Process for production of nitrocellulose propellants

Claim 1

THE PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF PROPELLENT GRAINS WHICH COMPRISES: (A) FORMING A SUBSTANTIALLY BUBBLE-FREE MIXTURE OF (1) A SOLID COMPONENT COMPRISING NITROCELLULOSE AND (2) A LIQUID COMPONENT COMPRISING AT LEAST ONE PLASTICIZER FOR SAID NITROCELLULOSE, SAID PLASTICIZER BEING SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF AT LEAST ONE EXPLOSIVE PLASTICIZER, AT LEAST ONE NONEXPOLSIVE PLASTICIZER AND MIXTURES THEREOF, SAID EXPLOSIVE PLASTICIZER BEING SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF NITRIC ESTERS OF GLYCERIN, NITRIC ESTERS OF GLYCOL, THEIR POLYMERS AND COPOLYMERS AND SAID NONEXPOLOSIVE PLASTICIZER BEING SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISITNG OF THE LOWER ALKYL TARTRATES, THE LOWER ALKYL CITRATES, THE LOWER ALKYL PHTHALATES, THE ALOWER ALKYL LEVULINATES, CYCLIC KETONES, N-ALKYL AMIDES OF FATTY ACIDS AND GLYCERYL ESTERS OF FATTY ACIDS WHERE, IN SAID MIXTURES, THE RATIO OF EXPLOSIVE PLASTICIZER TO NONEXPOLOSIVE PLASTICIZER IF FROM ABOUT 60:40 TO ABOUT 80:20, SAID SOLID COMPONENT BEING CAPABLE OF ABSORBING A SUBSTANTIAL PROPORTION OF SAID LIQUID COMPONENT, THE SOLID-LIQUID RATIO OF THE MIXTURE BEING SUCH THAT THE MIXTURE CONTAINS NOT LESS THAN ABOUT 35 WEIGHT PERCENT SOLID COMPONENT AND NOT MORE THAN ABOUT 65 WEIGHT PERCENT LIQUID COMPONENT, SAID MIXTURE BEING FORMED AT A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 40*C., AND (B) FORMING SAID MIXTURE INTO A PROPELLANT GRAIN BY CURING THE MIXTURE IN A MOPLD AT ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE AND AT A TEMPERATURE AND FOR A TIME SUFFICIENT TO ACCOMPLISH SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETE SORPTION OF SAID LIQUID COMPONENT BY SAID SOLID COMPONENT.