The present invention relates to energetic cocrystals, and to methods for using the same for treatment of a subterranean formation. In various embodiments, the present invention provides a method of treating a subterranean formation, the method including obtaining or providing a composition including energetic cocrystals. Each energetic cocrystal independently includes an energetic compound and a secondary material. The method also includes placing the composition in a subterranean formation.

The present invention relates to energetic cocrystals, and to methods for using the same for treatment of a subterranean formation. In various embodiments, the present invention provides a method of treating a subterranean formation, the method including obtaining or providing a composition including energetic cocrystals. Each energetic cocrystal independently includes an energetic compound and a secondary material. The method also includes placing the composition in a subterranean formation.

The present invention relates to thruster propellants, processes of making thruster propellants and space vehicles comprising thrusters that employ such propellants. The disclosed thruster propellants are advantageous because do not readily uptake water and are conductive. Furthermore, when compared to previous thruster propellants they have a higher mass, a higher density and/or a lower surface tension. Thus, when used in a thruster, such propellants can generate equal or higher thrust than previous thruster propellants.

A plug for plugging wells, and in particular oil and gas wells, is provided. The plug has a plug body formed from an outer metal tube of a reduced thickness. The plug also has reinforcement means, attached to an inner surface of the outer tube, that give the plug a cross-sectional structural strength that is at least equivalent to that of a thicker metal tube. The plug has a central heater receiving void located along the axis of the plug to enable a plug deployment heater to be received therein. Also provided is a plug assembly with a variable cross-sectional area in a plane perpendicular to the plane in which the assembly is deployed during the plugging of underground conduits.

A plug for plugging wells, and in particular oil and gas wells, is provided. The plug has a plug body formed from an outer metal tube of a reduced thickness. The plug also has reinforcement means, attached to an inner surface of the outer tube, that give the plug a cross-sectional structural strength that is at least equivalent to that of a thicker metal tube. The plug has a central heater receiving void located along the axis of the plug to enable a plug deployment heater to be received therein. Also provided is a plug assembly with a variable cross-sectional area in a plane perpendicular to the plane in which the assembly is deployed during the plugging of underground conduits.

The present disclosure provides a fire starter that does not require oxygen from the air to ignite or maintain a flame and makes it easy to ignite using one or no fingers, such as teeth. A fire starter includes a burnable casing forming a sealed chamber. A first burnable mixture and a second burnable mixture are separately disposed in the sealed chamber. The first burnable mixture can form a flame without oxygen from the air. An igniter is disposed in the sealed chamber adjacent to the first burnable mixture and configured to generate a first thermal event to ignite the first burnable mixture without oxygen from the air. The first burnable mixture combusts during the first thermal event and triggers a second thermal event to ignite the second burnable mixture. An actuator is configured to activate the igniter to generate the first thermal event without using more than one finger.

The present disclosure provides a fire starter that does not require oxygen from the air to ignite or maintain a flame and makes it easy to ignite using one or no fingers, such as teeth. A fire starter includes a burnable casing forming a sealed chamber. A first burnable mixture and a second burnable mixture are separately disposed in the sealed chamber. The first burnable mixture can form a flame without oxygen from the air. An igniter is disposed in the sealed chamber adjacent to the first burnable mixture and configured to generate a first thermal event to ignite the first burnable mixture without oxygen from the air. The first burnable mixture combusts during the first thermal event and triggers a second thermal event to ignite the second burnable mixture. An actuator is configured to activate the igniter to generate the first thermal event without using more than one finger.

A chemical reaction heat source for use in heaters used in down-hole applications is provided. The heat source has a fuel composition that comprises thermite and a damping agent. The use of the thermite mix enables the heaters of the present invention to generate hotter temperatures down wells. This in turn allows the use of Bismuth/Germanium alloys, which have higher melting points, to enable the production of plugs for the abandonment of deeper wells where subterranean temperatures are higher.

The present invention is directed to an explosive composition comprised of heavy ANFO and expanded polymeric beads that have a density that is less than the density of the heavy ANFO. The expanded polymeric beads have a size that is determined or based on the size of ammonium nitrate prills used in the heavy ANFO portion of the composition. In one embodiment, the expanded polymeric beads that are utilized in the composition are at least 70% of the lower limit of the mesh size of the predominant ammonium nitrate prill mesh size. In another embodiment, the expanded polymeric beads are at least 70% of a size that is related to the average mesh size of the ammonium nitrate prills.

The use of exploding targets has become a popular practice aid in the military, law enforcement and consumer levels. The inventor has conceived and reduced to practice, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, a safe explosive target formulation that is initiated by low-velocity impact. This formulation represents a binary explosive in that the fuel and oxidizer are packaged separately until directly prior to use. Safe, explosive targets for high velocity applications are common. A formulation for low velocity projectile applications which employs an aluminum/magnesium alloy fuel and a potassium perchlorate/ammonium nitrate oxidizer is described.