium citrate, calcium acid tartrate, chromic acetate, cupric formate, ferrous tartrate, lithium formate, lithium acid oxalate, lithium citrate, magnesium formate, magnesium citrate, magnesium tartrate, manganese formate, nickel formate, potassium formate, potassium acid oxalate, potassium citrate, potassium tartrate, potassium acid tartrate, silver citrate, silver tartrate, sodium formate, sodium acid oxalate, sodium citrate, sodium tartrate, sodium acid tartrate, strontium formate, strontium tartrate and zinc formate.

8. A pyrotechnic powder composition as defined in claim 7 wherein the oxidizer powder is selected from the group consisting of the chlorates and perchlorates of sodium, potassium, lithium, barium, magnesium and calcium.

9. A pyrotechnic powder composition as defined in claim 6 wherein the oxygen bearing metal organic compound is selected from the group consisting of calcium formate, lithium formate, lithium acid oxalate, potassium formate, potassium acid oxalate, sodium formate, and sodium acid oxalate.

10. A pyrotechnic powder composition as defined in claim 9 wherein the oxidizer powder is selected from the group consisting of the chlorates and perchlorates of sodium, potassium, lithium, barium, magnesium and calcium.

11. A pyrotechnic powder composition as defined in claim 6 wherein the oxidizer powder is selected from the group consisting of the chlorates and perchlorates of sodium, potassium, lithium, barium, magnesium and calcium.

12. A pyrotechnic powder composition as defined in claim 6 wherein the mixture is selected from the group consisting of calcium formate in the range of from about 35 to 60 percent by weight and potassium chlorate in the range of from about 40 to 65 percent by weight;

calcium formate in the range of from about 40 to 65 percent by weight and potassium perchlorate in the range of from about 35 to 60 percent by weight;

sodium formate in the range of from about 35 to 60 percent by weight and potassium chlorate in the range of from about 40 to 65 percent by weight;

sodium formate in the range of from about 40 to 65 percent by weight and potassium perchlorate in the range of from about 35 to 60 percent by weight;

nickel formate in the range of from about 50 to 69 percent by weight and potassium chlorate in the range of from about 31 to 50 percent by weight;

nickel formate in the range of from about 65 to 72 percent by weight and potassium perchlorate in the range of from about 28 to 35 percent by weight;

calcium formate in a proportion of about 30 percent by weight, potassium acid oxalate in a proportion of about 30 percent by weight and potassium chlorate in a proportion of about 40 percent by weight;

sodium formate in a proportion of about 30 percent by weight, potassium acid oxalate in a proportion of about 30 percent by weight and potassium chlorate in a proportion of about 40 percent by weight; and

calcium formate in a proportion of about 30 percent by weight, calcium oxalate in a proportion of about 30 percent by weight and potassium chlorate in a proportion of about 40 percent by weight.

13. A pyrotechnic powder composition as defined in claim 6 wherein the oxidizer compound comprises about 65 percent by weight of potassium chlorate and the metal organic compound comprises about 35 percent by weight of calcium formate.

14. A pyrotechnic powder composition as defined in claim 6 wherein the oxidizer compound comprises about 65 percent by weight of potassium chlorate and the metal organic compound comprises about 35 percent by weight of sodium formate.