Bio says I should post this
Posted: Thu Nov 09, 2006 2:56 pm
So y'all know I am in to rocketry...I even make my own motors. One of my friends was a chemist for AeroJet (a major manufacturer of rocket motors). He sent me a patent on a energetic binder used in rocket motors...the abstract follows;
I only got about 10% of this thing.
I sent an email to the lady that does patents here at work and ask her to translate this beast into English for me...her response was priceless. Keep in mind as you read that she knows even less than me about this stuff.
Naturally, I was already in trouble just reading this...the rest of the document is FAR more technical. If you are interested in reading the whole thing you can go here.Energetic copolymers having repeating mer units derived from different monomers, one or both of which have pendant energetic groups such as azido, nitro or nitrato groups. Copolymers have improved formulating characteristics compared to homopolymers of the energetic monomers; e.g., they are less crystalline or less viscous. Preferably the monomers are cyclic oxides having three to six atoms in the ring. The energetic monomers are preferably azido, nitro or nitrato derivatives of oxetane or THF. Copolymerization is preferably carried out by cationic polymerization using an adduct of the preinitiator precursor (e.g., 1,4-butane diol) and a catalyst suitable for cationic polymerization (e.g., boron trifluoride etherate) which is employed in stoichiometric proportion to the monomers and a low molecular weight, low polydispersity copolymer results. Certain novel monomers also are provided.
I only got about 10% of this thing.
I sent an email to the lady that does patents here at work and ask her to translate this beast into English for me...her response was priceless. Keep in mind as you read that she knows even less than me about this stuff.
Freaking priceless!Ray,
Really! I thought you were an engineer. Obviously, this patent refers to how pendant energetic groups relate with energetic copolymers coupled with intermittent homopolymers, not withstanding azido, nitro and nitrato groups. Duh!
Certainly you are familiar with the process of copolymerization, aren't you? I, myself, prefer cationic polymerization, but when one is handling monomers with low molecular weights, well...I don't think I have to tell you the monumental stoichiometric proportion of that!