The present invention is a propellant composition comprising from about 2 percent to about 46 percent, by weight, boron particles having a diameter of less than about 500 nanometers. Liquid or gel embodiments of the invention may also include adding the boron particles to a liquid fuel in order to form a liquid fuel system. Examples of such liquid fuels include ethyl ammonium nitrate (EAN), triethyl amine nitrate (TEAN), Cyclotetramethylenetetranitramine (HMX), trinitrotoluene (TNT), jet fuel formula (JP-10), kerosene, RJ-4, or other hydrocarbon based fuels. These liquid fuel systems can be part of bipropellants wherein the liquid fuel system is stored separately from an oxidizing agent and the two are mixed during operation. Examples of oxidizing agents may include nitrogen tetroxide, oxygen, hydrogen peroxide, hydroxyl ammonium perchlorate (HAP), hydoxyl ammonium nitrate (HAN), ammonium perchlorate, ammonium nitrate, ammonium dinitramide (ADN), or a combination of said chemicals. One specific preferred embodiment of the invention comprises a fuel comprising approximately 61.60 percent by weight EAN, approximately 23 percent by weight boron particles having a diameter of less than about 500 nanometers, approximately 3.85 percent by weight ammonium nitrate, and approximately 11.55 percent by weight water coupled with an oxidizing agent comprising approximately 38 percent by weight hydrogen peroxide, approximately 46 percent by weight ammonium nitrate, and approximately 16 percent by weight water. The present invention also comprises a monopropellant formed by adding the nano-sized boron particles to a fuel containing oxygen. Another embodiment of the invention is a solid propellant wherein the nano-sized boron particles are used as a metal fuel component or as a portion of a metal fuel component and are mixed with an oxidizing agent and bound with a binder.
Nanoparticles having designed or engineered coatings that provide enhanced or improved characteristics to the coated nanoparticles and methods for forming the improved nanoparticles from oxide or ceramic coated nanoparticles.
This invention relates to energetic compositions, which offer increased performance in conjunction with a total absence of halogen based oxidizers to eliminate exhaust products, such as hydrogen chloride. The oxidizers of choice are various combinations neat ammonium dinitramide, ammonium dinitramide prills and CL-20, because these oxidizers do not produce halogen containing exhaust products, such as the HCl gas of ammonium perchlorate. The exhaust these novel propellants consist mostly of CO.sub.2, H.sub.2 O, N.sub.2, and small amounts of CO. These exhaust species are friendlier and much less hazardous to the environment than those emitted by conventional AP-based propellants. The plasticizers are selected from energetic plasticizers that do not contain halogens, but maintain other desirable properties.
The invention disclosed herein relates to an explosive capable of enhanced combustion efficiently capable of sustaining a high pressure over a period of time in a confined environment, such as an air tight room or a cave, where oxygen may be in limited supply. An embodiment of the present invention is a metal composite that combines a binder, a reactive metal and an oxidizer. In another embodiment, a plasticizer and a catalyst may be added. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a solid fuel-air explosive (SFAE) having an annular design is used. In a typical annular design, a cylindrical shell of SFAE surrounds the cylindrically shaped high explosive. The SFAE may be selected from the group consisting of reactive metal and metal composite. In addition, the metal composite is formed from at least one reactive metal, at least one binder and an oxidizer.
