Ignition compositions, and preparations and uses thereof

Abstract

An ignition composition comprising a low electron affinity material, an oxidizer and a binder. The ignition composition may be made by A1) preparing a coagulation composition by a shock-gel process using the ingredients of the ignition composition disclosed herein, which comprises: A1-a) dissolving the binder in a low-boiling-point polar solvent to provide a binder solution; A1-b) mixing the low electron affinity material and the oxidizer with the binder solution; and A1-c) adding a low-boiling-point non-polar solvent to the mixture provided by step I-b) to precipitate the binder and form the coagulation composition; and A2) converting the coagulation composition into granular composition using a suitable method.

I/we claim: 
     
         1 . An ignition composition comprising a low electron affinity material, an oxidizer and a binder. 
     
     
         2 . The ignition composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the low electron affinity material is selected from the group consisting of boron (B), magnesium (Mg), zirconium (Zr), tungsten (W), tantalum (Ta), aluminum (Al), iron (Fe), and manganese (Mn). 
     
     
         3 . The ignition composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the oxidizer is selected from the group consisting of nitrates, perchlorates, and oxides. 
     
     
         4 . The ignition composition according to  claim 3 , wherein the oxidizer is selected from the group consisting of barium nitrate, calcium nitrate, ammonium perchlorate, and CuO. 
     
     
         5 . The ignition composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the binder is selected from the group consisting of Fluorel, acrylic rubbers, Hytemps, Kraton rubbers, and any combinations thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The ignition composition according to  claim 1 , further comprising additives selected from the group consisting of antioxidants, moisture scavengers, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The ignition composition according to  claim 6 , wherein the ignition composition comprises antioxidant of about 0.1% to about 0.15% by weight. 
     
     
         8 . The ignition composition according to  claim 6 , wherein the antioxidant is A02246 (2,2′-Methylenebis(4-methyl-6-tert-butylphenol). 
     
     
         9 . The ignition composition according to  claim 6 , wherein the moisture scavenger is molecular sieves. 
     
     
         10 . The ignition composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the electron affinity of the ignition composition is less than 1 eV. 
     
     
         11 . A method of making the ignition composition according to  claim 1 , comprising:
 A 1 ) preparing a coagulation composition by a shock-gel process using the ingredients of the ignition composition disclosed herein, which comprises:   A 1 -a) dissolving the binder in a low-boiling-point polar solvent to provide a binder solution;   A 1 -b) mixing the low electron affinity material and the oxidizer with the binder solution; and   A 1 -c) adding a low-boiling-point non-polar solvent to the mixture provided by step I-b) to precipitate the binder and form the coagulation composition; and   A 2 ) converting the coagulation composition into granular composition using a suitable method.   
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein the low-boiling-point polar solvent is a ketone or a mixture of multiple ketones. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein the low-boiling-point nonpolar solvent is a saturated hydrocarbon or a mixture of multiple saturated hydrocarbons. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to any of  claim 11 , wherein the ratio of polar solvent and the non-polar solvent is about 1:3. 
     
     
         15 . A method of preparing the ignition composition according to  claim 1  using a static mixer, comprising the following steps:
 B 1 ) introducing a first stream of binder/polar solvent/low electron affinity material/oxidizer mixture to the static mixer; 
 B 2 ) intersecting the first stream in step B 1 ) with a second stream of non-polar solvent in the static mixer; and 
 B 3 ) forming granules of the ignition compositions through the turbulence of the static mixer. 
 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the low-boiling-point polar solvent is a ketone or a mixture of multiple ketones. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the low-boiling-point nonpolar solvent is a saturated hydrocarbon or a mixture of multiple saturated hydrocarbons. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the ratio of polar solvent and the non-polar solvent is about 1:3. 
     
     
         19 . A method of preparing the ignition composition according to  claim 1 , comprising the following steps:
 C 1 ) mixing all ingredients of the ignition composition using a mixer; and   C 2 ) granulating the mixture obtained from step C 1 .   
     
     
         20 . A method of using the ignition composition according to  claim 1  for decoy countermeasures, comprising discharging a decoy composition comprising the ignition composition. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the ignition composition is used with one or more other ballistic missile decoy mechanisms. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the one or more other ballistic missile decoy mechanisms are selected from the group consisting of chaff, decoy balloons, warhead simulators and electronic countermeasures.