Cool burning ammonium nitrate based gas generating composition

• US 6,231,702 B1
• Filed: 06/05/1998
• Issued: 05/15/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TRW Limited (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Original Assignee: TRW Limited (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Inventors: Blomquist, Harold R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller, Edward A.
• Application Number:
  US09/092,718
• Time in Patent Office: 1,075 Days
• Field of Search: 149/46, 149/47, 149/36, 149/45, 149/19.4, 149/19.5, 149/19.9, 149/60-61
• US Class Current: 149/36
• CPC Class Codes: C06B 23/04 for cooling the explosion gases including antifouling and flash suppressing agents
• CPC Class Codes: C06D 5/06 by reaction of two or more solids

Abstract

A gas generating composition comprises an organic fuel and an ammonium nitrate oxidizer which is phase stabilized with an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal salt. The composition also comprises an ammonium salt coolant selected from the group consisting of an ammonium halide, ammonium sulfate, and ammonium sulfamate. A preferred coolant is ammonium chloride.

Claims

1. A gas generating composition suitable for inflating a vehicle occupant protection device comprising:

an organic fuel;

phase stabilized ammonium nitrate wherein the phase stabilizer is an alkali metal nitrate, an alkali metal nitrite, an alkali metal peroxide, an alkali metal dinitramide, an alkaline earth metal nitrate, an alkaline earth metal nitrite, an alkaline earth metal peroxide, an alkaline earth metal dinitramide, or a combination thereof; and

an ammonium halide coolant,

wherein the gas generating composition produces, upon combustion, a reaction product which comprises the anion of the ammonium halide coolant reacted with the alkali metal or alkaline earth metal cation of the phase stabilizer.

2. The composition of claim 1 wherein the amount of ammonium halide coolant and the amount of phase stabilizer are balanced for substantially complete reaction of the anion of the ammonium halide coolant with the alkali metal or alkaline earth metal cation of the phase stabilizer, the combustion gas product from combustion of the gas generating composition being substantially free of alkali metal or alkaline earth metal oxide.

3. The composition of claim 1 wherein the ammonium halide coolant is ammonium chloride.

4. The composition of claim 1 further comprising a sinter-forming material.

5. The composition of claim 4 wherein the sinter-forming material is selected from the group consisting of aluminum oxide and silicon dioxide.

6. The composition of claim 1 wherein the organic fuel is selected from the group consisting of cyanamides, tetrazoles, carbonamides, triazoles, guanidines, salts of guanidine, tetramethyl ammonium nitrate, triazines, tetrazines, urea, salts of urea, and combinations thereof.

7. The gas generating composition of claim 2 comprising about 10 to about 55 weight % organic fuel and about 30 to about 85 weight % phase stabilized ammonium nitrate.

8. The composition of claim 7 further comprising 0 to about 10 weight % of sinter-forming material.

9. The gas generating composition of claim 1 wherein the gas generating composition is balanced for substantially complete reaction of the carbon in the organic fuel with the oxygen in the phase stabilized ammonium nitrate to produce carbon dioxide.

10. A gas generating composition comprising:

about 10 to about 55 weight % of an organic fuel selected from the group consisting of cyanamides, tetrazoles, carbonamides, triazoles, guanidines, salts of guanidine, tetramethyl ammonium nitrate, triazines, tetrazines, urea, salts of urea, and combinations thereof;

about 30 to about 85 weight % of phase stabilized ammonium nitrate, wherein the phase stabilizer comprises about 5 to about 15 weight %, based on the total weight of the phase stabilized ammonium nitrate, and is selected from the group consisting of alkali metal nitrates, alkali metal nitrites, alkali metal peroxides, alkali metal dinitramides, alkaline earth metal nitrates, alkaline earth metal nitrites, alkaline earth metal peroxides, alkaline earth metal dinitramides, and combinations thereof;

an ammonium chloride coolant;

0 to about 10 weight % of a sinter forming material selected from the group consisting of aluminum oxide and silicon dioxide;

wherein the ammonium chloride coolant and the phase stabilizer are present in about a molar ratio for substantially complete reaction of the alkali metal or alkaline earth metal cation of the phase stabilizer with the chloride ion of the coolant to produce, upon combustion, a reaction product substantially free of alkali metal or alkaline earth metal oxide.

11. The gas generating composition of claim 10 wherein the gas generating composition is balanced for substantially complete reaction of the carbon in the organic fuel with the oxygen in the oxidizer to produce carbon dioxide.