Upgraded HTPB Propellant Binder: Achieving Commonality for Range Enhancement of Air Force Missile Systems

Commonality and extended range are key goals of the United States Air Force Armament Directorate. The Armament Directorate specifically seeks common solutions for, “propulsion systems,” “increasing solid rocket motor efficiency,” “increased hypersonic and supersonic engine efficiency,” and “increased solid rocket motor efficiency to maximize specific impulse.” Herein, we propose that Helicon Chemical Company will produce, scale-up production, and demonstrate performance of an upgraded propellant binder that delivers a substantial increase in rocket motor performance while meeting qualification requirements for use in USAF solid rocket motors. Our proposal addresses the commonality and extended missile range goals of the AF and seeks to deliver a drop-in, upgraded replacement for current state-of-the-art HTPB propellant binder, which is the most common propellant binder used in the rocket motors of USAF missile systems. The upgraded binder is a metallized version of HTPB R45M, and is produced by our company’s “in situ” synthetic process. This patented process begins with commercial off-the-shelf HTPB R45M, and introduces elemental aluminum within the HTPB polymer at a molecular level. The result is a metallized HTPB binder that enhances the performance of rocket propellants because it has a higher energy density and burns with a much hotter temperature than conventional HTPB. By introducing this upgraded binder into existing propellant formulations, we offer a low-risk, high-reward, and common solution to achieve extended range and increased efficiency. The realization of this technology provides a transformational capability that offers immediate benefits to commercial and government related objectives in space, while also delivering an operational capability that provides significate advantage to the AF and the Department of Defense. Therefore, the outcome of our proposed project will have a broad impact.