Desensitisation of energetic materials

Abstract

An energetic material comprises an energetic crystalline material substantially coated in an energetic plasticiser material. Advantageously the energetic material comprises from 90 to 99% by weight of an energetic crystalline material and from 1 to 10% by weight of an energetic plasticiser material comprising a plasticiser selected from the group comprising Butane Triol trinitrate (BTTN), Trimethylanol ethane trinitrate (TMETN), Diazidonitrazapentane (DANPE), Glycidyl Azide Polymer (Azide Derivative) (GAP Azide), Bis(2,2-dinitropropyl)acetal/bis(2,2-dinitropropyl)formal (BDNPA/F) or mixtures of two or more of these plasticisers. The inventors have found that the combination of just a small quantity of energetic plasticiser material to the energetic crystalline material prior to incorporation into the bulk plasticiser, binder and filler mixture of an explosive or propellant composition has unexpected and advantageous effects.

1 . An energetic material an energetic crystalline material substantially co ed in an energetic plasticiser material.  
     
     
         2 . An energetic material imed in  claim 1  wherein the energetic crystalline material is particulate, the energplasticiser substantially coating individual particles of the energetic crytalline material.  
     
     
         3 . An energetic material as claimed in aim  2  wherein the energetic material is in powder form.  
     
     
         4 . An energetic matal as claimed inan precedi claim wherein the energetic material comprises from 9 to 99% by weight of the energetic crystalline material and from 1 to 10% by weight of the energetic plasticiser material.  
     
     
         5 . An energetic material as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the energetic plasticiser is selected from a group comprising Butane Triol trinitrate (BTTN), Trimethylanol hane trinitrate (TMETN), Diazidonitrazapentane (DANPE), Glycidyl Azide Polymer (Azide Derivative) (GAP Azide), Bis(2,2-dinitropropyl)acetal/bis(2,2-dinitropropyl)formal (BDNPA/F) or mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         6 . An energetic material as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the energetic crystalline material hexanitrohexaazaisowurtizane.  
     
     
         7 . A method facturing an energetic material according to any preceding claim comprising; 
 (i) wet mixing 1 to 10% weight of a energetic plasticise material with 99 to 90% by weight energetic crystalline material, and    (ii) drying the wet mixed material to form a powder.    
     
     
         8 . A method for manufacture pellant material containing an energetic crystalline material comprising; 
 (i) mixing 1 to 10% by weight of an energetic plasticiser material, with 99 to 90% by weight energetic crystalline material    (ii) mixing and/or blending the resant product of step (i) with additional quantities of plasticiser and binder material as appropriate for the end application of the propellant material,    (iii) curing thresultant product of step (ii).    
     
     
         9 . A method for manufacture of a propellant material as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the energetic plasticiser material and energetic crystalline material are preliminarily mixed by a wet mixing process.  
     
     
         10 . Use of an energetic material according to any one of  claims 1  to  6  in the manufacture of an explosive or propellant composition.