Highly-Filled, High-Viscosity Paste Charge, And Method And Device For Production Thereof

Abstract

A highly-filled paste, and a method and device of de-aerating and injecting the paste, the paste including: (a) a solid filler; (b) an organic binder, and (c) a residual gas, wherein the paste contains at least 80 volume-% of the solid filler and has a viscosity exceeding 100 kilopascal·seconds, wherein the filler, binder, and residual gas are intimately mixed so as to form a substantially homogeneous paste, and wherein a composition of the solid filler, binder, and residual gas is selected such that the homogeneous paste has: an average density greater than 98.5% of a Theoretical Maximum Density (TMD).

1 . A high-viscosity, substantially homogeneous paste comprising:
 a residual gas,   wherein the paste has a viscosity exceeding 100 kilopascal·seconds and an average density greater than 98.5% of a Theoretical Maximum Density (TMD).   
     
     
         2 . The paste of  claim 34 , wherein composition of said solid filler, said binder, and said residual gas is further selected such that said homogeneous paste has a ratio of a local density to said average density, wherein said ratio is restricted within a range of 0.990 to 1.010, throughout said paste. 
     
     
         3 . The paste of  claim 2 , wherein said solid filler includes an explosive compound. 
     
     
         4 . The paste of  claim 3 , wherein a content of said residual gas is restricted such that said density is greater than 99.0% of said TMD. 
     
     
         5 . The paste of  claim 3 , wherein a content of said residual gas is restricted such that said density is greater than 99.2% of said TMD. 
     
     
         6 . The paste of  claim 3 , wherein said ratio is restricted within a range of 0.995 to 1.005, throughout said paste. 
     
     
         7 . The paste of  claim 3 , wherein said ratio is restricted within a range of 0.997 to 1.003, throughout said paste. 
     
     
         8 . The paste of  claim 3 , wherein said composition is selected such that said viscosity exceeds 200 kilopascal·seconds, and wherein a content of said residual gas is restricted such that said density is greater than 99.0% of said TMD. 
     
     
         9 . The past of  claim 8 , wherein said composition is selected such that said viscosity exceeds 1000 kilopascal·seconds. 
     
     
         10 . The paste of  claim 9 , wherein said ratio is restricted within a range of 0.995 to 1.005, throughout said paste. 
     
     
         11 . The paste of  claim 3 , wherein said explosive compound includes RDX. 
     
     
         12 . The paste of  claim 3 , wherein said explosive compound includes HMX. 
     
     
         13 . The paste of  claim 1 , wherein a content of said residual gas is restricted such that said density is greater than 99.5% of said TMD. 
     
     
         14 . The paste of  claim 3 , wherein a content of said residual gas is restricted such that said density is greater than 99.7% of said TMD. 
     
     
         15 . The paste of  claim 3 , wherein the paste contains at least 82 volume-% of said solid filler. 
     
     
         16 . The paste of  claim 3 , wherein the paste contains at least 84 volume-% of said solid filler. 
     
     
         17 . The paste of  claim 3 , wherein the paste contains at least 86 volume-% of said solid filler. 
     
     
         18 . The paste of  claim 3 , wherein the paste contains at least  82  volume-% of said solid filler, wherein a content of said residual gas is restricted such that said density is greater than 99.5% of said TMD, and wherein said ratio is restricted within a range of 0.995 to 1.005, throughout said paste. 
     
     
         19 . A method of de-aerating a high-viscosity paste, the method comprising the steps of:
 (a) providing a device including:
 (i) a chamber having a feed opening for receiving a paste feed material, said feed material having a viscosity exceeding 100 kilopascal·seconds; 
 (ii) an urging mechanism for urging said feed material within a specified path within said chamber, and 
 (iii) a splitting element disposed within said path of said mechanism; 
   (b) urging the high-viscosity paste towards said splitting element, using said mechanism, so as to split said feed material into a plurality of paste streams, thereby increasing a surface area of said feed material by a factor of at least 200, and   (c) de-aerating said plurality of paste streams to produce a de-aerated, high-viscosity paste.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein said surface area is increased by a factor of at least 1000. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein said surface area is increased by a factor of at least 2500. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein said surface area is increased by a factor of at least 5000. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein said de-aerated high-viscosity paste includes:
 (i) an explosive solid filler;   (ii) a binder, and (iii) a residual gas,   wherein said de-aerated high-viscosity paste contains at least 80 volume% of said solid filler, and wherein said de-aerated high-viscosity paste has an average density greater than 98.5% of a Theoretical Maximum Density (TMD).   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein a viscosity of said feed material exceeds 200 kilopascal-seconds. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein a viscosity of said feed material exceeds 500 kilopascal-seconds. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein said de-aerated high-viscosity paste has an average density greater than 99.0% of a Theoretical Maximum Density (TMD). 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein said de-aerated high-viscosity paste has an average density greater than 99.5% of a Theoretical Maximum Density (TMD). 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein said de-aerated high-viscosity paste has a ratio of a local density to said average density, said ratio maintained within a range of 0.990 to 1.010, throughout said paste. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein said urging is performed by a pressure created by said urging mechanism, said pressure exceeding 30 atmospheres (absolute). 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising the steps of:
 (d) attaching said device to a loading apparatus containing a chargeless shaped-charge munition, and   (e) performing a high-pressure injection said de-aerated, high-viscosity paste, said high-pressure injection taking place at a pressure of at least 20 atmospheres (absolute), from said device into said hollow-charge munition.   
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , further comprising the step of:
 (f) applying a vacuum to a volume of said munition so as to de-aerate said volume.   
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 30 , further comprising the step of:
 (f) supporting a liner of said munition during said high-pressure injection.   
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein said shaped-charge munition is a hollow-charge munition, the method further comprising the step of:
 (f) securely fixing in place a wave shaper of said hollow charge munition during said high-pressure injection.   
     
     
         34 . The paste of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 (b) a solid filler; and   (c) a binder;   wherein the paste contains at least 80 volume % of said solid filler, wherein said solid filler, said binder and said residual gas are intimately mixed so as to form the substantially homogeneous paste, and wherein a composition of said solid filler, said binder and said residual gas is selected such that the paste has said average density greater than 98.5% of said TMD.   
     
     
         35 . The paste of  claim 34 , wherein said binder is an organic binder.