Non-toxic percussion primers and methods of preparing the same

• US 20110000390A1
• Filed: 02/09/2007
• Published: 01/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Federal Cartridge Company (Vista Outdoor Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Alliant Techsystems Incorporated (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Inventors: Braun, Patrick, Erickson, Jack, Sandstrom, Joel, Johnston, Gene, Blau, Reed, Liu, Lisa Spendlove, Norris, Neal
• Granted Patent: US 8,202,377 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 102/430
• CPC Class Codes: C06B 45/00 Compositions or products which are defined by structure or arrangement of component of product explosive charges of particular form or shape F42B1/00, F42B3/00
• CPC Class Codes: C06C 7/00 Non-electric detonators; Blasting caps; Primers
• CPC Class Codes: F42C 19/0803 characterised by the combination of per se known chemical composition in the priming substance

Abstract

A percussion primer composition including at least one explosive, at least one nano-size non-coated fuel particle having natural surface oxides thereon, at least one oxidizer, optionally at least one sensitizer, optionally at least one buffer, and to methods of preparing the same.

Claims

1. A method of making a percussion primer, the method comprising:

a) providing at least one water wet explosive;

b) combining at least one nano-size non-coated fuel particle having natural surface oxides thereon with said at least one water wet explosive to form a first mixture; and

c) combining at least one oxidizer with said at least one water wet explosive or with said first mixture.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising combining at least one binder with said at least one oxidizer to form a second mixture and combining said second mixture with said first mixture.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising combining at least one sensitizer with said at least one water wet explosive.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising combining at least one sensitizer with said at least one first mixture.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein said sensitizer is tetracene.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising combining at least one friction generator with said at least one water wet explosive.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said at least one friction generator is glass powder.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising adding at least one buffer to said at least one water wet explosive before b).

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising adding a dual buffer system to said at least one water wet explosive before b).

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said dual buffer system comprises at least one salt of citric acid and at least one salt of phosphoric acid.

11. The method of claim 3 further comprising combining at least one buffer with said at least one sensitizer and at least one water wet explosive before b).

12. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one nano-size non-coated fuel particle is selected from the group consisting of aluminum, silicon, titanium, zirconium, molybdenum, tungsten, melamine, magnesium, and mixtures thereof.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein said nano-size fuel particle is aluminum.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein said nano-size fuel particle has an average particle size from about 80 nanometers to about 120 nanometers.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said nano-size fuel particle has an average particle size of about 100 nanometers.

16. The percussion primer of claim 1 wherein said nano-size non-coated fuel particle has about 10% to about 20% by weight natural surface oxides thereon.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one explosive is selected from the group consisting of nitramines, nitroaromatics, nitrate esters and mixtures thereof.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said nitrate ester is nitrocellulose.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one oxidizer is non-hygroscopic.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one oxidizer is a metal oxide.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein said at least one oxidizer is selected from the group consisting of bismuth oxide, bismuth trioxide, bismuth tetroxide, bismuth subnitrate, bismuth sulfide, zinc peroxide, tin oxide, manganese dioxide, potassium nitrate, molybdenum trioxide, strontium nitrate, strontium peroxide, iron oxide and combinations thereof.

22. The method of claim 1 comprising about 10 wt % to about 40 wt % of said at least one explosive.

23. The method of claim 1 comprising about 5 wt % to about 20 wt % of said at least one nano-size non-coated fuel particle having natural surface oxides thereon.

24. The method of claim 3 comprising about 5 wt % to about 15 wt % of said at least one sensitizer.

25. The method of claim 1 comprising about 20 wt % to about 70 wt % of said at least one oxidizer.

26. A method for preparing a percussion primer, the method comprising:

a) providing at least one water wet explosive;

b) combining at least one sensitizer with said at least one water wet explosive;

c) combining at least one nano-size non-coated fuel particle having natural surface oxides thereon with said at least one water wet explosive to form a wet mixture;

d) dry blending at least one oxidizer and at least one binder to form a dry blend; and

e) adding said dry blend to said water wet mixture and mixing until homogeneous to form a final mixture.

27. The method of claim 26 further comprising combining said at last one buffer or mixture thereof to said at least one water wet explosive before c).

28. A percussion primer composition, the composition comprising:

a) at least one explosive;

b) at least one nano-size non-coated fuel particle having natural surface oxides thereon; and

c) at least one oxidizer.

29. The percussion primer composition of claim 28 further comprising at least one sensitizer.

30. The percussion primer composition of claim 29 wherein said at least one sensitizer is tetracene.

31. The percussion primer composition of claim 29 further comprising at least one friction generator.

32. The percussion primer composition of claim 31 wherein said at least one friction generator is glass powder.

33. The percussion primer composition of claim 28 further comprising at least one buffer.

34. The percussion primer composition of claim 28 comprising a dual buffer system.

35. The percussion primer composition of claim 34 wherein said dual buffer system comprises at least one salt of citric acid and a least one salt of phosphoric acid.

36. The percussion primer of claim 28 wherein said at least one explosive is nitrocellulose.

37. The percussion primer of claim 36 wherein said nitrocellulose comprises about 10 wt-% to about 15 wt-% nitrogen.

38. The percussion primer composition of claim 36 wherein said nitrocellulose primary energetic comprises about 12 wt-% to about 14 wt-% nitrogen.

39. The percussion primer composition of claim 37 wherein said nitrocellulose has a particle size of about 80 mesh to about 120 mesh.

40. A percussion primer premixture, the premixture comprising:

at least one explosive;

at least one nano-size non-coated fuel particle having surface oxides thereon; and

water in an amount of about 10 wt-% to about 40 wt-% of the premixture.

41. The percussion primer premixture of claim 40 further comprising at least one oxidizer and at least one binder.

42. The percussion primer premixture of claim 40 wherein said at least one explosive is nitrocellulose.

43. The percussion primer premixture of claim 40 wherein said nano-size non-coated fuel particle is aluminum.

44. The percussion primer premixture of claim 40 wherein said nano-size non-coated fuel particle has an average particle size of about 50 nm to about 120 nm.

45. The percussion primer premixture of claim 40 wherein said nano-size non-coated fuel particle has an average particle size of about 100 nm.

46. A primer composition comprising:

at least one explosive;

at least one non-coated nano-size fuel particle having natural surface oxides thereon;

a buffer system comprising at least one salt of citric acid and at least one salt of phosphoric acid; and

at least one oxidizer.

47. The primer composition of claim 46 wherein said primer composition is dry.

48. The primer composition of claim 46 wherein said explosive is nitrocellulose.

49. The primer composition of claim 46 wherein said nano-size fuel particle is aluminum.

50. The primer composition of claim 49 wherein said nano-size fuel particle has an average particle size of 100 nm.

51. The primer composition of claim 46 further comprising at least one sensitizer.

52. The primer composition of claim 51 wherein said sensitizer is tetracene.

53. The primer composition of claim 46 further comprising at least one binder.

54. A gun cartridge comprising:

a casing,

a secondary explosive disposed within the casing; and

a primary explosive disposed within the casing, the primary explosive comprising at least one primary energetic, at least one nano-size non-coated fuel particle having natural surface oxides thereon; and

at least one oxidizer.

55. The gun cartridge of claim 54 wherein said primary explosive further comprises at least one sensitizer.

56. The gun cartridge of claim 55 wherein said sensitizer is tetracene.

57. The gun cartridge of claim 54 further comprising glass powder.

58. The gun cartridge of claim 54 wherein said primary explosive is nitrocellulose having a nitrogen content between about 10 wt-% and 15 wt-% and a particle size of 80-120 mesh.

59. The gun cartridge of claim 54 further comprising a dual buffer system, the dual buffer system comprising at least one organic acid and at least one salt of phosphoric acid.

60. The gun cartridge of claim 54 wherein said nano-size non-coated fuel particle is aluminum having an average particle size of 100 nm.

61. A primer-containing ordinance assembly comprising:

a housing;

a secondary explosive disposed within the housing; and

a primary explosive disposed within the housing, the primary explosive comprising at least one primary energetic, at least one nano-size non-coated fuel particle having natural surface oxides thereon; and

at least one oxidizer.