Gas generating propellant compositions adapted for co-extrusion with a plastic sheath

1. In a gas generating propellant composition comprising a fuel and an oxidizer, the propellant composition adapted for co-extrusion with a plastic sheath, the improvement comprising:

a binder fuel component effective to render the composition flexible and to impart sufficient adhesive properties to the composition whereby the composition co-extruded with the plastic sheath will adhere together.

2. The propellant composition of claim 1 wherein the co-extrusion of the composition and the plastic sheath comprises the composition extruded to form an extruded propellant core having an outer axial surface with the plastic sheath co-extruded externally adjacent the outer axial surface.

3. The propellant composition of claim 1 wherein:

the binder fuel component is present in a relative amount of about 5 to about 20 composition weight percent and

the oxidizer is present as about 5 to about 80 composition weight.

4. In a gas generating propellant composition adapted for co-extrusion with a plastic sheath, the propellant composition comprising a fuel and an oxidizer, the improvement of the propellant composition comprising:

about 5 to about 20 composition weight percent binder fuel component effective to render the composition flexible and impart sufficient adhesive properties whereby the composition co-extruded with the plastic sheath will adhere together, the binder fuel component selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl chloride, polyesters and polyurethanes;

about 5 to about 80 composition weight percent oxidizer; and

about 5 to about 30 composition weight percent plasticizer.

5. The propellant composition of claim 4 wherein the co-extrusion of the composition and the plastic sheath comprises the composition extruded to form an extruded propellant core having an outer axial surface with the plastic sheath co-extruded externally adjacent the outer axial surface.

6. The propellant composition of claim 1 wherein the binder fuel component comprises a polymer that is the same as a polymer of the plastic sheath.

7. The propellant composition of claim 1 wherein the binder fuel component comprises a crosslinkable polymer.

8. The propellant composition of claim 1 further comprising a plasticizer effective to render the binder fuel component flexible.

9. The propellant composition of claim 1 further comprising a coolant.

10. The propellant composition of claim 1 further comprising an auxiliary fuel.

11. The propellant composition of claim 1 further comprising an auxiliary oxidizer.

12. An inflation assembly comprising:

a flexible inflator device containing the propellant composition of claim 1 co-extruded with the plastic sheath; and

at least one airbag cushion in inflation fluid communication with the inflator.

13. The inflation assembly of claim 12 wherein the at least one airbag cushion is an inflatable curtain airbag cushion.

14. The inflation assembly of claim 12 disposed within a motor vehicle and wherein the flexible inflator device is disposed within the motor vehicle in an arcuate shape.

15. The propellant composition of claim 3 wherein the binder fuel component imparts sufficient adhesive properties to the propellant composition whereby the composition will adhere to a co-extruded plastic sheath.

16. The propellant composition of claim 3 wherein the binder fuel component comprises a polymer selected from the group consisting of silicones, polybutadiene, polyesters, polyvinyl chloride, polyamides, polyurethanes, polyacrylates, polyacrylamides, and combinations thereof.

17. The propellant composition of claim 3 wherein the oxidizer is selected from the group consisting of alkali, alkaline earth, and ammonium nitrates, nitrites, and perchlorates, metal oxides, basic metal nitrates, transition metal complexes of ammonium nitrate, and combinations thereof.

18. The propellant composition of claim 3 further comprising a plasticizer in an amount of about 5 to about 30 composition weight percent effective to solvate the binder fuel component.

19. The propellant composition of claim 3 further comprising a coolant in an amount of up to about 30 composition weight percent.

20. The propellant composition of claim 3 further comprising an auxiliary oxidizer in an amount of up to about 60 composition weight percent.

21. The propellant composition of claim 3 comprising:

about 5 to about 20 composition weight percent silicone binder fuel component;

about 5 to about 80 composition weight percent ammonium perchlorate oxidizer; and

sodium nitrate auxiliary oxidizer in an amount effective to result in an inflation gas including less than about 5 parts per million hydrochloric acid.

22. The propellant composition of claim 4 wherein the oxidizer is selected from the group consisting of alkali, alkaline earth, and ammonium nitrates, nitrites, and perchlorates, metal oxides, basic metal nitrates, transition metal complexes of ammonium nitrate, and combinations thereof.

23. The propellant composition of claim 4 wherein the plasticizer is selected from the group consisting of dioctyl adipate, dioctyl phthalate, dioctyl sebacate and combinations thereof.

24. The propellant composition of claim 4 further comprising a coolant in an amount of up to about 30 composition weight percent.

25. The propellant composition of claim 4 wherein the binder fuel component comprises polyester.

26. The propellant composition of claim 4 comprising:

about 5 to about 20 composition weight percent polyvinyl chloride binder fuel component;

about 50 to about 80 composition weight percent potassium perchlorate oxidizer; and

about 5 to about 30 composition weight percent plasticizer.

27. The propellant composition of claim 26 further comprising a coolant in an amount of up to about 30 composition weight percent.