Propellant with extended storage life

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10266458-B2
Application number	US-201514681138-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 8, 2015
Priority date	Apr 9, 2014
Publication date	Apr 23, 2019
Grant date	Apr 23, 2019

Abstract

A propellant includes a binder system that has a polybutadiene component, a polytetrahydrofuran component, and an anti-oxidant component. In an example, the propellant includes a solid oxidizer, a solid fuel, and a binder system that holds the solid oxidizer and the solid fuel together. The binder system includes a polybutadiene component, a hydrocarbon diluent component of a higher level of saturation than the polybutadiene component, and an anti-oxidant component.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A propellant comprising a binder system that has a polybutadiene component, a polytetrahydrofuran component which is either hydroxyl-terminated or non hydroxy-terminated, and an anti-oxidant component, the polytetrahydrofuran component having a polytetrahydrofuran molecular weight and the polybutadiene component have a polybutadiene molecular weight, and the polytetrahydrofuran molecular weight is within +/−100% of the polybutadiene molecular weight.

2. The propellant as recited in claim 1 , wherein the anti-oxidant includes triphenyl phosphine.

3. The propellant as recited in claim 1 , wherein the anti-oxidant includes a thioester.

4. The propellant as recited in claim 1 , wherein the anti-oxidant includes a Tris-(2,4-di-t-butylphenyl) phosphite.

5. The propellant as recited in claim 1 , wherein the anti-oxidant includes a 2,2,4-tirmehtyl-1,2-dihydroquinoline.

6. The propellant as recited in claim 1 , wherein the anti-oxidant is a phosphite.

7. The propellant as recited in claim 1 , wherein the anti-oxidant is a phosphane.

8. The propellant as recited in claim 1 , wherein the anti-oxidant is a hindered phenol.

9. The propellant as recited in claim 1 , wherein the anti-oxidant is a diphenyl amine.

10. The propellant as recited in claim 1 , wherein the anti-oxidant is a benzimadazole.

11. The propellant as recited in claim 1 , wherein the polybutadiene component is hydroxyl-terminating.

12. The propellant of claim 1 , wherein the anti-oxidant is a phosphite, the polytetrahydrofuran molecular weight is between approximately 650 and 1500, and the polybutadiene component is hydroxyl-terminating.

13. The propellant of claim 1 , wherein the polytetrahydrofuran component is a polytetramethylether glycol.

14. The propellant of claim 1 , wherein propellant binder has approximately 25%-100% concentration of the polytetrahydrofuran component as the pre-polymer.

15. The propellant as recited in claim 1 , wherein the polytetrahydrofuran molecular weight is 250-3000 grams/mol.

16. A propellant comprising:
a solid oxidizer;
a solid fuel; and
a binder system holding the solid oxidizer and the solid fuel together, the binder system including a polybutadiene component, a hydrocarbon diluent component of a higher level of saturation than the polybutadiene component, and an anti-oxidant component, the hydrocarbon diluent component having a diluent molecular weight and the polybutadiene component having a polybutadiene molecular weight, and the diluent molecular weight with within +/−100% of the polybutadiene molecular weight.

17. The propellant as recited in claim 16 , wherein the hydrocarbon diluent component is either hydroxyl-terminated or non hydroxyl-terminated and is selected from the group consisting of polytetrahydrofuran, hydrogenated-polybutadiene, hydrogenated-polyisoprene, polypropylene, saturated or near-saturated hydrocarbon resin and combinations thereof.

18. The propellant as recited in claim 16 , wherein the hydrocarbon diluent component includes polytetrahydrofuran.

19. The propellant as recited in claim 16 , wherein the hydrocarbon diluent component includes hydrogenated-polybutadiene.

20. The propellant as recited in claim 16 , wherein the hydrocarbon diluent component includes hydrogenated-polyisoprene.

21. The propellant as recited in claim 16 , wherein the hydrocarbon diluent component includes polypropylene.

22. The propellant as recited in claim 16 , wherein the hydrocarbon diluent component includes a saturated hydrocarbon resin.

23. The propellant as recited in claim 16 , wherein the propellant includes, by weight, 5-20% of the binder system.

24. The propellant as recited in claim 16 , wherein the binder system includes, by weight, 1% of the anti-oxidant component.

25. The propellant as recited in claim 16 , wherein the binder system includes a ratio, by weight, of the amount of polybutadiene component to the amount of hydrocarbon diluent component that is from 0/100 to 75/25.

26. The propellant as recited in claim 16 , wherein the hydrocarbon diluent component includes a saturated linear hydrocarbon.

27. The propellant as recited in claim 16 , wherein the hydrocarbon diluent component includes a saturated branched hydrocarbon.

28. The propellant as recited in claim 16 , wherein the hydrocarbon diluent component includes an oxy-hydrocarbon.

29. The propellant as recited in claim 16 , wherein the diluent molecular weight is 250-3000 grams/mol.

30. A rocket motor comprising:
a chamber and a nozzle;
a propellant in the chamber and operable to generate thrust from the nozzle, the propellant including,
a solid oxidizer;
a solid fuel; and
a binder system holding the solid oxidizer and the solid fuel together, the binder system including a polybutadiene component, a hydrocarbon diluent component of a higher level of saturation than the polybutadiene component, and an anti-oxidant, the hydrocarbon diluent component having a diluent molecular weight and the polybutadiene component having a polybutadiene molecular weight, and the diluent molecular weight is within +/−100% of the polybutadiene molecular weight.

31. The propellant as recited in claim 1 , wherein the binder system has a ratio, by weight, of the amount of unsaturated polybutadiene component to the amount of polytetrahydrofuran component that is from 25 to 100%.

32. The propellant as recited in claim 16 , wherein the binder system has a ratio, by weight, of the amount of unsaturated polybutadiene component to the amount of hydrocarbon diluent component that is from 25 to 100%.

Assignees

• Aerojet Rocketdyne Inc

Inventors

• Dawley Scott

Classifications

• F02K9/08

  using solid propellants (F02K9/72 takes precedence; using semi-solid or pulverulent propellants F02K9/70) · CPC title

• C06B45/10 Primary

  the organic component containing a resin · CPC title