Patent ID: 6171530
Filing Date: 2001-01-09
Classification: C06B

Abstract:
A process for manufacturing a high performance gun propellant containing at least one energetic thermoplastic elastomeric binder and at least one high-energy oxidizer comprising:(a) obtaining a plurality of molding powder compositions comprising particles of said at least one high-energy oxidizer coated with said at least one energetic thermoplastic elastomeric binder, wherein said at least one high-energy oxidizer has a concentration in a range from 70% to 85%, by weight, and said at least one energetic thermoplastic elastomeric binder has a concentration in a range from 15% to 30%, by weight, wherein each molding powder composition of said plurality of molding powder compositions has a particle size in a range from 200 .mu.m to 2000 .mu.m and comprises varying amounts, by weight, of said at least one high-energy oxidizer and said at least one thermoplastic elastomeric binder;(b) extruding separately at least a first and a second molding powder composition of said plurality of molding powder compositions with an extruder having a barrel and a die to form at least a first extruded gun propellant and a second extruded gun propellant, respectively;(c) rolling separately at least the first and the second extruded gun propellants into at least a first plurality and a second plurality of gun propellant sheets, respectively; and(d) forming a layered gun propellant sheet from at least said first and said second pluralities of gun propellant sheets,wherein (i) said first and said second plurality of gun propellant sheets contain different high-energy oxidizers, (ii) said first and said second plurality of gun propellant sheets contain different thermoplastic elastomeric binders, or (iii) said first and said second plurality of gun propellant sheets contain different high-energy oxidizers and contain different thermoplastic elastomeric binders.