Rockets military propellants

After the war Hercules returned to the production of commercial explosives as well as military propellants and continued to build on its cellulose and naval stores capabilities. In 1958 its explosives department created a chemical propulsion division to develop propellants for missiles and space vehicles. In 1959 it received contracts from the U.S. Air Force to develop new solid-fuel rocket motors and subsequently produced the motor for the third stage of the nation s first solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), the Minuteman. Hercules played an even larger role in the development of the Navy s submarine-launched Polaris ICBM. With cellulose came new specialties, including synthetic resins and paper chemicals, as well as carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), an intermediate used in the production of foods, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. From naval stores came other new specialty chemicals and an effective insecticide, toxaphene, and other agricultural chemicals.3... 

Many compounds explode when triggered by a suitable stimulus however, most are either too sensitive or fail to meet cost and production-scale standards, requirements for safety in transportation, and storage stability. Propellants and explosives in large-scale use are based mosdy on a relatively small number of well-proven iagredients. Propellants and explosives for military systems are manufactured ia the United States primarily ia government owned plants where they are also loaded iato munitions. Composite propellants for large rockets are produced mainly by private iadustry, as are small arms propellants for sporting weapons. 

Propellants and Explosives. Hydrazine fuels include anhydrous hydrazine (AH), monomethyUiydrazine (MMH), and unsymmetrical dimethyUiydrazine (UDMH) for military and space programs. These compounds are used mainly as bipropeUant fuels, ie, with oxidizers, in rockets such as the Titan, MX missile, and the Ariane (UDA4H7X30. Using oxygen or fluorine as the oxidizer, hydrazine is exceeded only by hydrogen in specific impulse, ie, kilograms of thmst developed for each kilogram of fuel consumed per second (196). 

Oxidizing Properties. Nitric acid is a powerful oxidizing agent (electron acceptor) that reacts violentiy with many organic materials (eg, turpentine, charcoal, and charred sawdust) (19,20). The concentrated acid may react explosively with ethanol (qv). Such oxidizing properties have had military appHcation nitric acid is used with certain organics, eg, furfuryl alcohol and aniline, as rocket propellant (see Explosives AND PROPELLANTS). 

See also-. Aviation Fuel Batteries Engines Fuel Cells Fuel Cell Vehicles Military Energy Use, Historical Aspects of Rocket Propellants Storage Technology. 

PIAT. Acronym for projector infantry antitank. A Brit WWII weapon based on the shaped charge effect. It fired a rocket-propelled charge weighing 3 lbs which could pierce 4-tnch armor plate Ref J. Quick, Dictionary of Weapons and Military Terms , McGraw Hill, NY (1973), 349... 

The third type of propellent explosive, the composite type, is a more recent development, the purpose of which is to provide rocket propellants of increased thrust, compared with the ordinary varieties. Composite propellants are based on an oxidising solid, commonly a perchlorate, together with an organic binder which both acts as fuel and gives adequate mechanical strength to the mixture. The search for even more energetic compositions continues, but because of the military importance of the... 

Monomethylhydrazine is a clear, colorless liquid used extensively in military applications as a missile and rocket propellant, in chemical power sources, and as a solvent and chemical intermediate. Upon contact with strong oxidizers (e.g., hydrogen peroxide, nitrogen tetroxide, chlorine, fluorine) spontaneous ignition may occur. 

Uses. To implode fissionable material in nuclear devices to achieve critical mass as a component of plastic-bonded explosives and solid fuel rocket propellants and as burster charges in military munitions. 

The initial development of the firework rocket and the military rocket probably occurred during the same period in history. Both used black powder as the rocket propellant. 

Although gunpowder remains the propellant of choice for the production of firework rockets, there has been development on military compositions since the beginning of the 19th century, notably in Europe. 

There is nothing to prevent the hrework manufacturers from using military-type propellants, of course, and this is exactly what the Russians are said to do when making rockets to reach astonishing heights in hrework displays above the tall buildings in Moscow. 

Hercopel a unique all-epoxide cure composite solid propellant with excellent mechanical and ballistic properties. Its outstanding performance in extended environments makes it well suited for tactical missiles Double-Base Solid Propellants a wide variety of physical and ballistic properties which can be tailored to meet specific performance requirements. Their high specific impulse and excellent reproducibility are two of the many reasons Hercules double-base propellants are found in many of our rocket motors and gas generators used for both military and space applications... 

The ordnance commonly used by the military also includes small arms ammunition, large caliber guns (tank guns), projectiles, rockets and missiles. A propellant (low explosive which undergoes rapid and controlled combustion without detona-... 

In the initial stages, the end use of n-Al was largely dominated by defense-related applications. Small caliber primers for defense munitions, additives for solid and hybrid rocket propellants, enhanced lethality explosives and pyrotechnics and thermite-based weapons are some typical military applications of n-Al powder. The use of n-Al powder has also been reported for some civil applications such as fireworks, automotive inflators and airbag initiators as well as drilling and oil exploration. 

Ever since the invention of NC and NG, attempts were made to apply them either by themselves or in mixtures for military purposes. Under the term uses for military purposes may be understood propellants in rifle, cannon, rocket and pyrotechnic ammunition booster and bursting charges in bombs, grenades, mines (land and sea), artillery projectiles, warheads of torpedoes and of rockets, etc military blasting operations, military cratering, military demolition, military excavation and production of antitank ditches... 

The Mechanism of Combustion of Solid Propellants in "Selected Combustion Problems-Fundamentals and Aeronautical Applications , AGARD Publication, Butterworths, London(1954) 22)S.S. Penner P.P.Datner, "Combustion Problems in Liquid-Fuel Rocket Engines , in 5th Symposium on Combustion, Reinhold, NY(1955), 11-28(A review with 84 refs) 22 a)Anon, "Military Explosives , TM 9-1910(1955), 229 31 22b)L. 

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