Extrudable gas generant

Abstract

Extrudable gas generant compositions which, upon combustion, produce or result in an improved effluent and related methods for generating inflation gas for use in an inflatable restraint system are provided. Such extrudable gas generant compositions include a non-azide, organic, nitrogen-containing fuel, at least one copper-containing compound, a perchlorate additive and a polymeric binder material. The at least one copper-containing compound may be selected from basic copper nitrate, cupric oxide, a copper dianunine-ammonium-nitrate mixture wherein the ammonium nitrate is present in the mixture in a range of about 3 to about 90 weight percent, and/or a copper-nitrate complex resulting from reaction of 5-aminotetrazole with basic copper nitrate. The perchlorate additive is present in an amount effective to result in a gaseous effluent, when the gas generant composition is combusted, having a reduced content of at least one species selected from carbon monoxide, ammonia, nitrogen dioxide and nitric oxide, as compared to a same gas generant free from the perchlorate additive. The polymeric binder material is effective to render the gas generant composition extrudable.

1 . An extrudable gas generant composition comprising: 
 at least one non-azide, organic, nitrogen-containing fuel;    at least one copper-containing compound selected from the group consisting of basic copper nitrate, cupric oxide, a copper diammine dinitrate-ammonium nitrate mixture wherein ammonium nitrate is present in the mixture in a range of about 3 to about 90 weight percent, copper diammine bitetrazole, a copper-nitrate complex resulting from reaction of 5-aminotetrazole with basic copper nitrate, and combinations thereof;    a perchlorate additive comprising at least one perchlorate material selected from the group consisting of alkali metal perchlorates and ammonium perchlorate, the perchlorate additive present in a relative amount effective to result in a gaseous effluent, when the gas generant composition is combusted, having a reduced content of at least one species selected from the group consisting of carbon monoxide, ammonia, nitrogen dioxide and nitric oxide, as compared to a same gas generant composition free of the perchlorate additive; and    a polymeric binder material effective to render the gas generant composition extrudable.    
     
     
         2 . The extrudable gas generant composition of  claim 1  wherein the polymeric binder material is selected from the group of cellulosic materials, natural gums, polyacrylates, polyacrylamides, polyurethanes, polybutadienes, polystyrenes, polyvinyl alcohols, polyvinyl acetates, silicones and combinations of two or more thereof.  
     
     
         3 . The extrudable gas generant composition of  claim 2  wherein the polymeric binder material is a cellulosic material selected from the group consisting of ethyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose and combinations of two or more thereof.  
     
     
         4 . The extrudable gas generant composition of  claim 2  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.  
     
     
         5 . The extrudable gas generant composition of  claim 1  wherein the polymeric binder material is present in a relative amount of 1 to 20 composition weight percent.  
     
     
         6 . The extrudable gas generant composition of  claim 1  wherein the at least one non-azide, organic, nitrogen-containing fuel comprises guanidine nitrate.  
     
     
         7 . The extrudable gas generant composition of  claim 1  wherein the at least one non-azide, organic, nitrogen-containing fuel is present in a relative amount of 5 to 60 composition weight percent.  
     
     
         8 . The extrudable gas generant composition of  claim 1  wherein the at least one copper-containing compound is present in a relative amount of 10 to 80 composition weight percent.  
     
     
         9 . The extrudable gas generant composition of  claim 1  wherein the perchlorate additive is present in a relative amount of 1 to 10 composition weight percent.  
     
     
         10 . The extrudable gas generant composition of  claim 1  wherein the perchlorate additive is selected from the group consisting of ammonium perchlorate, potassium perchlorate, sodium perchlorate and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         11 . An extrudable gas generant composition comprising: 
 at least one non-azide, organic, nitrogen-containing fuel present in a relative amount of 5 to 60 composition weight percent;    at least one copper-containing compound selected from the group consisting of basic copper nitrate, cupric oxide, copper diammine dinitrate-ammonium nitrate mixture wherein ammonium nitrate is present in the mixture in a range of about 3 to about 90 weight percent, copper diammine bitetrazole, a copper-nitrate complex resulting from reaction of 5-aminotetrazole with basic copper nitrate, and combinations thereof, the at least one copper-containing compound present in a relative amount of 10 to 80 composition weight percent;    a perchlorate additive comprising at least one perchlorate material selected from the group consisting of alkali metal perchlorates and ammonium perchlorate, the perchlorate additive, present in a relative amount of 1 to 10 composition weight percent, effective to result in a gaseous effluent, when the gas generant composition is combusted, having a reduced content of at least one species selected from the group consisting of carbon monoxide, ammonia, nitrogen dioxide and nitric oxide, as compared to a same gas generant composition free of the perchlorate additive; and    a polymeric binder material present in a relative amount of 1 to 20 composition weight percent and effective to render the gas generant composition extrudable, the polymeric binder material selected from the group of cellulosic materials, natural gums, polyacrylates, polyacrylamides, polyurethanes, polybutadienes, polystyrenes, polyvinyl alcohols, polyvinyl acetates, silicones and combinations of two or more thereof.    
     
     
         12 . The extrudable gas generant composition of  claim 11  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.  
     
     
         13 . The extrudable gas generant composition of  claim 11  wherein the polymeric binder material is guar gum.  
     
     
         14 . The extrudable gas generant composition of  claim 11  wherein the at least one non-azide, organic, nitrogen-containing fuel comprises guanidine nitrate.  
     
     
         15 . The extrudable gas generant composition of  claim 11  wherein the perchlorate additive comprises ammonium perchlorate.  
     
     
         16 . The extrudable gas generant composition of  claim 11  wherein the perchlorate additive has a particle size of at least about 200 microns.  
     
     
         17 . The extrudable gas generant composition of  claim 11  wherein the copper-containing compound is a copper-nitrate complex resulting from reaction of 5-aminotetrazole with basic copper nitrate.  
     
     
         18 . The extrudable gas generant composition of  claim 11  wherein the copper-containing compound is a combination of basic copper nitrate and a copper-nitrate complex resulting from reaction of 5-aminotetrazole with basic copper nitrate.  
     
     
         19 . The extrudable gas generant of  claim 11  additionally comprising a metal oxide burn rate enhancing and slag formation additive selected from the group consisting of silicon dioxide, aluminum oxide, zinc oxide, and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         20 . The extrudable gas generant composition of  claim 11  additionally comprising a combustion enhancer selected from the group consisting of iron oxide, copper chromite, Iron Blue pigments, and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         21 . An extrudable gas generant composition comprising: 
 5 to 60 composition weight percent guanidine nitrate;    10 to 80 composition weight percent of a combination of at least one copper-containing compound selected from the group consisting of basic copper nitrate, cupric oxide, a copper diammine dinitrate-ammonium nitrate mixture wherein the ammonium nitrate is present in the mixture in a range of about 3 to about 90 weight percent, copper diammine bitetrazole, a copper-nitrate complex resulting from reaction of 5-aminotetrazole with basic copper nitrate, and combinations thereof;    1 to 10 composition weight percent of a perchlorate additive comprising at least one perchlorate material selected from the group consisting of alkali metal perchlorates and ammonium perchlorate; and    1 to 20 composition weight percent of polymeric binder material effective to render the gas generant composition extrudable, wherein the polymeric binder material is selected from the group consisting of cellulosic materials, natural gums, polyacrylates, polyacrylamides, polyurethanes, polybutadienes, polystyrenes, polyvinyl alcohols, polyvinyl acetates, silicones and combinations of two or more thereof.