Claims
- 1. A method of processing energetic materials comprising the steps of:
- (a) introducing a lacquer solution into a twin-screw extruder, said lacquer solution containing a binder dissolved in a solvent;
- (b) adding at least one solid reactive material ingredient into the twin-screw extruder;
- (c) compounding the energetic material with the twin-screw extruder, said compounding step including the steps of mixing the solid reactive material ingredient and the lacquer solution and removing excess solvent from the energetic material/solvent mixture;
- (d) granulating the energetic material with a continuous rotary granulator; and
- (e) drying the energetic material to form free-flowing energetic material granules.
- 2. A method of processing energetic materials as defined in claim 1, wherein the solid reactive material ingredient is selected from RDX (1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazacyclohexane), HMX (1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetraazacyclooctane), and CL-20 (2,4,6,8,10,12-hexanitro-2,4,6,8,10,12-hexaazatetracyclo[5.5.0.0.sup.5,9 0.sup.3,11 ]-dodecane), and mixtures thereof.
- 3. A method of processing energetic materials as defined in claim 1, wherein the solid reactive material ingredient is selected from magnesium, aluminum, alloys of magnesium and aluminum, and mixtures thereof.
- 4. A method of processing energetic materials as defined in claim 1, wherein the excess solvent is removed from the energetic material/solvent mixture to permit granulation of the energetic material.
- 5. A method of processing energetic materials as defined in claim 1, wherein the excess solvent is removed from the energetic material/solvent mixture during the compounding step such that the solvent content is in the range from about 5% to about 20%, by weight of the energetic material/solvent mixture.
- 6. A method of processing energetic materials as defined in claim 1, wherein the continuous rotary granulator includes an exterior tubular screen and an interior rotating blade.
- 7. A method of processing energetic materials as defined in claim 1, wherein the dried energetic material granules are further processed by pressing the granules into a desired configuration.
- 8. A method of processing energetic materials as defined in claim 1, wherein the dried energetic material granules are further processed by mixing the granules with a quantity of solvent to form a solvent/granule mixture and reextruding the solvent/granule mixture.
- 9. A method of processing energetic materials as defined in claim 1, wherein the solvent is selected from an organic ester, organic ketone, organic alcohol, and mixtures thereof.
- 10. A method of processing energetic materials as defined in claim 1, wherein the solvent is selected from ethyl acetate, acetone, ethyl alcohol, and mixtures thereof.
- 11. A method of processing a composite gun propellant comprising the steps of:
- (a) introducing a lacquer solution into a twin-screw extruder, said lacquer solution containing a quantity of cellulose ester binder, nitrocellulose, and a plasticizer dissolved in a solvent;
- (b) adding a quantity of dry oxidizer to the twin-screw extruder;
- (c) compounding the composite gun propellant with the twin-screw extruder, said compounding step including the steps of mixing the dry oxidizer and the lacquer solution and removing excess solvent from the oxidizer/lacquer solution mixture;
- (d) granulating the composite gun propellant with a continuous rotary granulator;
- (e) drying the composite gun propellant to form free-flowing granules;
- (f) introducing composite gun propellant granules and a quantity of solvent into an extruder such that the quantity of solvent is selected to provide a solvent content suitable for extrusion; and
- (g) extruding the composite gun propellant.
- 12. A method of processing a composite gun propellant as defined in claim 11, further comprising the steps of:
- (h) cutting the extruded composite gun propellant into pellets;
- (i) drying the pellets; and
- (j) glazing the pellets with graphite to prevent static charges.
- 13. A method of processing a composite gun propellant as defined in claim 11, wherein the oxidizer is selected from RDX (1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazacyclohexane), HMX (1,3,5,7-tetra-nitro-1,3,5,7-tetraazacyclooctane), and CL-20 (2,4,6,8,10,12-hexanitro-2,4,6,8,10,12-hexaazatetracyclo[5.5.0.0.sup.5,9 0.sup.3,11 ]-dodecane), and mixtures thereof.
- 14. A method of processing a composite gun propellant as defined in claim 11, wherein the cellulose ester binder is selected from cellulose acetate, cellulose acetate butyrate and cellulose acetate propionate.
- 15. A method of processing a composite gun propellant as defined in claim 11, wherein the cellulose ester binder has a concentration in the composite gun propellant in the range from about 10 to about 15 weight percent.
- 16. A method of processing a composite gun propellant as defined in claim 11, wherein the plasticizer is selected from bis(2,2-dinitropropyl)acetal/bis(2,2-dinitropropyl)formal (BDNPF/BDNPA), trimethylolethanetrinitrate (TMETN), triethyleneglycoldinitrate (TEGDN), diethyleneglycoldinitrate (DEGDN), nitroglycerine (NG), butanetrioltrinitrate (BTTN), alkyl nitratoethylnitramines (NENA's), and mixtures thereof.
- 17. A method of processing a composite gun propellant as defined in claim 11, wherein the plasticizer is selected from triacetin, acetyltriethylcitrate (ATEC), dioctyladipate (DOA), isodecylperlargonate (IDP), dioctylphthalate (DOP), dioctylmaleate (DOM), dibutylphthalate (DBP), and mixtures thereof.
- 18. A method of processing an infrared flare composition comprising the steps of:
- (a) introducing a lacquer solution into a twin-screw extruder, said lacquer solution containing a quantity of binder dissolved in a solvent and PTFE dispersed therein;
- (b) adding a quantity of metal particles to the twin-screw extruder;
- (c) compounding the flare composition with the twin-screw extruder, said compounding step including the steps of mixing the metal particles and the lacquer solution and removing excess solvent from the oxidizer/lacquer solution mixture; and
- (d) granulating the flare composition.
- 19. A method of processing an infrared flare composition as defined in claim 18, wherein the binder is a polyacrylate rubber.
- 20. A method of processing an infrared flare composition as defined in claim 18, wherein the binder is a fluoroelastomer rubber.
- 21. A method of processing an infrared flare composition as defined in claim 18, wherein the solvent is acetone.
- 22. A method of processing an infrared flare composition as defined in claim 18, wherein the metal particles comprise magnesium particles.
- 23. A method of processing an infrared flare composition as defined in claim 18, wherein the metal particles have a concentration in the infrared flare composition in the range from about 60 to about 70 weight percent.
- 24. A method of processing an infrared flare composition as defined in claim 18, further comprising the steps of drying the granulated flare composition and pressing the flare composition into a desired flare configuration.
- 25. A method of processing an infrared flare composition as defined in claim 18, further comprising the steps of drying the granulated flare composition and extruding the flare composition into a desired flare configuration.
- 26. A method of processing a high explosive composition comprising the steps of:
- (a) introducing a lacquer solution into a twin-screw extruder, said lacquer solution containing a quantity of cellulose ester binder and a plasticizer dissolved in a solvent;
- (b) adding a quantity of oxidizer to the twin-screw extruder;
- (c) compounding the composite gun propellant with the twin-screw extruder, said compounding step including the steps of mixing the dry oxidizer and the lacquer solution and removing excess solvent from the oxidizer/lacquer solution mixture;
- (d) granulating the high explosive composition with a continuous rotary granulator; and
- (e) drying the high explosive composition to form free-flowing granules.
- 27. A method of processing a high explosive composition as defined in claim 26, wherein the oxidizer is selected from RDX (1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazacyclohexane), HMX (1,3,5,7tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetraazacyclooctane), CL-20 (2,4,6,8,10,12-hexanitro-2,4,6,8,10,12-hexaazatetracyclo[5.5.0.0.sup.5,9 0.sup.3,11 ]-dodecane), dodecane), ADN (ammonium dinitramide), TNAZ (1,3,3-trinitroazetidine), and mixtures thereof.
- 28. A method of processing a high explosive composition as defined in claim 26, wherein the oxidizer has a concentration in the high explosive composition in the range from about 80 to about 90 weight percent.
- 29. A method of processing a high explosive composition as defined in claim 26, wherein the cellulose ester binder is selected from cellulose acetate, cellulose acetate butyrate and cellulose acetate propionate.
- 30. A method of processing a high explosive composition as defined in claim 26, wherein the cellulose ester binder has a concentration in the high explosive composition in the range from about 10 to about 15 weight percent.
- 31. A method of processing a high explosive composition as defined in claim 26, wherein the plasticizer is selected from bis(2,2-dinitropropyl)acetal/bis(2,2-dinitropropyl)formal (BDNPF/BDNPA), trimethylolethanetrinitrate (TMETN), triethyleneglycoldinitrate (TEGDN), diethyleneglycoldinitrate (DEGDN), nitroglycerine (NG), butanetrioltrinitrate (BTTN), alkyl nitratoethylnitramines (NENA's), and mixtures thereof.
RELATED APPLICATION
The present application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 08/170,391, filed Dec. 20, 1993, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,487,851 and entitled "COMPOSITE GUN PROPELLANT PROCESSING TECHNIQUE" which application is incorporated herein by this reference.
US Referenced Citations (19)
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
170391 |
Dec 1993 |
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