Method of manufacturing solid propellants having a polymeric fuel-binder using a plurality of crosslinking agents

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF SOLID PROPELLENT GRAINS COMPRISING PREPARING A MIXTURE OF UP TO ABOUT 88% OF A PARTICULATE ORGANIC OXIDIZER WITH BETWEEN ABOUT 12% AND ABOUT 30% OF A LIQUID ORGANIC POLYMER SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF POLYESTERS, POLYETHERS, POLYAMIDES, POLYURETHANES AND COPOLYMERS OF CARBOXYLIC ACIDS AND OLEFINS, A FIRST CROSS-LINKING AGENT BEING PRESENT IN AMOUNTS BETWEEN ABOUT 1% AND ABOUT 15% BASE ON THE WEIGHT OF THE POLYMER AND OPERATIVE AT MIXING TEMPERATURE, AND A SECOND CROSS-LINKING AGENT BEING PRESENT IN AMOUNTS BETWEEN ABOUT 2% AND ABOUT 10% BASED ON THE WEIGHT OF THE POLYMER AND OPERATIVE ONLY AT TEMPERATURES ABOVE THE MIXING TEMPERATURE, SAID CROSS-LINKING AGENTS BEING SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF EPOXIDES AND POLYHYDRIC ALCOHOLS, CONTINUING THE MIXING UNTIL THE DISPERSION OF THE OXIDIZER IN THE POLYMER IS SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM AND THE REACTION BETWEEN THE POLYMER AND THE FIRST CROSS-LINKING AGENT IS SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETE, PLACING THE MIXTURE IN A MOLD AND HEATING THE MIXTURE UNTIL THE REACTION BETWEEN THE POLYMER AND THE SECOND CROSS-LINKING AGENT IS SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETE RESULTING IN SOLIDIFICATION OF THE MIXTURE.