Desensitisation of energetic materials

Abstract

An energetic material comprises an energetic crystalline material substantially coated in an energetic plasticiser material. Advantageously the energetic material comprises from 90 to 99% by weight of an energetic crystalline material and from 1 to 10% by weight of an energetic plasticiser material comprising a plasticiser selected from the group comprising Butane Triol trinitrate (BUN), Trimethylanol ethane trinitrate (TMETN), Diazidonitrazapentane (DANPE), Glycidyl Azide Polymer (Azide Derivative) (GAP Azide), Bis(2,2-dinitropropyl)acetal/bis(2,2-dinitropropyl)formal (BDNPA/F) or mixtures of two or more of these plasticisers. The inventors have found that the combination of just a small quantity of energetic plasticiser material to the energetic crystalline material prior to incorporation into the bulk plasticiser, binder and filler mixture of an explosive or propellant composition has unexpected and advantageous effects.

1 - 10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . An intermediate material for a propellant composition, the intermediate material being in powder form and consisting of from 90 to 99 weight percent of a particulate energetic crystalline material and the remainder of said intermediate material consisting of an energetic plasticiser material, the energetic plasticizer material and only the energetic plasticiser material substantially coating the individual particles of the energetic crystalline material. 
     
     
         12 . An intermediate material as claimed in  claim 11  wherein the amount of energetic plasticiser material is between 1 and 5 weight percent. 
     
     
         13 . An intermediate material as claimed in  claim 11  wherein the amount of energetic plasticiser is between 3 and 5 weight percent. 
     
     
         14 . An intermediate material as claimed in  claim 11  wherein the energetic plasticiser material is selected from a group comprising Butane Triol trinitrate (BTTN), Trimethylanol ethane trinitrate (TMETN), Diazidonitrazapentane (DANPE), Glycidyl Azide Polymer (Azide Derivative) (GAP Azide), Bis(2,2-dinitropropyl)acetal/bis(2,2-dinitropropyl(formal (BDNPA/F), and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         15 . An intermediate material as claimed in  claim 11  wherein the energetic material is hexanitrohexaazaisowurtizane. 
     
     
         16 . A propellant composition made from intermediate material as claimed in  claim 11 . 
     
     
         17 . A propellant composition as claimed in  claim 16  which, in addition to the intermediate material, also comprises a binder. 
     
     
         18 . A propellant composition as claimed in  claim 16  wherein the proportion of intermediate material is from 10% to 100% and the binder is from 90% to 0%. 
     
     
         19 . A propellant composition as claimed in  claim 16  wherein the binder is an energetic binder. 
     
     
         20 . A propellant composition as claimed in  claim 19  wherein the binder is selected from the group consisting of poly(3-nitratomethyl-3-methyloxetane) (PolyNIMMO), polyglycidyl nitrate (PolyGLYN), and glycidyl azide polymer (GAP). 
     
     
         21 . An intermediate material for an energetic material, the intermediate material being in powder form and consisting of from 90 to 99 weight percent of a particulate energetic crystalline material and the remainder of said intermediate material consisting of an energetic plasticiser material, the energetic plasticizer material and only the energetic plasticiser material substantially coating the individual particles of the energetic crystalline material. 
     
     
         22 . An intermediate material as claimed in  claim 21  wherein the amount of energetic plasticiser material is between 1 and 5 weight percent. 
     
     
         23 . An intermediate material as claimed in  claim 21  wherein the amount of energetic plasticiser is between 3 and 5 weight percent. 
     
     
         24 . An intermediate material as claimed in  claim 21  wherein the energetic plasticiser material is selected from a group comprising Butane Triol trinitrate (BTTN), Trimethylanol ethane trinitrate (TMETN), Diazidonitrazapentane (DANPE), Glycidyl Azide Polymer (Azide Derivative) (GAP Azide), Bis(2,2-dinitropropyl)acetal/bis(2,2-dinitropropyl(formal (BDNPA/F), and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         25 . An intermediate material as claimed in  claim 21  wherein the energetic material is hexanitrohexaazaisowurtizane. 
     
     
         26 . An energetic material made from intermediate material as claimed in  claim 21 . 
     
     
         27 . An energetic material as claimed in  claim 26  which, in addition to the intermediate material, also comprises a binder. 
     
     
         28 . An energetic material as claimed in  claim 26  wherein the proportion of intermediate material is from 10% to 100% and the binder is from 90% to 0%. 
     
     
         29 . An energetic material as claimed in  claim 26  wherein the binder is an energetic binder. 
     
     
         30 . An energetic material as claimed in  claim 29  wherein the binder is selected from the group consisting of poly(3-nitratomethyl-3-methyloxetane) (PolyNIMMO), polyglycidyl nitrate (PolyGLYN), and glycidyl azide polymer (GAP).