Gas generant composition with coolant

• US 6,605,233 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2001
• Issued: 08/12/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nammo Talley, Inc. (Nammo AS)
• Original Assignee: Nammo Talley, Inc. (Nammo AS)
• Inventors: Ludwig, Christopher P., Knowlton, Gregory D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Toomer, Cephia D.
• Application Number:
  US09/798,640
• Publication Number:
  US 20030089883A1
• Time in Patent Office: 893 Days
• Field of Search: 252/181.1, 149/46, 149/47, 149/55, 149/57, 149/61, 149/62, 149/76, 149/92
• US Class Current: 252/181.1
• 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 low-solids gas generating composition and a method of producing a gas. The gas is produced by combusting a mixture of a fuel selected from the group consisting of guanidine nitrate, nitroguanidine, cellulose, cellulose acetate, hexamine, 5 amino-tetrazole, 5 nitro-uracil, guanidine salt of 5 nitro-uracil, and mixtures thereof, an oxidizer selected from the group consisting of ceric ammonium nitrate, strontium nitrate, basic copper nitrate, a mixture of ammonium perchlorate and at least one alkali metal salt, and mixtures thereof, and a cupric oxalate hemi-hydrate coolant. The oxidizer-fuel mixture is within about 4 percent of stoichiometric balance, and the low-solids gas generating composition produces no more than about 0.082 cubic centimeters of solids per gram of gas generating composition on combustion.

Claims

1. A low-solids gas generating composition, comprising a mixture of:

a fuel selected from the group consisting of guanidine nitrate, nitroguanidine, cellulose, cellulose acetate, hexamine, 5 amino-tetrazole, 5 nitro-uracil, guanidine salt of 5 nitro-uracil, and mixtures thereof;

an oxidizer selected from the group consisting of ceric ammonium nitrate, strontium nitrate, basic copper nitrate, a mixture of ammonium perchlorate and at least one alkali metal salt, and mixtures thereof, and

a cupric oxalate hemi-hydrate coolant;

wherein

the oxidizer-fuel mixture is within about 4 percent of stoichiometric balance, and the low-solids gas generating composition produces no more than about 0.085 cubic centimeters of solids per gram of gas generating composition on combustion.

2. The gas generating composition of claim 1, wherein the low-solids gas generating composition produces no more than about 0.077 cubic centimeters of solids per gram of gas generating composition on combustion.

3. The gas generating composition of claim 1, wherein of the low-solids gas generating composition produces no more than about 0.056 cubic centimeters of solids per gram of gas generating composition on combustion.

4. The gas generating composition of claim 1, further comprising sub-micron fumed silica.

5. The gas generating composition of claim 1, further comprising graphite.

6. The gas generating composition of claim 1, comprising ammonium perchlorate, sodium nitrate, cupric oxalate hemi-hydrate, and guanidine nitrate.

7. The gas generating composition of claim 1, comprising from about 14.6 to about 23.2 percent ammonium perchlorate, from about 11.1 to about 17.6 percent, sodium nitrate, about 20 percent cupric oxalate hemi-hydrate, from about 54.2 to about 39 percent guanidine nitrate, and up to about 0.2 percent fumed silica.

8. The gas generating composition of claim 1, comprising from about 10.1 to about 20.4 percent ammonium perchlorate, from about 7.6 to about 15.5 percent sodium nitrate, about 40 percent cupric oxalate hemi-hydrate, from about 42.2 to about 23.9 percent guanidine nitrate, and up to about 0.2 percent fumed silica.

9. The gas generating composition of claim 1, comprising ammonium perchlorate, potassium nitrate, cupric oxalate hemi-hydrate, and guanidine nitrate.

10. The gas generating composition of claim 1, comprising from about 9.8 to about 19.8 percent ammonium perchlorate, from about 8.8 to about 17.9 percent potassium nitrate, about 40 percent cupric oxalate hemi-hydrate, and from about 41.4 to about 22.3 percent guanidine nitrate.

11. The gas generating composition of claim 1, comprising ammonium perchlorate, lithium carbonate, cupric oxalate hemi-hydrate, and guanidine nitrate.

12. The gas generating composition of claim 1, comprising from about 16.9 to about 34.2 percent ammonium perchlorate, from about 5.6 to about 11.3 percent lithium carbonate, about 40 percent cupric oxalate hemi-hydrate, and from about 37.5 to about 14.5 percent guanidine nitrate.

13. The gas generating composition of claim 1, comprising ceric ammonium nitrate, cupric oxalate hemi-hydrate, and guanidine nitrate.

14. The gas generating composition of claim 1, comprising from about 18.6 to about 37.7 percent ceric ammonium nitrate, from about 40 percent cupric oxalate hemi-hydrate, about from 41.2 to about 21.9 percent guanidine nitrate, percent and up to about 0.4 percent fumed silica.

15. The gas generating composition of claim 1, comprising strontium nitrate, cupric oxalate hemi-hydrate, and guanidine nitrate.

16. The gas generating composition of claim 1, comprising from about 14.2 to about 34.5 percent strontium nitrate, about 50 percent cupric oxalate hemi-hydrate, and from about 35.8 to about 15.5 percent guanidine nitrate.

17. The gas generating composition of claim 1, comprising ammonium perchlorate, lithium carbonate, cupric oxalate hemi-hydrate, and nitroguanidine.

18. The gas generating composition of claim 1, comprising from about 19.3 to about 35.3 percent ammonium perchlorate, from about 6.4 to about 11.7 percent lithium carbonate, about 40 percent cupric oxalate hemi-hydrate, and from about 34.3 to about 13 percent nitroguanidine.

19. The gas generating composition of claim 1, comprising ammonium perchlorate, sodium nitrate, cupric oxalate hemi-hydrate, and cellulose.

20. The gas generating composition of claim 1, comprising from about 19.8 to about 24.4 percent ammonium perchlorate, from about 15 to about 18.6 percent sodium nitrate, about 50 percent cupric oxalate hemi-hydrate, from about 15 to about 6.8 percent cellulose, and up to about 0.2 percent fumed silica.

21. The gas generating composition of claim 1, comprising ammonium perchlorate, sodium nitrate, cupric oxalate hemi-hydrate, and cellulose acetate.

22. The gas generating composition of claim 1, comprising from about 20.5 to about 24.7 percent ammonium perchlorate, from about 15.5 to about 18.8 percent sodium nitrate, about 50 percent cupric oxalate hemi-hydrate, from about 13.8 to about 6.3 percent cellulose acetate, and up to about 0.2 percent fumed silica.

23. The gas generating composition of claim 1, comprising ammonium perchlorate, sodium nitrate, cupric oxalate hemi-hydrate, and hexamine.

24. The gas generating composition of claim 1, comprising from about 22.8 to about 25.8 percent ammonium perchlorate, from about 17.3 to about 19.6 percent sodium nitrate, about 50 percent cupric oxalate hemi-hydrate, from about 9.7 to about 4.4 percent hexamine, and up to about 0.2 percent fumed silica.

25. The gas generating composition of claim 1, comprising strontium nitrate, cupric oxalate hemi-hydrate, and anhydrous 5 amino-tetrazole.

26. The gas generating composition of claim 1, comprising from about 27.9 to about 40.5 percent strontium nitrate, about 50 percent cupric oxalate hemi-hydrate, and from about 22.1 to about 9.5 percent anhydrous 5 amino-tetrazole.

27. The gas generating composition of claim 1, comprising basic copper nitrate, cupric oxalate hemi-hydrate, and 5 nitro-uracil.

28. The gas generating composition of claim 1, comprising from about 27.9 to about 50 percent basic copper nitrate, about 50 percent cupric oxalate hemi-hydrate, and from about 22.1 to 0 percent 5 nitro-uracil.

29. The gas generating composition of claim 1, comprising basic copper nitrate, cupric oxalate hemi-hydrate, guanidine salt of 5 nitro-uracil.

30. The gas generating composition of claim 1, comprising from about 31.7 to about 50 percent basic copper nitrate, about 50 percent cupric oxalate hemi-hydrate, from about 18.3 to 0 percent guanidine salt of 5 nitro-uracil.

31. The gas generating composition of claim 1, comprising basic copper nitrate, guanidine nitrate, 5-nitro-uracil, cupric oxalate hemi-hydrate, and graphite.

32. The gas generating composition of claim 1, comprising from about 20 to about 70 percent copper oxalate hemi-hydrate and a fuel selected from the group consisting of from about 10 to about 55 percent guanidine nitrate;

from about 10 to about 55 percent nitroguanidine;

from about 5 to about 25 percent cellulose;

from about 5 to about 25 percent cellulose acetate;

from about 3 to about 15 percent hexamine from about 5 to about 35 percent 5-aminotetrazole;

from about 5 to about 35 percent 5-nitrouracil;

from about 5 to about 35 percent guanidine salt of 5-nitrouracil, and mixtures thereof.

35. The gas generating composition of claim 1, wherein the cupric oxalate hemi-hydrate coolant is present in an amount of at least about 50 percent.

36. The gas generating composition of claim 35, comprising ammonium perchlorate, sodium nitrate, cupric oxalate hemi-hydrate, and cellulose.

37. The gas generating composition of claim 36, comprising from about 19.8 to about 24.4 percent ammonium perchlorate, from about 15 to about 18.6 percent sodium nitrate, about 50 percent cupric oxalate hemi-hydrate, from about 15 to about 6.8 percent cellulose, and up to about 0.2 percent fumed silica.

38. The gas generating composition of claim 36, comprising about 19.8 percent ammonium perchlorate, about 15 percent sodium nitrate, about 53.3 percent cupric oxalate hemi-hydrate, about 11.7 percent cellulose, and about 0.2 percent fumed silica.

33. A method of generating a gas with low-solids, the method comprising:

preparing a mixture comprising a fuel and an oxidizer, wherein the mixture is within about 4 percent of stoichiometric balance;

mixing the oxidizer-fuel mixture with a cupric oxalate hemi-hydrate coolant; and

combusting the mixture of oxidizer, fuel, and coolant, thereby producing a gas and no more than about 0.085 cubic centimeters of solids per gram of gas generating composition on combustion;

wherein

the fuel is selected from the group consisting of guanidine nitrate, nitroguanidine, cellulose, cellulose acetate, hexamine, 5 amino-tetrazole, 5 nitro-uracil, guanidine salt of 5 nitro-uracil, and mixtures thereof; and

the oxidizer is selected from the group consisting of ceric ammonium nitrate, strontium nitrate, basic copper nitrate, a mixture of ammonium perchlorate and at least one alkali metal salt, and mixtures thereof.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising adding sub-micron fumed silica as a desiccant to the mixture of oxidizer, fuel, and coolant.