Claims
- 1. A solid or semisolid propellant comprising grains of propellant or propellant components bonded together so as to create voids within the propellant volume, said grains being of near-uniform size such that they have less than about a 20% size variation between the largest and smallest grains, said voids comprising from about 10% to about 50% of the propellant volume, said grains bonded together with sufficient strength to substantially delay the fluidization of the propellant by the onset of Taylor unstable burning, said propellant thereby having a rapid burn rate of from about 10 cm sec.sup.-1 to about 10.sup.4 cm sec.sup.-1.
- 2. A propellant according to claim 1 wherein said grains have less than about a 10% size variation between the largest and smallest grains.
- 3. A propellant according to claim 2 wherein said voids comprise from about 10% to about 20% of the propellant volume.
- 4. A propellant according to claim 3 wherein said grains are bonded together with a glue.
- 5. A propellant according to claim 4 wherein said glue also functions as a propellant or propellant component.
- 6. A propellant according to claim 5 wherein said glue is nitrocellulose.
- 7. A propellant according to claim 4 wherein said grains are black powder.
- 8. A propellant according to claim 4 wherein said grains comprise separate grains of oxidizer and grains of fuel.
- 9. A propellant according to claim 8 wherein said grains of oxidizer are selected from the group consisting of NH.sub.4 NO.sub.3, NH.sub.4 ClO.sub.3, NH.sub.4 ClO.sub.4, NaNO.sub.3, NaClO.sub.3, NaClO.sub.3, KNO.sub.3, KClO.sub.3 and KClO.sub.4 and said grains of fuel are selected from the group consisting of hydrocarbon and aluminum.
- 10. A propellant according to claim 3 wherein said grains are substantially spherical in shape.
- 11. A propellant according to claim 1 wherein said propellant grains are a monobase or double base propellant selected from the group consisting of nitrocellulose and nitrocellulose in combination with nitroglycerine.
- 12. A propellant according to claim 11 wherein said propellant grains are bonded together by bridges of said propellant, said bridges having been formed by the use of a solvent for the propellant that has first been permitted to partially dissolve the surface of the grains such that when the solvent is removed said grains are bonded together by bridges of said propellant.
- 13. A propellant according to claim 11 wherein said grains are bonded together by a glue, said glue comprising nitrocellulose which has been dissolved in a solvent, and wherein said solvent has been removed by drying after the grains are glued together.
- 14. A propellant according to claim 11 wherein the grains are bonded together with a glue that yields a high volume of inert gase when burned.
- 15. A propellant according to claim 14 wherein the glue is selected from the group consisting of polycarbonates and ureas.
- 16. A propellant according to claim 1 wherein said propellant is heterogeneous and comprises grains of NH.sub.4 NO.sub.3, polymerized Rubber and Aluminum.
- 17. A propellant according to claim 16 wherein said grains are bonded together with a glue, said glue selected from the group consisting of epoxy in combination with KClO.sub.4 and urethane in combination with KClO.sub.4.
- 18. A propellant according to claim 1 wherein said propellant has a burn rate of from about 10 cm sec to about 10.sup.3 cm sec.sup.-1.
- 19. A propellant according to claim 1 wherein said grains have a diameter of from about 0.5 cm to about 0.05 cm.
- 20. A propellant comprising grains of propellant or propellant components held within a fluid binder, said binder being sufficiently viscous so as to hinder the fluidization of the propellant volume by the onset of Taylor unstable burning and yet sufficiently fluid so as to permit the binder to flow during burning due to unequal stresses in the propellant volume and thereby to permit the surface shape of the propellant to continuously change during burning, said surface shape change during burning being sufficient to produce a burn rate of from about 10 m sec.sup.-1 to 100 m sec.sup.-1.
- 21. A propellant according to claim 20 wherein the binder is a petroleum oil.
- 22. A propellant according to claim 21 wherein the binder is selected from the group consisting of tar and bunker fuel oil.
- 23. A propellant according to claim 21 wherein the binder has a viscosity in the range between that of road tar and bunker C fuel oil.
- 24. A propellant according to claim 20 wherein the binder has a viscosity of at least 3000 poise.
- 25. A propellant according to claim 21 wherein at least some of the grains of propellant components are oxidizers.
- 26. A propellant according to claim 22 wherein at least some of the grains of propellant components are oxidizers.
- 27. A propellant according to claim 23 wherein at least some of the grains of propellant components are oxidizers.
- 28. A propellant according to claim 24 wherein at least some of the grains of propellant components are oxidizers.
- 29. A propellant according to claim 25 wherein at least some of the grains of propellant components are oxidizers selected from the group consisting of NH.sub.4 NO.sub.3, NH.sub.4 ClO.sub.3, NH.sub.4 ClO.sub.4, NaNO.sub.3, NaClO.sub.3, NaClO.sub.4, KNO.sub.3, KClO.sub.3 and KClO.sub.4.
- 30. A propellant according to claim 26 wherein at least some of the grains of propellant components are oxidizers selected from the group consisting of NH.sub.4 NO.sub.3, NH.sub.4 ClO.sub.3, NH.sub.4 ClO.sub.4, NaNO.sub.3, NaClO.sub.3, NaClO.sub.4, KNO.sub.3, KClO.sub.3 and KClO.sub.4.
- 31. A propellant according to claim 27 wherein at least some of the grains of propellant components are oxidizers selected from the group consisting of NH.sub.4 NO.sub.3, NH.sub.4 ClO.sub.3, NH.sub.4 ClO.sub.4, NaNO.sub.3, NaClO.sub.3, NaClO.sub.4, KNO.sub.3, KClO.sub.3 and KClO.sub.4.
- 32. A propellant according to claim 28 wherein at least some of the grains of propellant components are oxidizers selected from the group consisting of NH.sub.4 NO.sub.3, NH.sub.4 ClO.sub.3, NH.sub.4 ClO.sub.4, NaNO.sub.3, NaClO.sub.3, NaClO.sub.4, KNO.sub.3, KClO.sub.3 and KClO.sub.4.
- 33. A propellant according to claim 20 wherein said grains of propellant or propellant components are from about one micron to about one mm. in size.
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 06/220975, filed 12/29/80, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (5)
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
220975 |
Dec 1980 |
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