Decoppering agent

Abstract

A decoppering agent for incorporating into a propellant to remove copper from the rifling of the internal bore of a gun barrel. The decoppering agent comprises a lead-free pulverized additive mixed together with the other propellant compounds and comprises a mixture of tin and bismuth.

1 . A decoppering agent for a propellant, 
 which comprises a lead free pulverized additive of a mixture of tin and bismuth compounds for effectively removing copper deposits from a gun barrel, wherein the bismuth compounds are selected from the group consisting of metallic bismuth, bismuth alloys and bismuth compounds and the tin compounds are selected from the group consisting of metallic tin, tin alloys, and tin compounds;    wherein the ratio between the tin and the bismuth is between 10-62% Sn and 90-38% Bi.    
   
   
       2 . The decoppering agent of  claim 1 , 
 wherein the mixture contains 42% Sn and 58% Bi.    
   
   
       3 . A propellant composition comprising the decoppering agent of  claim 1 .  
   
   
       4 . A propellant composition comprising the decoppering agent of  claim 2 .  
   
   
       5 . The propellant composition of  claim 4 , 
 wherein the decoppering agent is distributed homogenously in the propellant.    
   
   
       6 . The propellant composition of  claim 3 , wherein the decoppering agent is distributed homogenously in the propellant.