Claims
- 1. A method of destroying chemical and/or biological agents using a high temperature incendiary (HTI) device containing a dual modal propellant composition comprised of low burn rate propellant particles dispersed in a matrix of a high burn rate propellant, which method comprises (i) igniting the dual modal propellant so as to generate combustion gases from the high burn rate propellant composition sufficient to expel ignited portions of said low burn rate propellant particles from the HTI device, and thereafter (ii) allowing the low burn rate particles to burn for a time sufficient to destroy ambient chemical and/or biological agents.
- 2. The method of claim 1, wherein said low burn rate propellant particles include at least one low burn rate propellant comprising ammonium perchlorate (AP) as an oxidizer, a hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) and a burn rate suppressant in an amount sufficient to achieve a burn rate of less than about 0.25 inches per second (ips) at a pressure condition of 1,000 psi.
- 3. The method of claim 2, wherein said burn rate suppressant includes an oxamide.
- 4. The method of claim 3, wherein said oxamide is at least one selected from the group consisting of cyanoguanidine and dicyandiamide oxamide.
- 5. The method of any one of claims 1-4, wherein said high burn rate propellant comprises ammonium perchlorate (AP) as an oxidizer, a hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) and a burn rate accelerator in an amount sufficient to achieve a burn rate of at least about 1.00 inches per second (ips) at a pressure condition of 1,000 psi.
- 6. The method of claim 5, wherein said burn rate accelerator includes metal or metal oxide particles.
- 7. The method of claim 6, wherein said metal or metal oxide particles are at least one selected from the group consisting of iron, aluminum, copper, boron, magnesium, manganese, silica, titanium, cobalt, zirconium, hafnium, tungsten and corresponding oxides thereof.
- 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the HTI device comprises a casing containing said dual modal propellant composition, and a nozzle, and wherein step (ii) is practiced such that said combustion gases and said portions of said low burn rate propellant particles are expelled through the nozzle and into an ambient atmosphere containing chemical and/or biological agents in need of destruction.
- 9. The method of claim 1 or 8, wherein said low burn rate propellant particles have a burn rate of less than about 0.25 inches per second (ips) at a pressure condition of 1,000 psi.
- 10. The method of claim 9, wherein said low burn rate propellant particles have a burn rate of less than about 0.10 ips at said pressure condition.
- 11. The method of claim 9, wherein said high burn rate propellant has a burn rate of at least about 1.00 inches per second (ips) or greater at a pressure condition of 1,000 psi.
- 12. The method of claim 11, wherein said high burn rate propellant has a burn rate of at least about 2.00 ips or greater at said pressure condition.
- 13. The method of claim 9, wherein said low burn rate propellant particles have an average particle diameter of between about 6 mm to about 25 mm.
Parent Case Info
This application is a Divisional of application Ser. No. 10/145,540, filed May 15, 2002, now pending, the entire content of which is hereby incorporated by reference in this application.
US Referenced Citations (31)