Explosive composition and its use in making ammunition

• US 5,516,378 A
• Filed: 04/11/1995
• Issued: 05/14/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Primex Technologies Inc (General Dynamics Corporation)
• Original Assignee: OLIN Corporation
• Inventors: Bone, Frank M., Henry, Guy H. III, Solverson, Matthew S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Walsh, Donald P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHI, ANTHONY
• Application Number:
  US08/420,280
• Time in Patent Office: 399 Days
• Field of Search: 149/88, 149/92, 149/23
• US Class Current: 149/92
• CPC Class Codes: C06B 45/105 The resin being a polymer bearing energetic groups or containing a soluble organic explosive

Abstract

An explosive charge is disclosed for use as ammunition in a casing. The charge is comprised of a particulate propellant which is embedded in a solidified matrix prepared from an energetic liquid composition. The latter comprises a liquid, energetic plasticizer, a polyol and an organic polyisocyanate.

Claims

1. An explosive charge, for use as ammunition in a casing, comprising:

a particulate propellant embedded in a solidified energetic matrix which is prepared from a liquid formulation comprised of

(a) from about 60 to about 92 percent by weight of a liquid energetic plasticizer,

(b) from about 4 to about 25 percent by weight of a polyol having two or more terminal hydroxyl groups, and

(c) an organic polyisocyanate having two or more isocyanato groups, in a proportion which is sufficient to provide at least about 0.7 isocyanato group per each hydroxyl group of said polyol.

2. A shot cartridge comprised of a casing containing the explosive charge of claim 1.

3. The explosive charge of claim 1 wherein said liquid formulation includes a urethane reaction catalyst.

4. The explosive charge of claim 3 wherein said liquid formulation also includes a burn rate catalyst.

5. The explosive charge of claim 4 wherein said liquid formulation comprises from about 75 to about 90 percent of said energetic plasticizer, from about 5 to about 20 percent of said polyol and a proportion of said organic polyisocyanate which is sufficient to provide at least about 0.9 isocyanato group per each hydroxyl of said polyol.

6. A shot cartridge comprised of a casing containing the explosive charge of claim 5.

7. The explosive charge of claim 5 wherein said urethane catalyst is dibutyltin dilaurate and said burn rate catalyst comprises copper phthalocyanine.

8. The explosive charge of claim 1 wherein said polyol is an energetic material selected from the group consisting of a glycidol azide polymer, a nitramine-containing polymer and mixture thereof.

9. The explosive charge of claim 8 wherein said polyol is a nitramine-containing polymer represented by the formula:

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">[(OOCCH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 --R--CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 CO).sub.x (OOCCH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 --R'"'"'--CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 CO).sub.y (OR")].sub.n

wherein

R and R'"'"' are the same or different moieties selected from the group consisting of --N(NO₂)--N(NO₂)CH₂ CH₂ N(NO₂)--, and --N(NO₂)ZN(NO₂)--, wherein Z is a linear or branched-chain hydrocarbon radical having 3 to 10 carbon atoms, with the proviso that on average at least one of R and R'"'"' per molecule of the polymer is a moiety other than --N(NO₂)CH₂ CH₂ N(NO₂) x represents a mole fraction having a value between 0 and 1;

y represents a mole fraction equal to 1-x;

R" is a linear or branched-chain alkylene or alkylene ether radical having 2 to 12 carbon atoms and having primary or secondary carbon atoms at the radical'"'"' points of attachment in the polymer; and

n has a value from 2 to 50.

10. A shot cartridge comprised of a casing containing the explosive charge of claim 9.

11. The explosive charge of claim 9 wherein said nitramine-containing polymer is poly(diethyleneglycol-4,8-dinitrazaundeconate).

12. The explosive charge of claim 9 wherein said organic polyisocyanate is an aliphatic diisocyanate.

13. The explosive charge of claim 12 wherein said liquid, energetic plasticizer is a nitrate ester or a nitramine.

14. The explosive charge of claim 13 wherein said liquid energetic formulation includes a urethane reaction catalyst and a burn rate catalyst.

15. A shot cartridge comprised of a casing containing the explosive charge of claim 14.

16. The explosive charge of claim 15 wherein said liquid energetic plasticizer is butanetriol trinitrate.

17. The explosive charge of claim 16 wherein said polyol is poly(diethyleneglycol-4,8-dinitrazaundeconate).

18. The explosive charge of claim 17 wherein said organic polyisocyanate is hexamethylene diisocyanate.

19. The explosive charge of claim 18 wherein said burn rate catalyst comprises copper phthalocyanine.

20. A shot cartridge comprised of a casing containing the explosive charge of claim 19.

21. An energetic liquid composition, consisting essentially of:

(a) from about 60 to about 92 percent by weight of a liquid energetic plasticizer;

(b) from about 4 to about 25 percent by weight of a polyol having two or more terminal hydroxyl groups; and

(c) an organic polyisocyanate having two or more isocyanato groups, in a proportion which is sufficient to provide at least about 0.7 isocyanato group per each hydroxyl group of said polyol.

22. The energetic liquid composition of claim 21 including a urethane reaction catalyst.

23. The energetic liquid composition of claim 22 also including a burn rate catalyst.

24. The energetic liquid composition of claim 22 wherein said liquid formulation consists essentially of:

from about 75 to about 90 percent, by weight, of said energetic plasticizer;

from about 5 to about 20 percent, by weight, of said polyol; and

a proportion of organic polyisocyanate sufficient to provide at least about 0.9 isocyanato group per each hydroxyl of said polyol.

25. The energetic liquid composition of claim 24 wherein said urethane catalyst is dibutyltin dilaurate and said burn rate catalyst is copper phthalocyanine.

26. The energetic liquid composition of claim wherein said polyol is a nitramine-containing polymer represented by the formula

View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29)

27. The energetic liquid composition of claim 26 wherein said liquid energetic plasticizer is butanetriol trinitrate.

28. The energetic liquid composition of claim 27 wherein said polyol is poly(diethyleneglycol-4,8-dinitrazaundeconate).

29. The energetic liquid composition claim 28 wherein said organic polyisocyanate is hexamethylene diisocyanate.