Pyrotechnic compositions and uses therefore

• US 6,427,599 B1
• Filed: 08/29/1997
• Issued: 08/06/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Armtec Countermeasures Co. (California) (Transdigm Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: BAE Systems Integrated Defense Solutions, Inc
• Inventors: Posson, Philip L., Baggett, Albert J. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nelson, Peter A.
• Application Number:
  US08/924,039
• Time in Patent Office: 1,803 Days
• Field of Search: 102/336
• US Class Current: 102/336
• CPC Class Codes: C06B 29/08 with an organic non-explosive or an organic non-thermic component
• CPC Class Codes: C06C 15/00 Pyrophoric compositions; Flints chemical lighters C06C9/00; alloys in general C22C
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 4/26 Flares; Torches mines for practice or training containing flares or illuminating charges F42B8/28; projectiles of illuminating type F42B12/42

Abstract

Pyrotechnic compositions having combustion reaction products that include a high percentage of carbon dioxide at high temperatures. These pyrotechnic compositions include a fuel component having combustion product with a relatively high percentage of carbon to hydrogen content, such as an aromatic polycarboxylic anhydride fuel component. These pyrotechnic compositions may be employed to emit infrared radiation from a decoy flare or other device. The compositions may also be employed as a gas generating propellant for a projectile, such as a flare or rocket, or for other applications such as an automobile airbag. These pyrotechnic compositions emit infrared emissions with minimized short wavelength components, and produce substantially non-toxic combustion gases having relatively small amounts of water vapor.

Claims

1. A decoy flare comprising:

a first flare housing having an interior and exterior;

a pyrotechnic composition adapted to be received and combusted in said interior of said first flare housing, said pyrotechnic composition comprising;

from about 8% to about 60% by weight of an aromatic polycarboxylic anhydride fuel component;

from about 40% to about 90% by weight of an oxidizing agent;

from about 1% to about 20% by weight of a binding agent; and

an ignition layer surrounding at least a portion of said pyrotechnic composition.

2. The flare of claim 1 wherein said flare further comprises a second flare housing having an interior and an exterior, said first housing being coupled to said second housing;

and

wherein said pyrotechnic composition has an afterburning stoichiometry and comprises an amount of oxidizing agent sufficient to supply between about 40% and about 95% of the stoichiometric amount of oxidizing agent required for complete combustion of said fuel component;

wherein said pyrotechnic composition comprises from about 28% to about 40% by weight of said fuel component and from about 45% to about 69% by weight of said oxidizing agent;

wherein said pyrotechnic composition is adapted to be received and combusted in said interior of said first flare housing;

wherein said first flare housing has one or more outlet openings extending from the interior of said first flare housing to said interior of said second flare housing, said openings configured to allow partially oxidized combustion materials generated by oxidation of said fuel component within said first flare housing to escape from said first flare housing interior into said second flare housing interior;

wherein said partially oxidized materials are oxidized further within said second flare housing interior so that additional combustion materials are generated within said second flare housing; and

wherein said second flare housing has one or more outlet openings extending from the interior to the exterior of said second flare housing to allow said original combustion materials and said additional combustion materials to escape from the interior of said second flare housing so that a propellant force is generated to propel said flare.

3. The flare of claim 2, wherein said second flare housing has one or more inlet openings adapted to allow oxygen containing gas into said interior of said second flare housing.

4. The flare of claim 1, wherein said first flare housing has one or more openings extending from an interior of said flare housing to an exterior of said first flare housing, said openings configured to allow combustion materials generated by oxidation of said fuel component within said first flare housing to escape from said first flare housing interior so that a propellant force is generated to propel said flare.

5. The flare of claim 1, wherein combustion of the pyrotechnic composition produces an output infrared color ratio of greater than about 1.0.

6. The flare of claim 1, wherein the aromatic polycarboxylic anhydride comprises benzene tetracarboxylic acid dianhydride.

7. The flare of claim 5, wherein during combustion the pyrotechnic composition produces an output infrared color ratio of greater than about 1.0 under windstream conditions of up to at least about Mach 0.75.

8. The flare of claim 1, wherein the fuel component comprises at least one of benzene tetracarboxylic dianhydride, benzophenone tetracarboxylic dianhydride, benzene hexacarboxylic acid trianhydride, or mellitic anhydride.

9. The flare of claim 1, wherein the binding agent comprises at least one curable reactive resin.

10. The flare of claim 9, wherein the binding agent comprises epoxy resin.

11. The flare of claim 1, wherein during combustion the pyrotechnic composition produces a combustion product having a molecular ratio of CO₂ to H₂O of greater than about 1.0.

12. The flare of claim 1, wherein the fuel component comprises from between about 20% and about 35% by weight benzene tetracarboxylic acid dianhydride or mellitic dianhydride, the binding agent comprises from about 2% to about 8% by weight synthetic rubber, and the oxidizing layer comprises from about 60% to about 80% by weight potassium perchlorate.

13. The flare of claim 1, wherein the pyrotechnic composition has an afterburning stoichiometry, said pyrotechnic composition comprising an amount of oxidizing agent sufficient to supply between about 40% and about 95% of the stoichiometric amount of oxidizing agent required for complete combustion of the fuel component.

14. The flare of claim 1, wherein the pyrotechnic composition has an afterburning stoichiometry, the pyrotechnic composition comprising between about 28% and about 40% by weight of the fuel component, and between about 45% and about 69% by weight of the oxidizing agent.

15. A decoy flare comprising:

a pellet including at least one aromatic polycarboxylic acid anhydride;

an inhibitor layer surrounding at least a portion of the pellet; and

a case containing the pellet.

16. The flare of claim 15, further comprising a shroud slidably mounted around the case.

17. The flare of claim 16, further comprising one or more fins coupled to the shroud.

18. A decoy flare comprising an afterburning pyrotechnic composition, the composition comprising:

from about 28% to about 40% by weight of a polycarboxylic anhydride fuel component;

from about 45% to about 69% by weight of an oxidizing agent; and

from about 3% to about 14% by weight of a binding agent.