Propellant with extended storage life
A propellant includes a binder system that has a polybutadiene component, a polytetrahydrofuran component, and an anti-oxidant component. In an example, the propellant includes a solid oxidizer, a solid fuel, and a binder system that holds the solid oxidizer and the solid fuel together. The binder system includes a polybutadiene component, a hydrocarbon diluent component of a higher level of saturation than the polybutadiene component, and an anti-oxidant component.
1. A propellant comprising a binder system that has a polybutadiene component, a polytetrahydrofuran component which is either hydroxyl-terminated or non hydroxy-terminated, and an anti-oxidant component, the polytetrahydrofuran component having a polytetrahydrofuran molecular weight and the polybutadiene component have a polybutadiene molecular weight, and the polytetrahydrofuran molecular weight is within +/−100% of the polybutadiene molecular weight.
2. The propellant as recited in claim 1 , wherein the anti-oxidant includes triphenyl phosphine.
3. The propellant as recited in claim 1 , wherein the anti-oxidant includes a thioester.
4. The propellant as recited in claim 1 , wherein the anti-oxidant includes a Tris-(2,4-di-t-butylphenyl) phosphite.
5. The propellant as recited in claim 1 , wherein the anti-oxidant includes a 2,2,4-tirmehtyl-1,2-dihydroquinoline.
6. The propellant as recited in claim 1 , wherein the anti-oxidant is a phosphite.
7. The propellant as recited in claim 1 , wherein the anti-oxidant is a phosphane.
8. The propellant as recited in claim 1 , wherein the anti-oxidant is a hindered phenol.
9. The propellant as recited in claim 1 , wherein the anti-oxidant is a diphenyl amine.
10. The propellant as recited in claim 1 , wherein the anti-oxidant is a benzimadazole.
11. The propellant as recited in claim 1 , wherein the polybutadiene component is hydroxyl-terminating.
12. The propellant of claim 1 , wherein the anti-oxidant is a phosphite, the polytetrahydrofuran molecular weight is between approximately 650 and 1500, and the polybutadiene component is hydroxyl-terminating.
13. The propellant of claim 1 , wherein the polytetrahydrofuran component is a polytetramethylether glycol.
14. The propellant of claim 1 , wherein propellant binder has approximately 25%-100% concentration of the polytetrahydrofuran component as the pre-polymer.
15. The propellant as recited in claim 1 , wherein the polytetrahydrofuran molecular weight is 250-3000 grams/mol.
16. A propellant comprising:
a solid oxidizer;
a solid fuel; and
a binder system holding the solid oxidizer and the solid fuel together, the binder system including a polybutadiene component, a hydrocarbon diluent component of a higher level of saturation than the polybutadiene component, and an anti-oxidant component, the hydrocarbon diluent component having a diluent molecular weight and the polybutadiene component having a polybutadiene molecular weight, and the diluent molecular weight with within +/−100% of the polybutadiene molecular weight.
17. The propellant as recited in claim 16 , wherein the hydrocarbon diluent component is either hydroxyl-terminated or non hydroxyl-terminated and is selected from the group consisting of polytetrahydrofuran, hydrogenated-polybutadiene, hydrogenated-polyisoprene, polypropylene, saturated or near-saturated hydrocarbon resin and combinations thereof.
18. The propellant as recited in claim 16 , wherein the hydrocarbon diluent component includes polytetrahydrofuran.
19. The propellant as recited in claim 16 , wherein the hydrocarbon diluent component includes hydrogenated-polybutadiene.
20. The propellant as recited in claim 16 , wherein the hydrocarbon diluent component includes hydrogenated-polyisoprene.
21. The propellant as recited in claim 16 , wherein the hydrocarbon diluent component includes polypropylene.
22. The propellant as recited in claim 16 , wherein the hydrocarbon diluent component includes a saturated hydrocarbon resin.
23. The propellant as recited in claim 16 , wherein the propellant includes, by weight, 5-20% of the binder system.
24. The propellant as recited in claim 16 , wherein the binder system includes, by weight, 1% of the anti-oxidant component.
25. The propellant as recited in claim 16 , wherein the binder system includes a ratio, by weight, of the amount of polybutadiene component to the amount of hydrocarbon diluent component that is from 0/100 to 75/25.
26. The propellant as recited in claim 16 , wherein the hydrocarbon diluent component includes a saturated linear hydrocarbon.
27. The propellant as recited in claim 16 , wherein the hydrocarbon diluent component includes a saturated branched hydrocarbon.
28. The propellant as recited in claim 16 , wherein the hydrocarbon diluent component includes an oxy-hydrocarbon.
29. The propellant as recited in claim 16 , wherein the diluent molecular weight is 250-3000 grams/mol.
30. A rocket motor comprising:
a chamber and a nozzle;
a propellant in the chamber and operable to generate thrust from the nozzle, the propellant including,
a solid oxidizer;
a solid fuel; and
a binder system holding the solid oxidizer and the solid fuel together, the binder system including a polybutadiene component, a hydrocarbon diluent component of a higher level of saturation than the polybutadiene component, and an anti-oxidant, the hydrocarbon diluent component having a diluent molecular weight and the polybutadiene component having a polybutadiene molecular weight, and the diluent molecular weight is within +/−100% of the polybutadiene molecular weight.
31. The propellant as recited in claim 1 , wherein the binder system has a ratio, by weight, of the amount of unsaturated polybutadiene component to the amount of polytetrahydrofuran component that is from 25 to 100%.
32. The propellant as recited in claim 16 , wherein the binder system has a ratio, by weight, of the amount of unsaturated polybutadiene component to the amount of hydrocarbon diluent component that is from 25 to 100%.