Gas generant materials

Abstract

A gas generant composition includes a non-azide, organic, nitrogen-containing fuel; a substituted basic metal nitrate and at least one transition metal complex of diammonium bitetrazole. The substituted basic metal nitrate can be a reaction product of an acidic organic compound and a basic metal nitrate. The transition metal complex of diammonium bitetrazole is effective to enhance the burn rate presure sensitivity of the gas generant composition as compared to the same gas generant composition without inclusion of the at least one transition metal complex of diammonium bitetrazole.

1 . A gas generant composition comprising: 
 a non-azide, organic, nitrogen-containing fuel;    a substituted basic metal nitrate comprising a reaction product of an acidic organic compound and a basic metal nitrate; and    at least one transition metal complex of diammonium bitetrazole effective to decrease the burn rate pressure sensitivity of the gas generant formulation as compared to the same gas generant composition without inclusion of the at least one transition metal complex of diammonium bitetrazole.    
   
   
       2 . The gas generant composition of  claim 1  wherein the non-azide, organic, nitrogen-containing fuel is guanidine nitrate.  
   
   
       3 . The gas generant composition of  claim 1  wherein the acidic organic compound is a nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compound including an acidic hydrogen.  
   
   
       4 . The gas generant composition of  claim 1  wherein the acidic organic compound is selected from the group consisting of tetrazoles, imidazoles, imidiazolidinone, triazoles, urazole, uracil, barbituric acid, orotic acid, creatinine, uric acid, hydantoin, pyrazoles, derivatives thereof, and combinations thereof.  
   
   
       5 . The gas generant composition of  claim 1  wherein the acidic organic compound is selected from the group consisting of tetrazoles, imidazoles, derivatives thereof, and combinations thereof.  
   
   
       6 . The gas generant composition of  claim 1  wherein the acidic organic compound comprises 5-amino tetrazole.  
   
   
       7 . The gas generant composition of  claim 1  wherein the acidic organic compound comprises bitetrazole dihydrate.  
   
   
       8 . The gas generant composition of  claim 1  wherein the acidic organic compound comprises nitroimidazole.  
   
   
       9 . The gas generant composition of  claim 1  wherein the basic metal nitrate is selected from the group consisting of basic copper, zinc, cobalt, iron, and manganese nitrates, basic transition metal nitrate hydroxy double salts, basic transition metal nitrate layered double hydroxides, and combinations thereof.  
   
   
       10 . The gas generant composition of  claim 1  wherein the basic metal nitrate comprises basic copper nitrate.  
   
   
       11 . The gas generant composition of  claim 1  wherein the substituted basic metal nitrate comprises 2 Cu(OH) 2 .Cu(CH 2 N 5 ) 2 .Cu(NO 3 ) 2 .  
   
   
       12 . The gas generant composition of  claim 1  wherein the substituted basic metal nitrate comprises 2 Cu(OH) 2 .Cu(C 2 N 8 ).Cu(NO 3 ) 2 .  
   
   
       13 . The gas generant composition of  claim 1  wherein the substituted basic metal nitrate comprises 2 Cu(OH) 2 .Cu(C 3 H 2 N 3 O 2 ) 2 .Cu(NO 3 ) 2 .  
   
   
       14 . The gas generant composition of  claim 1  wherein the at least one transition metal complex of diammonium bitetrazole comprises a transition metal selected from the group consisting of copper, zinc, cobalt, iron, nickel and chromium.  
   
   
       15 . The gas generant composition of  claim 14  wherein the at least one transition metal complex of diammonium bitetrazole comprises the transition metal copper.  
   
   
       16 . The gas generant composition of  claim 1  additionally comprising a polymeric binder material effective to render the gas generant composition extrudable.  
   
   
       17 . The gas generant composition of  claim 16  wherein the polymeric binder material is selected from the group of cellulosics, natural gums, polyacrylates, polyacrylamides, polyurethanes, polybutadienes, polystyrenes, polyvinyl alcohols, polyvinyl acetates, silicones and combinations of two or more thereof.  
   
   
       18 . The gas generant composition of  claim 17  wherein the polymeric binder material is a cellulosic material selected from the group consisting of ethyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, hydroxylpropyl cellulose and combinations of two or more thereof.  
   
   
       19 . The gas generant composition of  claim 17  wherein the polymeric binder material is a natural gum selected from the group consisting of guar, xanthan, arabic and combinations of two or more thereof.  
   
   
       20 . The gas generant composition of  claim 16  wherein the composition comprises: 
 about 5 to about 60 composition weight percent of the non-azide, organic, nitrogen-containing fuel;    about 10 to about 60 composition weight percent of a combination of the substituted basic metal nitrate, the at least one transition metal complex of diammonium bitetrazole and, if present, any co-oxidizer; and    about 1 to about 20 composition weight percent of the polymeric binder.    
   
   
       21 . The gas generant composition of  claim 1  additionally comprising a quantity of at least one co-oxidizer.  
   
   
       22 . The gas generant composition of  claim 21  wherein said co-oxidizer is selected from the group consisting of basic copper nitrate, strontium nitrate, basic carbon carbonate, metal oxides and combinations thereof.  
   
   
       23 . The gas generant composition of  claim 21  wherein said co-oxidizer comprises basic copper nitrate.  
   
   
       24 . The gas generant composition of  claim 1  additionally comprising a quantity of perchlorate additive selected from the group consisting of ammonium perchlorate, alkali metal perchlorate or a combination thereof present in an amount effective to result in a gaseous effluent that is substantially free of hydrogen chloride when the gas generant composition is combusted.  
   
   
       25 . The gas generant composition of  claim 24  wherein the composition comprises a quantity of at least one alkali metal perchlorate with a mean particle size in excess of 100 microns, the at least one alkali metal perchlorate being present in a relative amount of about 1 to about 10 composition weight percent and effective to result in a gaseous effluent that is additionally substantially free of carbon monoxide, ammonia, nitrogen dioxide and nitric oxide, when the gas generant composition is combusted.  
   
   
       26 . The gas generant composition of  claim 24  wherein the composition comprises a quantity of ammonium perchlorate and said ammonium perchlorate is present in a relative amount of about 1 to about 10 composition weight percent and with a mean particle size in excess of 100 microns.  
   
   
       27 . A gas generant composition comprising: 
 about 5 to about 60 composition weight percent of guanidine nitrate;    about 10 to about 60 composition weight percent of a combination of basic copper nitrate aminotetrazole adduct, copper diammonium bitetrazole and basic copper nitrate co-oxidizer; and    about 1 to about 20 composition weight percent of a polymeric binder effective to impart sufficient cohesive properties to the gas generant composition whereby the gas generant composition is extrudable.    
   
   
       28 . The gas generant composition of  claim 27  additionally comprising a quantity of perchlorate additive selected from the group consisting of ammonium perchlorate, alkali metal perchlorate or a combination thereof present in an amount effective to result in a gaseous effluent that is substantially free of hydrogen chloride when the gas generant composition is combusted.  
   
   
       29 . The gas generant composition of  claim 27  wherein inclusion of the basic copper nitrate aminotetrazole adduct and the copper diammonium bitetrazole is effective to increase the burn rate and decrease the burn rate pressure sensistivity of the composition as compared to the same gas generant composition without inclusion of the basic copper nitrate aminotetrazole adduct and the copper diammonium bitetrazole.