PROPELLANT APPLICATIONS

SBS BLOCK COPOLYMERS CAN BE SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED FOR SOLID PROPELLANT BINDER APPLICATIONS. BY MANIPULATION OF THE RELATIVE CHAIN LENGTH AND THE STRUCTURE OF THESE CHAINS, THERMOPLASTIC ELASTOMERS CAN BE MADE WHICH HAVE SPECIFIC CHARACTERISTICS. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY IS TO DETERMINE THE PARAMETERS MOST NEEDED FOR SOLID PROPELLANT BINDER APPLICATIONS AND TO MAKE AND TEST SBS BLOCK COPOLYMERS WHICH MEET THESE REQUIREMENTS. PHASE I WORK WILL BE DIRECTED TOWARD DEFIITION OF SPECIFIC PROPERTIES REQUIRED FOR A THERMOPLASTIC SOLID PROPELLANT BINDER AND THE SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF SUCH MATERIALS. PHASE II WORK WILL INVOLVE PROCESSING, CASTING AND HANDLING CHARACTERISTICS OF SUCH BINDERS. IT IS EXPECTED THAT INFORMATION ON PRACTICAL PROCESSING PARAMETERS WILL RESULT IN CERTAIN STRUCTURAL MODIFICATIONS WHICH MAY LEAD TO CHANGES AND IMPROVEMENTS IN THE BINDER. ACTUAL MANUFACTURE AND TESTING OF PROPELLANTS WILL NOT BE DONE, EXCEPT FOR VERY SMALL QUANTITIES SUFFICIENT TO TEST COMPATIBILITY WITH OXIDANTS AND OTHER ADDITIVES, AND TO ROUGHLY EXPLORE THE ENERGETICS OF THE SYSTEM.