초록 ▼

High explosives suitable for filling very small volume loading holes in micro-electric initiators for micro-electro-mechanical mechanisms, used as safe and arm devices, are prepared from slurries of crystalline energetic materials and applied using various methods. These methods include swipe loadin

High explosives suitable for filling very small volume loading holes in micro-electric initiators for micro-electro-mechanical mechanisms, used as safe and arm devices, are prepared from slurries of crystalline energetic materials and applied using various methods. These methods include swipe loading, pressure loading and syringe loading. A volatile mobile phase may be added to the slurry so as to partially dissolve the energetic material so that, upon evaporation of the mobile phase, the energetic material precipitates and adheres to the loading hole.

대표청구항 ▼

The invention claimed is: 1. A method for loading crystalline energetic materials into a small volume loading receptacle of a fixture of an explosive device, said method comprising the steps of: preparing a slurry or paste by mixing a crystalline energetic material and a volatile mobile phase mater

The invention claimed is: 1. A method for loading crystalline energetic materials into a small volume loading receptacle of a fixture of an explosive device, said method comprising the steps of: preparing a slurry or paste by mixing a crystalline energetic material and a volatile mobile phase material containing a polymeric binder; and emplacing the slurry or paste containing the crystalline energetic material into the loading receptacle of the explosive device by mechanical displacement of the slurry or paste. 2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the step of preparing the slurry or paste comprises incorporating a polymeric binder into the slurry or paste so as to provide adherence between the crystals of the polycrystalline energetic material and a portion of the fixture forming said receptacle. 3. A method according to claim 2 wherein the binder is an amount that ranges between 0.01 and 10 wt. % of energetic material. 4. A method according to claim 3 wherein the binder is dissolved in the volatile mobile phase material and incorporated into the paste or slurry. 5. A method according to claim 3 wherein the binder is incorporated into the slurry or paste as a latex suspension. 6. A method according to claim 3 wherein the binder is incorporated into the paste or slurry as an emulsion. 7. A method according to claim 1 further comprising incorporating a polymeric binder into the slurry or paste so as to provide adherence between crystals of the polycrystalline energetic material and a portion of the fixture forming said loading hole. 8. A method according to claim 1 wherein the crystalline energetic material comprises CL-20 and wherein a mixture of ethanol and ethyl acetate is used as a liquid for the slurry. 9. A method according to claim 8 wherein the slurry liquid composition is 90:10 to 60:40 volume/volume percent. 10. A method according to claim 1 further comprising adding a polymeric binder into the slurry or paste to enhance the physical strength of the slurry or paste. 11. A method according to claim 1 further comprising adding a plasticizer into the slurry or paste to produce an increase in adhesive strength and flexibility. 12. A method according to claim 1 wherein a binder system is added to the slurry or paste which is selected from the group of polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl alcohol/polyvinyl ester copolymers, polyacrylates casein, polyvinyl alcohol/polyvinyl pyrrolidone copolymers, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, substituted polyvinyl pyrrolidone, ethylene-vinyl alcohol/acetate terpolymers, polyurethanes, styrene-maleic anhydride copolymers, styrene-acrylic copolymers, and epichlorohydrin-based polymers and exetane-based polymers. 13. A method according to claim 12 wherein said epichlorohydrin-based polymers include energetic polymers of GAP and polyGLYN. 14. A method according to claim 12 wherein the oxetane based polymers include polyBAMO, polyAMMO, BAMO-AMMO copolymers, and polyNIMMO. 15. A method according to claim 1 wherein said energetic material is explosive and selected from the group consisting of CL-20, HMX, RDX, TNAZ, PETN, HNS and all crystalline polymorphs. 16. A method according to claim 1 wherein the step of loading the slurry or paste comprises placing the slurry or paste on a blade member and wiping the blade member over the fixture so as to force the slurry or paste into the loading receptacle in the fixture. 17. A method according to claim 1 wherein said step of loading the slurry or paste comprises placing the paste or slurry in a contained space having an outlet orifice therein, and dispensing the paste or slurry through the orifice in the receptacle in the fixture. 18. A method according to claim 16 wherein the step of loading comprises dispensing the paste or slurry in the receptacle using a pipette. 19. A method according to claim 16 wherein the step of loading comprises dispensing the paste and slurry by a syringe having a plunger for forcing paste or slurry through an orifice. 20. A method according to claim 9 wherein the step of loading comprises dispensing the paste or slurry using a pump. 21. A method according to claim 12 wherein said pump comprises a positive displacement pump. 22. A method according to claim 12 wherein said pump comprises a peristaltic pump. 23. A method according to claim 1 further comprising incorporating at least one volatile mobile phase to the paste or slurry so as to partially dissolve the energetic material and polymeric binder system such that, upon evaporation of the at least one mobile phase, the dissolved energetic material precipitates and adheres to a portion of the fixture forming the receptacle. 24. A method according to claim 1 wherein the step of preparing the slurry or paste includes the step of adding a plasticizer to the slurry or paste. 25. A method for loading crystalline energetic material into small volume loading receptacles of fixtures of explosive devices, the method comprising: depositing a small volume of crystalline energetic material including CL-20 into each receptacle by a positive displacement pump, the crystalline energetic being formed into a slurry or paste by adding water and including a volatile mobile phase material containing a polymeric binder of polyvinyl alcohol mixed in with the crystalline energetic material wherein the amount of the binder ranges between 0.01 and 10 wt % of the energetic material to dissolve at least a portion of the energetic material, and the polymeric binder serving to promote adherence between crystals of the crystalline energetic material and a portion of the fixture forming each receptacle by evaporating so the dissolved energetic material precipitates and adheres to the receptacle.