UV/EB Curable Adhesive for Solvent Replacement

The Process-Efficient Motor (PEM, also known as Inside-Out Motor, IOM) approach to manufacture of solid rocket propellants offers the potential of greatly reduced propellant manufacture and storage, and novel methods of ballistic control. The basic approach involves the use of corrugated hydrophilic film, initially as a mandrel for filament winding of a high performance composite case, followed by infusion of an oxidizer. Unfortunately, current film materials have significant shortcomings. Most conventional adhesives are incompatible with the oxidizer, which must subsequently be infused, and water-based adhesives (including aqueous PVA) have been found to have many disadvantages. In addition, the film loses most of its mechanical properties when swollen. This program is intended to demonstrate the effective use of radiation (e.g. photons, high energy electrons, and/or ultraviolet) to overcome some of these problems in a clean, dry manner that is adaptable to a continuous production processes.| Benefits: For commercial purposes, this project will lead to the development of a new lower cost rocket motor for military and commercial applications.|