Crash bag propellant composition and method for generating nitrogen gas

• US 4,920,743 A
• Filed: 07/25/1988
• Issued: 05/01/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hercules Incorporated (Ashland Global Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hercules Incorporated (Ashland Global Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cartwright, Richard V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller, Edward A.
• Application Number:
  US07/223,965
• Time in Patent Office: 645 Days
• Field of Search: 148/19.1, 148/35, 60/205, 280/741
• US Class Current: 60/205
• CPC Class Codes: C06B 35/00 Compositions containing a metal azide
• CPC Class Codes: C06D 5/06 by reaction of two or more solids

Abstract

A propellant composition and method for limiting the corrosive properties of by-products from initiated crash bag propellant compositions comprising a 1(a) or 2(a) group metal azide salt, an oxidizer in the form of an oxide of a non-toxic transition metal element, and an effective amount of a modifier component of the formula

Me.sub.x (An).sub.o

wherein

Me is a metal cation selected from iron, copper, cobalt, nickel, and molybdenum;

An is an anion group which is chemically compatible with and capable of reacting with the metal of the azide salt to form nitrogen gas and non-toxic by-products less corrosive than the corresponding hydroxide of the azide metal would be; and

x and o are individually defined as positive numbers appropriate to indicate the correct chemical formula.

Claims

1. A crash bag propellant composition comprising, in combination,

(a) a metal azide salt component of a group 1(a)- or 2(a)-type metal;

and

(b) an oxide of a non-toxic transition metal element sufficient to react with up to about 70% of said metal azide salt component; and

(c) an effective amount of a modifier component represented by the formula

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">Me.sub.x (An).sub.o

wherein

Me is defined as a cation of iron or copper;

An is defined as phosphorus containing anion group which is chemically compatible with Me and capable of reacting with said metal azide salt component to obtain non-toxic by-products less basic than a metal hydroxide corresponding to said metal azide salt component; and

x is defined as a positive number of about 1-4; and

o is defined as a positive number not exceeding about 3, the sum of which does not exceed about 7.

2. A propellant composition of claim 1, in which Me is defined as copper;

An is defined as a --(PO₄)^-3 group;

x is a positive number of about 3; and

o is a positive number of about 2.

3. A propellant composition of claim 1, in which Me is defined as iron;

An is defined as --(PO₄)^-3 group;

x is a positive number of about 1; and

o is a positive number of about 1.

4. A propellant composition of claim 1 wherein the metal azide is sodium azide or potassium azide.

5. A propellant composition of claim 1, comprising at least one of a binder and a lubricant.

6. A propellant composition of claim 4, comprising at least one of a binder and a lubricant.

7. A propellant composition of claim 2, comprising at least one of a binder and a lubricant.

8. A propellant composition of claim 3, comprising at least one of a binder and a lubricant.

9. A method for reducing corrosive properties of by-products generated by initiating the reaction of a crash bag propellant composition comprising a group 1(a)- or 2(a)-type metal azide component and an oxide of a transition metal as an oxidizer component, comprising replacing said oxidizer component, at least in part, with an effective amount of a modifier component of the formula

View Dependent Claims (10, 11)

10. A method of claim 9, in which Me is defined as copper;

An is defined as a --(PO₄)^-3 group;

x is a positive number of about 3; and

o is a positive number of about 2.

11. A method of claim 9, in which Me is defined as iron;

An is defined as a --(PO₄)^-3 group;

x is a positive number of about 1; and

o is a positive number of about 1.