THERMOPLASTIC BINDERS FOR EXPLOSIVE APPLICATIONS

THERMOPLASTIC BINDERS OFFER PROCESS ADVANTAGES OVER CONVENTIONAL THERMOSET ENERGETIC MATERIAL BINDERS BY ALLOWING FORMULATION AT LOWER TEMPERATURES AND UNRESTRICTED POT LIFE. THERMOPLASTICS ALLOW GREATER FLEXIBILITY IN PROCESS CONTROL AND PRODUCT REPROCESSING THROUGH A SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER MELT VISCOSITY IN THE FLUID PHASE THAN THE SOLID PHASE. LANDEC LABS HAS IDENTIFIED A CLASS OF THERMOPLASTIC POLYMERS WITH UNIQUE RHEOLOGICAL AND PHYSICAL PROPERTIES. THE MELTING RANGE OF THESE POLYMERS CAN BE TAILORED TO BE WELL BELOW THE AUTODECOMPOSITON TEMPERATURE OF A PARTICULAR ENERGETIC MATERIALS. WE PROPOSE TO DEVELOP COPOLYMERS WITH A NARROW MELTING RANGE BELOW 80 DEG C HAVING UNUSUALLY LOW VISCOSITY JUST ABOVE THE MELT. THE COMBINATION OF LOW MELT TEMPERATURE, LOW MELT VISCOSITY AND HIGH FILLER ACCEPTANCE MAKE THESE MATERIALS ATTRACTIVE AS BINDERS FOR ENERGETIC MATERIALS. LANDEC HAS SELECTED A COLLABORATOR WHO WILL EVALUATE THE SUITABILITY OF THESE BINDERS WITH ENERGETIC PARTICLES UNDER USE CONDITIONS.