New missile fuel compositions containing halogens and method of propulsion

Claim 1

A HIGH ENERGY FUEL COMPOSITION CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF A SYSTEM OF REACTANTS ADAPTED TO UNDERGO RAPID COMBUSTION, SAID SYSTEM HAVING AS IT PREDOMINANT EXOTHERMAL REACTANTS METAL AS FUEL ELEMENT AND FLUORINE AS OXIDIZING ELEMENT, SAID SYSTEM CHARACTERIZED IN THAT SAID OXIDIZING ELEMENT PRIOR TO COMBUSTION OF THE SYSTEM IS PRESENT IN THE SYSTEM AS MATERIAL SELECTED FROM CLASS (I) AS HEREINAFTER DEFINED, AND IN THAT SAID FUEL ELEMENT PRIOR TO COMBUSTION OF THE SYSTEM IS PRESENT IN THE SUSTEM AS MATERIAL SELECTED FROM CLASS (II) AS HEREINAFTER DEFINED WITH THE LIMITATION THAT AT LEAST THE PREDOMINANT PORTION OF SAID OXIDIZING ELEMENT IS MADE UP OF MATERIAL SELECTED FROM GROUP I(B) AND IN THAT THE HALOGEN CONTENT AND METAL CONTENT OF SAID PREDOMINANT REACTANTS ARE PRESENT IN THE SYSTEM IN APPROXIMATELY STOICHIOMETRIC PROPORTIONS TO FORM METAL HALIDE; SAID CLASS (I) CONSISTING OF GROUP I(A) FLUORINE ITSELF, THE COMPOUNDS OF FLUORINE WITH OTHER HALOGENS, THE OXYGEN COMPOUNDS OF THE FOREGOING, THE NITROGEN COMPONDS OF THE FOREGOING, AND MIXTURES OF THE FOREGOING; GROUP I(B) THE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS OF FLUORINE CONSISTING PRINCIPALLY OF LUORINE AND CARBON, AND MIXTURES THEREOF; AND GROUP I(C) MIXTURES OF MATERIALS SELECTED FROM GROUP I(A) WITH MATERIAL SELECTED FROM GROUP I(B); AND SAID CLASS (II) CONSISTING OF GROUP II(A) THE METALS, AND MIXTURES AND ALLOYS THEREOF IN ATTENUATED FORM; GROUP II(B) THE ORGANO-METALLIC-COMPOUNDS AND MIXTURES THEREOF; GROUP II(C) THE METAL HYDRIDES AND METAL-NITROGEN COMPOUNDS AND MIXTURES THEREOF; AND GROUP II(D) MIXTURES OF AT LEAST TWO MATERIALS SELECTED FROM DIFFERENT ONES OF SAID GROUPS II(A), II(B) AND II(C); SAID SYSTEM FURTHER CHARACTERIZED IN THAT AT LEAST A SUBSTANTIAL PART OF SAID FUEL ELEMENT IS SELECTED FROM SAID GROUP II(A) AND AT LEAST A FURTHER SUBSTANTIAL PART OF SAID FUEL ELEMENT IS SELECTED FROM SAID GROUP II(B).