CONTINUOUS LOW COST PROCESSING TECHNIQUES FOR MANUFACTURING OF SOLID ROCKET PROPELLANT

THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE IS SEEKING A SIMPLE, LOW COST METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING LARGE SOLID ROCKET MOTORS. LOW COST CONTINUOUS PROCESSING EMPLOYED IN THE COMMERCIAL PLASTICS INDUSTRY SHOULD OFFER THIS POTENTIAL. HOWEVER, THERE ARE UNIQUE PROBLEMS AND REQUIREMENT IN MANUFACTURING PROPELLANTS AND COMMERCIAL CONTINUOUS PROCESSING TECHNIQUES HAVE NOT YET FOUND THEIR WAY INTO PROPELLANT MANUFACTURING. GTA HAS DISCOVERIES AND DEVELOPMENTS RELATING TO THE PROCESSING OF COMPLEX COMPOSITES WHICH ADDRESS THE SPECIFIC PROBLEMS PRESENTED BY CONTINUOUS PROCESSING PROPELLANTS. CONCEPT FEASIBILITY HAS BEEN DEMONSTRATED IN A CONTRACT FUNDED BY DARPA. GTA PROPOSES TO DEMONSTRATE THE TECHNICAL FEASIBILITY OF THE USE OF THESE PROCESSES FOR LOW COST CONTINUOUS PROCESSING OF LARGE SOLID ROCKET MOTORS. THE GTA TECHNOLOGY PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR SIMPLE, LOW COST CONTINUOUS PROCESSING OF THERMOSET PROPELLANTS NOT POSSIBLE WITH OTHER CONCEPTS. THE PRINCIPAL ADVANTAGE IS THE ABILITY TO PRECISELY BLEND ALL INGREDIENTS AS A BATCH IN A LOW SHEAR, NON-REACTIVE STATE. THE HOMOGENEOUSLY PREBLENDED MATERIAL IS FED INTO A CONTINUOUS PROCESSOR WHERE MINIMAL WORK PRODUCES A CASTABLE SLURRY. COMPLEX AND EXPENSIVE CONTINUOUS METERING SYSTEMS ARE NOT REQUIRED. WORKING TIME OF THE INGREDIENTS IN A REACTIVE STATE IS LESS THAN ONE MINUTE, IN A RELATIVELY LOW SHEAR SYSTEM.