A method and a device for producing a sufficient quantity of a fire suppressing gaseous product to substantially suppress a fire. The device has a first stage gas source containing a pyrotechnic gas generating materiel and a second stage gas source in fluid communication at a first location with an outlet of the first stage gas source and, at a second location, with an outlet for dispersing gas. The second stage gas source contains at least one liquified gas or supercritical carbon dioxide, where the first stage gas source is capable of providing a sufficient quantity of gas at a sufficiently high temperature to vaporize at least a portion of the liquified gas or supercritical carbon dioxide in the second stage gas source, thereby producing a fire suppressing gaseous output, which exits the device through the outlet for dispersing gas, in an amount sufficient to at least partially suppress a fire. At least one of the pyrotechnic gas generating material, the liquified gas, and the supercritical carbon dioxide is mixed with or includes at least one fire suppressant material selected from the group consisting of elemental halogens and alkali metal halides.

Gas generating device

A pyrotechnic powder composition comprising a mixture of an oxidizer compound containing oxygen and a metal selected from the group consisting of sodium, potassium, lithium, barium, magnesium and calcium, and an oxygen bearing metal organic compound is used for inflating a passenger restraint bag for an automobile. The compounds are selected so that a stoichiometric reaction between the oxidizer and the oxygen bearing metal organic compound yields carbon dioxide and water vapor and at least a binary mixture of metal salts having a melting point substantially below the melting point of any of the resultant metal salts alone, and having net heat of reaction less than about 1,000 calories per gram of pyrotechnic composition. One preferred composition comprises about 35% sodium formate and 65% potassium chlorate, for example. When these react the low melting slag of potassium chloride and sodium oxide collects on cooler surfaces of the gas generator thereby reducing heat input to the inflatable bag and substantially preventing formation of smoke.

Method of inflating an automobile passenger restraint bag

The invention relates to flame suppression compositions including an inorganic halogen-containing component including bromine, iodine, or a mixture thereof, and an organic binder system having a heat of formation of less than about 200 cal/g, wherein the composition is solid at a temperature below 100° C. and combusts at a temperature between about 160° C. to 1200° C. to produce a plurality of reaction products capable of suppressing a flame upon application thereto and wherein substantially all the halogen is converted to a solid form after suppressing the flame. The invention also relates to methods of suppressing flames by combining an inorganic halogen-containing component including bromine, iodine, or a mixture thereof, with an organic binder system having a heat of formation of less than about 200 cal/g to form a solid composition, generating a plurality of reaction products from the composition in a substantially gaseous form, wherein the reaction products have a velocity, and applying the reaction products at a temperature of between about 160° C. to 1200° C. to at least one flame in an amount sufficient to suppress the flame, wherein substantially all the halogen is solid after suppressing the flame.

Methods for suppressing flame

A propellant formulation includes energetic particulate solids dispersed in a binder system of high molecular weight 1,2 syndiotactic butadiene and a plasticizer. The propellant is prepared by mixing above the melting temperature of the butadiene and without the use of solvents. The propellant is castable without curing.

High-energy compositions having castable thermoplastic binders

Low explosive compositions which are more energetic than black powder while at the same time having LOVA characteristics are provided. These compositions contain about 45% to about 66% by weight of a metallic nitrate, the balance being cellulose acetate.

LOVA Type black powder propellant surrogate

1. A solid propellant composition comprising: from 60 to 90 weight per cent of an oxidizer component selected from the group of solid inorganic oxidizing salts consisting of ammonium perchlorate, the alkali metal perchlorates, ammonium nitrate, the alkali metal nitrates, and mixtures thereof, at least a major portion of said oxidizer component being at least one of said perchlorates; from 10 to 40 weight per cent of a binder component comprised of a rubbery material selected from the group consisting of natural rubber, synthetic rubber polymers, and mixtures thereof; and from 0.1 to 8 weight per cent of a burning rate depressing agent selected from the group consisting of ammonium fluoborate, hydrazine dihydrochloride, barium periodate, and ferric oxalate.

J Blackwell

Papers

Solid propellant composition