Propellant burning rate catalyst and method of propulsion

Claim 2

AN IMPROVED SOLID COMPOSITE TYPE PROPELLANT COMPOSITION COMPRISING: AS A BASE PROPELLANT, A MAJOR AMOUNT OF A SOLID INORGANIC OXIDIZING SALT AS AN OXIDIZER COMPONENT AND A MINOR AMOUNT OF A SUITABLE BINDER COMPONENT COMPRISED OF A MATERIAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF NATURAL RUBBER, SYNTHETIC RUBBER, COPOLYMERS OF A CONJUGATED DIENE CONTAINING FROM 4 TO 10 CARBON ATOMS PER MOLECULE WITH A POLYMERIZABLE HETEROCYCLIC NITROGEN BASE, COPOLYMERS OF A CONJUGATED DIENE CONTAINING FROM 4 TO 10 CARBON ATOMS PER MOLECULE WITH STRYRENE ASPHALT, PITCH, MIXTURES OF ASPHALT AND NATURAL RUBBER, MIXTURES OF ASPHALT AND SYNTHETIC RUBBER, MIXTURES OF PITCH AND NATURAL RUBBER, MIXTURES OF PITCH AND SYNTHETIC RUBBER, EPOXY RESINS, POLYBUTADIENE, POLYBUTENE, POLYISOBUTYLENE, HYDROGENATED POLYBUTADIENE, NATURAL WAXES, SYNTHETIC WAXES, POLYETHYLENES, POLYSULFIDE RUBBERS, ARCYLIC RESINS, POLYVINYL RESINS, AND NITRO POLYMERS; AND FROM ABOUT 0.25 TO ABOUT 12 PARTS BY WEIGHT PER 100 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF SAID BASE PROPELLANT OF A BURNING RATE CATALYST CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF A COMPLEX OF A PYRIDINE CONTAINING COPPER AND HEXAVALENT CHROMIUM AND SELECTED FROM THE GROUP OF COMPOUNDS CHARACTERIZED BY THE FORMULA

Claim 3

A propellant composition according to claim 1 wherein said burning rate catalyst is tetrapyridine copper II dichromate.

Claim 4

A propellant composition according to claim 1 wherein said burning rate catalyst is tetra-(2-methylpyridine) copper II dichromate.

Claim 5

A propellant composition according to claim 1 wherein said burning rate catalyst is tetra-(2,6-dimethylpyridine) copper II dichromate.

Claim 6

A propellant composition according to claim 1 wherein said burning rate catalyst is tetra-(2-methyl-5-vinylpyridine) copper II dichromate.

Claim 7

A propellant composition according to claim 1 wherein said burning rate catalyst is tetra-(3,4,6-trimethylpyridine) copper II dichromate.

Claim 8

A propellant composition according to claim 1 wherein said burning rate catalyst is di-(2-(2-pyridyl)pyridine) copper II dichromate.

Claim 9

A propellant composition according to claim 1 wherein said burning rate catalyst is di-(3-(3-pyridyl)pyridine) copper II dichromate.

Claim 10

A propellant composition according to claim 1 wherein said burning rate catalyst is di-(4-(4-pyridyl)pyridine) copPer II dichromate.

Claim 11

In the method of developing thrust wherein a solid propellant charge contained in a combustion chamber of a rocket motor is ignited and then burned with the evolution of combustion gases which are exhausted from said combustion chamber, the step which comprises burning in said combustion chamber a propellant charge comprising: as a base propellant, a major amount of a solid inorganic oxidizing salt as an oxidizer component and a minor amount of a suitable binder component comprised of a material selected from the group consisting of natural rubber, synthetic rubber, copolymers of a conjugated diene containing from four to 10 carbon atoms per molecule with a polymerizable heterocyclic nitrogen base, copolymers of a conjugated diene containing from four to 10 carbon atoms per molecule with styrene, asphalt, pitch, mixtures of asphalt and natural rubber, mixtures of asphalt and synthetic rubber, mixtures of pitch and natural rubber, mixtures of pitch and synthetic rubber, epoxy resins, polybutadiene, polybutene, polyisobutylene, hydrogenated polybutadiene, natural waxes, synthetic waxes, polyethylenes, polysulfide rubbers, acrylic resins, polyvinyl resins, and nitro polymers; and from about 0.25 to about 12 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of said base propellant of a burning rate catalyst consisting essentially of a complex of a pyridine containing copper and hexavalent chromium and selected from the group of compounds characterized by the formula

Claim 12

In the method of developing thrust wherein a solid propellant charge contained in a combustion chamber of a rocket motor is ignited and then burned with the evolution of combustion gases which are exhausted from said combustion chamber, the step which comprises burning in said combustion chamber a propellant charge comprising: as a base propellant, a major amount of a solid inorganic oxidizing salt as an oxidizer component and a minor amount of a suitable binder component comprised of a material selected from the group consisting of natural rubber, synthetic rubber, copolymers of a conjugated diene containing from four to 10 carbon atoms per molecule with a polymerizable heterocyclic nitrogen base, copolymers of a conjugated diene containing from four to 10 carbon atoms per molecule with styrene, asphalt, pitch, mixtures of asphalt and natural rubber, mixtures of asphalt and synthetic rubber, mixtures of pitch and natural rubber, mixtures of pitch and synthetic rubber, epoxy resins, polybutadiene, polybutene, polyisobutylene, hydrogenated polybutadiene, natural waxes, synthetic waxes, polyethylenes, polysulfide rubbers, acrylic resins, polyvinyl resins, and nitro polymers; and from about 0.25 to about 12 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of said base propellant of a burning rate catalyst consisting essentially of a complex of a pyridine containing copper and hexavalent chromium and selected from the group of compounds characterized by the formula

Claim 13

A method according to claim 10 wherein said burning rate catalyst is tetrapyridine copper II dichromate.

Claim 14

A method according to claim 10 wherein said burning rate catalyst is tetra-(2-methylpyridine) copper II dichromate.

Claim 15

A method according to claim 10 wherein said burning rate catalyst is tetra-(2,6-dimethylpyridine) copper II dichromate.

Claim 16

A method according to claim 10 wherein said burning rate catalyst is tetra-(2-methyl-5-vinylpyridine) copper II dichromate.

Claim 17

A method according to claim 10 wherein said burning rate catalyst is tetra-(3,4,6-trimethylpyridine) copper II dichromate.

Claim 18

A method according to claim 10 wherein said burning rate catalyst is di(2-(2-pyridyl)pyridine) copper II dichromate.

Claim 19

A method according to claim 10 wherein said burning rate catalyst is di(3-(3-pyridyl)pyridine) copper II dichromate.

Claim 20

A method according to claim 10 wherein said burning rate catalyst is di-(4-(4-pyridyl)pyridine) copper II dichromate.