Cross-sectional functionally graded propellants and method of manufacture

US7896989B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army · US

Inventors

• David Fair · Hackettstown, US
• Dilhan M. Kalyon · Teaneck, US
• Sam Moy · Parsippany, US
• Leon Manole · Great Meadows, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 11, 2005
• Grant date: Mar 1, 2011
• Expiry date: Dec 3, 2025

Classification

• Technology area (CPC C): Chemistry; Metallurgy
• CPC primary: C06B45/10
• WIPO field: Basic materials chemistry
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

Methods of making cross sectional, functionally-graded munitions propellants exhibiting various distributions of particle concentrations and burn rate, including having a fast burning core and slower burning outer layer(s). Unlike prior art methods of preparing such munitions, propellants prepared according to our inventive method(s) may be performed substantially as a single extrusion step or as a few processing steps, without requiring the time, expense and/or difficulties that characterized familiar, laminating methods and methods which use multiple extruders. Our inventive method advantageously employs a demixing phenomenon that, prior to our inventive application and teaching, has been considered quite undesirable in the preparation of propellants where uniformity and well-mixedness have been propellant attributes widely sought after.