Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
120 words
A process for producing particulate ammonium nitrate for use as an oxidizer in solid propellants or explosives, wherein a solid mixture of ammonium nitrate and at least one additive for effecting phase stabilization is melted and reacted, said additive being selected from the group consisting of copper oxide, nickel oxide and mixtures thereof; the melt is atomized to form melt particles; and the melt particles are solidified in a cooling gas stream; said process being further characterized by successively producing the melt in several small batches, said batches being housed in a spatially separated arrangement; supplying the melt of each batch to a common spraying vessel; atomizing the melt; and cyclically supplying the mixture to each of the several batches.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
120 words
A process for producing particulate ammonium nitrate for use as an oxidizer in solid propellants or explosives, wherein a solid mixture of ammonium nitrate and at least one additive for effecting phase stabilization is melted and reacted, said additive being selected from the group consisting of copper oxide, nickel oxide and mixtures thereof; the melt is atomized to form melt particles; and the melt particles are solidified in a cooling gas stream; said process being further characterized by successively producing the melt in several small batches, said batches being housed in a spatially separated arrangement; supplying the melt of each batch to a common spraying vessel; atomizing the melt; and cyclically supplying the mixture to each of the several batches.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
114 words
A process for producing particulate ammonium nitrate for use as the oxidizer in solid propellants or explosives, which comprises forming a mixture of solid ammonium nitrate, at least one additive for phase stabilization a metal (Cu, Ni) -amine complex, melting the mixture to form a melt; atomizing the melt to produce melt particles; and solidifying the melt particles in a cooling gas stream; in a preliminary stage prior to melting the mixture, producing the metal (Ni, Cu)-ammine complex separately in an aqueous phase, drying the complex and mixing the dried complex with a solid ammonium nitrate and with an additive selected from the group consisting of nickel nitrate, copper nitrate or a mixture thereof.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
114 words
A process for producing particulate ammonium nitrate for use as the oxidizer in solid propellants or explosives, which comprises forming a mixture of solid ammonium nitrate, at least one additive for phase stabilization a metal (Cu, Ni) -amine complex, melting the mixture to form a melt; atomizing the melt to produce melt particles; and solidifying the melt particles in a cooling gas stream; in a preliminary stage prior to melting the mixture, producing the metal (Ni, Cu)-ammine complex separately in an aqueous phase, drying the complex and mixing the dried complex with a solid ammonium nitrate and with an additive selected from the group consisting of nickel nitrate, copper nitrate or a mixture thereof.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
50 words
A process according to claim 2, wherein the content of at least one of nickel and copper or the metal/ammine complex content of the end product is so adjusted by the mixing ratio of ammonium nitrate, metal nitrate and metal/ammine complex that the final content is between 1 and 5%.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
33 words
A process according to claim 2, wherein the mixture of metal complex, nickel nitrate and pure ammonium nitrate is continuously dosed into the metal in proportion to the quantity drawn off for atomization.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
48 words
A process according to one of claims 2 to 4, further comprising producing the mixture of metal complex, nickel nitrate and ammonium nitrate in several small batches, said batches being housed in a spatially separate arrangement and atomizing the melt of each batch individually or in continuous sequence.