Energetic materials

Abstract

The invention is directed to a radiation curable energetic composition, to a method of forming a three-dimensional energetic object, to a three-dimensional energetic object, and to uses of the radiation curable energetic composition. The radiation curable energetic composition of the invention comprises (a) one or more polymerisable components, (b) one or more polymerisation photoinitiators, and (c) one or more energetic components.

1 . A radiation curable energetic composition, comprising
 (a) one or more polymerisable components,   (b) one or more polymerisation photoinitiators, and   (c) one or more energetic components.   
     
     
         2 . The radiation curable energetic composition of  claim 1 , wherein said one or more polymerisable components comprise fuel and oxidiser. 
     
     
         3 . The radiation curable energetic composition of  claim 1 , wherein said polymerisable components comprise (al) one or more free radical polymerisable components, and said polymerisation photoinitiators comprise (bl) one or more polymerisation photoinitiators for free radical polymerisation. 
     
     
         4 . The radiation curable energetic composition of  claim 3 , wherein said free radical polymerisable components comprise one or more components selected from the group consisting of an aliphatic (meth)acrylate, an aromatic (meth)acrylate, a cycloaliphatic (meth)acrylate, an arylaliphatic (meth)acrylate, and a heterocyclic (meth)acrylate. 
     
     
         5 . The radiation curable energetic composition of  claim 1 , wherein said polymerisable components comprise (a2) one or more cationically polymerisable components, and said polymerisation photoinitiators comprise (b2) one or more polymerisation photoinitiators for cationic polymerisation. 
     
     
         6 . The radiation curable energetic composition of  claim 5 , wherein said cationically polymerisable component comprises one or more components selected from the group consisting of cyclic ether compounds, cyclic acetal compounds, cyclic thioether compounds, spiro-orthoester compounds, cyclic lactone compounds, and vinyl ether compounds. 
     
     
         7 . The radiation curable energetic composition of  claim 5 , wherein said cationically polymerisable component comprises one or more components selected from the group consisting of a diglycidyl ether compound, an epoxy compound, and an oxetane compound. 
     
     
         8 . The radiation curable energetic composition of  claim 1 , wherein at least part of said energetic component comprises one or more components selected from the group consisting of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT), cyclo-1,3,5-trimethylene-2,4,6-trinitramine (RDX), cyclotetramethylenetetranitramine (HMX), pentaerythrol tetranitrate (PETN), 3-nitro-1,2,4-triazol-5-one (NTO), nitroglycerine (NG), nitrocellulose (13% N) (NC), ammonium nitrate (AN), ammonium perchlorate (AP), 2,4,6,8,10,12-(hexanitro-hexaaza)tetracyclododecane (CL20 or HNIW), 1,3,3-trinitroazetidine (TNAZ), octanitrocubane (ONC), 1,1-diamino-2,2-dinitroethene (FOX-7), ammonium dinitramide (ADN), 2,2,2-trinitroethylacrylate, 2,2,2-trinitroethylmethacrylate (TNEM), 2,2-dinitropropylacrylate (DNPA), 2-nitroethylacrylate, and pentaerythritoltrinitrate acrylate. 
     
     
         9 . The radiation curable energetic composition of  claim 1 , wherein at least part of said energetic components are polymerisable components. 
     
     
         10 . The radiation curable energetic composition of  claim 1 , wherein at least part of said energetic component is solid. 
     
     
         11 . The radiation curable energetic composition of  claim 10 , wherein said solid energetic component is in the form of particulates having an average particle size as determined by laser diffraction of 0.5-100 μm. 
     
     
         12 . The radiation curable energetic composition of  claim 10 , wherein said solid energetic component is in the form of particulates having an average particle size as determined by laser diffraction of 1-60 μm. 
     
     
         13 . The radiation curable energetic composition of  claim 10 , wherein said solid energetic component is in the form of particulates having an average particle size as determined by laser diffraction of 2-40 μm. 
     
     
         14 . The radiation curable energetic composition of  claim 10 , wherein said solid energetic component is in the form of particulates having an average particle size as determined by laser diffraction of 2-10 μm. 
     
     
         15 . The radiation curable energetic composition of  claim 1 , wherein said at least part of said energetic component is radiation curable. 
     
     
         16 . The radiation curable energetic composition of  claim 1 , further comprising a hydroxy functional component. 
     
     
         17 . The radiation curable energetic composition of  claim 1 , comprising
 5-45% by total weight of the composition of polymerisable components;   0.05-3% by total weight of the composition of polymerisation photoinitiators;   30% or more by total weight of the composition of energetic components; and   0-10% by total weight of the hydroxy functional component.   
     
     
         18 . The radiation curable energetic composition of  claim 1 , comprising
 10-40% by total weight of the composition of polymerisable components;   0.1-2% by total weight of the composition of polymerisation photoinitiators;   40-95% by total weight of the composition of energetic components; and   0.5-8% by total weight of the hydroxy functional component.   
     
     
         19 . The radiation curable energetic composition of  claim 1 , comprising
 15-35% by total weight of the composition of polymerisable components;   0.2-1.5% by total weight of the composition of polymerisation photoinitiators;   45-90% by total weight of the composition of energetic components; and   1-5% by total weight of the hydroxy functional component.   
     
     
         20 . The radiation curable energetic composition of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more dyes and/or pigments. 
     
     
         21 . The radiation curable energetic composition of  claim 20 , wherein the amount of dyes and/or pigments in the radiation curable energetic composition is 0-0.1% by total weight of the composition. 
     
     
         22 . The radiation curable energetic composition of  claim 20 , wherein the amount of dyes and/or pigments in the radiation curable energetic composition is 0.005-0.02% by total weight of the composition. 
     
     
         23 . The radiation curable energetic composition of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more selected from photosensitisers, fillers, stabilisers, antioxidants, wetting agents, defoamers, and surfactants. 
     
     
         24 . A method of forming a three-dimensional energetic object comprising the steps of forming and selectively curing a layer of the radiation curable energetic composition of  claim 1  with actinic radiation and repeating the steps of forming and selectively curing said layer of the radiation curable energetic composition a plurality of times to obtain a three-dimensional energetic object. 
     
     
         25 . A three-dimensional energetic object formed from the radiation curable energetic composition of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         26 . A method of preparing ballistics, pyromechanical devices, fireworks or propellant rockets, said method comprising using a radiation curable energetic composition of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         27 . A ballistic, pyromechanical device, firework or propellant rocket prepared from the radiation curable energetic composition of  claim 1 .