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ThiokolPropulsion
The Promise Of Energetic TPEGun Propellants – From Notebook
To Full Scale Verification
The Promise Of Energetic TPEGun Propellants – From Notebook
To Full Scale Verification
Prepared For:
NDIA 37th Annual Gun And Ammunition SymposiumPanama City, Florida
April 15-18, 2002
P. Braithwaite, G. Dixon, M. Rose, and R. Wardle
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Acknowledgements
• Advances in these new propellants are theresults of cooperative efforts with manyorganizations including:• ARL• TACOM-ARDEC• DTRA• NSWC/IH• ONR• GD• SAIC• United Defense
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Outline
• Background
• Typical ETPE propellant ingredients
• Propellant processing
• Propellant characterization
• Gun testing
• Summary and conclusions
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Background
• The potential advantages of TPE gun propellantswere seriously discussed in the early 1980’s
• Performance• Environmental benefits - R3• Superior burning rate control
• No plasticizers are used
• No sensitivity to moisture
• Early feasibility studies were successfullyperformed in coordination with ARL/ONR and others• Identified areas of critical technical needs• Developed initial data to verify attractiveness
• Recent efforts have demonstrated these propellantson a larger scale
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Background (cont.)• Early calculations using ETPE propellant formulations
indicated they had performance advantages whencompared with NC based compositions
Impetus vs Flame Temperature
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
900 1000 1100 1200 1300 1400
Impetus (J/g)
Flam
e T
empe
ratu
re (K
)NC/NEPropellants
Advanced TPEPropellants
• Burning ratetailorabilitysuggested byearly low pressuretests indicatedthese propellantscould be used inconventional andlayeredgeometries
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Oxetane Thermoplastic Elastomers
Below Tm of Hard BlockHard Block Crystalline Sphereulites
Soft Block Elastomers
Above Tm of Hard BlockHard Block Melts
Blocks phase separated
Flows and Mixes under ShearHard and Soft Blocks Mix
Annealing needed for phase separation
15010050010 4
10 5
10 6
10 7
10 8
10 9
Temperature (C)
Eta
(poi
se)
• Melting materials behavior critical to energetic processing• need narrow transition from hard to processible• m.p. too low and won't survive environment (<65°C)• m.p. too high and energetic solids can't beprocessed safely (>90°C)• dynamic viscosity data show attractiveness ofcrystalline hard block oxetane TPE (green line)
• Novel TPEs allow continuous processing and recycling• production scrap can be well below 1 percent
• TPE nature allows unusual geometries• better energy management maximizes performance
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TPE’s Offer Formulation Flexibility
C CH 2H2CHO O
CH 2N3
CH 2N3
CH 2 C
CH 2N3
CH 2N3
CH 2 O CH 2 C CH 2
CH 2N3
CH 3
O H
BAMO/BAMO-AMMO
x y
C CH 2H2CHO O
CH 2N3
CH 2N3
CH 2 C
CH 2N3
CH 3
CH 2 O
x
BAMO/AMMO
H
y
C CH 2H2CHO O
CH 2OEt
CH 2OEt
CH 2 C
CH 2N3
CH 3
CH 2 O
x
BEMO/AMMO
H
y
C CH 2H2CHO O
CH 2N3
CH 2N3
CH 2 C
CH 2ONO 2
CH 3
CH 2 O
x
BAMO/NMMO
H
y
x y
most energetic
least energetic
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TEX
New Energetic Solids
• Energetic solids provide additional burning rate andenergy tailoring capability
CL-20
• Burning rates at 40 kpsi fromless than 4 in/sec to over 15in/sec
• Impetus levels above 1350 J/g
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Twin Screw Extrusion
• Twin screw extrusion hasbeen found to be the bestway to mix and extrudepilot scale lots of ETPEbased propellants
• No solvents are requiredduring mixing andextrusion
• Multiple formulations havebeen extruded into a widerange of geometries
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Multiple Geometries Have BeenSuccessfully Manufactured
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SEM Evaluation• Careful examination indicates excellent adhesion
between solid ingredients and ETPE
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Gun Testing
• ETPE propellants have been tested inmultiple gun systems• 30 mm
• 35 mm
• 40 mm
• 60 mm
• 120 mm
• 5-inch
• 155 mm
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120 mm Firings
• ETPE propellantshave been tested in120 mm gunsystems usingadvancedgeometries
• Results were great!!!
PA0PA270PB0PB90PB180PB270PC0
Advanced TPE
Propellant
PA0PA270PB0PB90PB180PB270PC0
Current Perforated Propellant
Pre
ssu
reP
ress
ure
Time
Time
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Summary
• ETPE propellants have matured significantly duringthe past several years• Formulation• Processing• Testing and characterization• Quality control• Recycle and reclamation• Grain design
• Multiple gun test firings unequivocallydemonstrated the performance potential of thesepromising new propellants