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Energy dense explosives

 John W. Jones
Abstract Abstract | Drawing | Description | Claims

Abstract
The present invention is directed to EDE (Energy Dense Explosives), wherein particles of a reducing metal and a metal oxide are dispersed throughout a conventional high explosive. When the resulting EDE is detonated, the reducing metal and the metal oxide combine in an exothermic redox reaction at a speed on the order of a detonation speed of the conventional explosive. The resulting formulation has higher mass per unit volume and energy per unit volume densities than the conventional high explosive alone. Sizes of the reducing metal particles and metal oxide particles and proximities of the particles to each other within the conventional explosive can be adjusted to tailor blast characteristics of a munition, for example to result in a time-pressure curve having a desired shape and duration.

Patent number: 6679960
Filing date: Apr 25, 2001
Issue date: Jan 20, 2004
Inventor: John W. Jones
Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
Primary Examiner: John Hardee
Attorneys: Burns, Doane, Swecker & Mathis, LLP
Application number: 9/840,909

U.S. Classification
149/193; 149/191; 149/18

International Classification
C06B 4510; C06B 4514

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Citations

Patent NumberTitleIssue date
2009556PRIMING MIXTUREJul 1935
2708623EXPLOSIVE COMPOUNDMay 1955
3423259AMMUNITION PRIMING COMPOSITION OF DRY PARTICULATE INGREDIENTS WITH KARAYA GUM BINDERJan 1969
3507719EXTRUDABLE SOLID PROPELLANT COMPOSITION CONTAINING METALLIC FUEL PARTICLES AND OXIDIZER PARTICLES DISPERSED IN A WAXY BINDERApr 1970
3611939PRIMER (BOOSTEROct 1971
3706608COMBUSTION TAILORING OF SOLID PROPELLANTS BY OXIDIZER ENCASEMENTDec 1972
3725516MIXING PROCESS AND EXTRUSION OF SOLDOApr 1973
3745077THERMIT COMPOSITION AND METHOD OF MAKINGJul 1973
3788908CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTIONJan 1974
3865035MULTI-USE MUNITIONFeb 1975
3869320EXPLOSIVE COMPOSITION CONTAININGMar 1975
3919013SLURRY EXPLOSIVE COMPOSITIONNov 1975
3961576Reactive fragmentJun 8, 1976
4000022Fast-burning compositions of fluorinated polymers and metal powdersDec 28, 1976
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5385098Initiating element for non-primary explosive detonatorsJan 31, 1995
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5567906Tungsten enhanced liner for a shaped chargeOct 22, 1996
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Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A munitions payload comprising:

a primary explosive;
a metal oxide dispersed within the primary explosive; and
a reducing metal dispersed within the primary explosive, for reacting with the metal oxide;
wherein the payload does not contain abrasive components.

2. The payload of claim 1, wherein the metal oxide and the reducing metal are uniformly dispersed within the primary explosive.

3. The payload of claim 1, wherein the metal oxide and the reducing metal are non-uniformly dispersed within the primary explosive.

4. The munitions payload of claim 1, wherein an average density of the metal oxide and the reducing metal is at least about 5.0 grams per cubic centimeter.

5. The munitions payload of claim 1, wherein upon detonation of the primary explosive, a reaction between the metal oxide and the reducing metal occurs at a rate that is about the same as a rate of the detonation.

6. The payload of claim 5, wherein the detonation rate is on the order of 6 millimeters per microsecond.

7. The payload of claim 1 wherein upon detonation of the payload the metal oxide and the reducing metal completely react within 1 millisecond.

8. The payload of claim 1 wherein the payload further comprises a polymer binder for binding the primary explosive, metal oxide and reducing metal together.

9. The payload of claim 8, wherein the binder is a fluoropolymer.

10. The payload of claim 1 wherein the reducing metal is mechanically bonded to the metal oxide.

11. The payload of claim 10 wherein the mechanical bond is formed using boric oxide.

12. The payload of claim 10, wherein the reducing metal is adhered to the metal oxide using a vapor phase coating process.

13. The payload of claim 10, wherein the metal oxide is coated with the reducing metal via electroless plating.

14. The payload of claim 10, wherein the reducing metal and the metal oxide are in particle form, each particle comprising the reducing metal and the metal oxide.

15. The payload of claim 1 wherein each of the reducing metal and the metal oxide is in particle form.

16. The payload of claim 15, wherein the particles of reducing metal and the particles of metal oxide are greater than or equal to 1 micron and less than or equal to 10 microns across.

17. The payload of claim 15, wherein the particles of reducing metal and the particles of metal oxide are less than or equal to 1 micron across.

18. The payload of claim 15, wherein the particles of reducing metal and the particles of metal oxide are greater than or equal to 10 microns across.

19. The payload of claim 15, wherein sizes of the particles of reducing metal and the particles of the metal oxide are selected to tailor a peak detonation pressure of the payload.

20. The payload of claim 15, wherein sizes of the particles of reducing metal and the particles of the metal oxide are selected to tailor a time-pressure detonation impulse profile of the payload.

21. The payload of claim 1 wherein:

the reducing metal consists essentially of at least one of Aluminum, Zirconium, an alloy of Aluminum and Zirconium, and an intermetallic of Aluminum and Zirconium;
the metal oxide consists essentially of at least one of Tungsten Dioxide, Lead Monoxide, Tungsten 2.72 Oxide, Tungsten 2.90 Oxide, Nickel Monoxide, Tungsten Trioxide, Tennorite, Cuprite, and Manganese Dioxide.

22. A munitions payload comprising:

a primary explosive;
a metal oxide dispersed within the primary explosive; and
a reducing metal dispersed within the primary explosive, for reacting with the metal oxide;
wherein the metal oxide and the reducing metal are non-uniformly dispersed within the primary explosive.

23. A munitions payload comprising:

a primary explosive;
a metal oxide dispersed within the primary explosive; and
a reducing metal dispersed within the primary explosive, for reacting with the metal oxide;
wherein a mechanical bond is formed between the reducing metal and the metal oxide using boric oxide.

24. A munitions payload comprising:

a primary explosive;
a metal oxide dispersed within the primary explosive; and
a reducing metal dispersed within the primary explosive, for reacting with the metal oxide;
wherein the reducing metal is adhered to the metal oxide using a vapor phase coating process.

25. A munitions payload comprising:

a primary explosive;
a metal oxide dispersed within the primary explosive; and
a reducing metal dispersed within the primary explosive, for reacting with the metal oxide;
wherein the metal oxide is coated with the reducing metal via electroless plating.

Drawings

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