The rate of combustion of an electrically operated propellant having a self-sustaining threshold of at least 1,000 psi is controlled to produce chamber pressures that are sufficient to produce a desired pressure profile in the airbag to accommodate a range of human factors and crash conditions yet never exceeding the self-sustaining threshold. The combustion of the propellant is extinguished to control the total pressure impulse delivered to the airbag. Propellants formed with an ionic perchlorate-based oxidizer have demonstrated thresholds in excess of 1,500 psi and higher.

The present invention relates to an electric detonator (1) comprising a cap (2), comprising a priming charge (3) and an electrode (4), comprising a positive pole, a negative pole and a resistor element (8), the said priming charge (3) comprising at least two primary explosives, a first primary explosive (9) and a second primary explosive (10), and at least one secondary explosive (11). The electric detonator is characterized in that the two primary explosives (9, 10) and the secondary explosive (11) are arranged in layers, in an increasing degree of sensitivity, bearing one against the other, wherein the first primary explosive (9), constituting the most sensitive of the two primary explosives (9, 10), is arranged closest to the resistor element (8), and in that the second primary explosive (10) is arranged thereafter between the first primary explosive (10) and the secondary explosive (11). The invention also relates to a production method for the said electric detonator (1).

A device comprises a reactive semiconductor bridge including a conductive metal, a reactive material, and an overcoat. When a high current passes through the reactive semiconductor bridge, the conductive metal vaporizes into a high temperature plasma. The reactive material is coupled to the conductive metal such that the conductive metal experiences an exothermic reaction to the plasma. When the conductive metal turns to plasma, the overcoat material absorbs at least a part of the exothermic reaction of the reactive material and breaks into a plurality of particles that are propelled away from the bridge. A gap is disposed between the overcoat and a membrane, and an explosive material couples to the membrane. The plurality of particles crosses the gap and penetrates the membrane to ignite the explosive material in response to being propelled away from the bridge.

Disclosed is a tunable microwave-initiated antenna igniter. The device includes a pair of tunable microstrip antennas on a substrate configured to receive an electromagnetic radiation frequency that provides ignition energy; and a conductive material spanning a dielectric gap between the pair of tunable microstrip antennas. The conductive material spanning the dielectric gap can include a dielectric epoxy or a bridgewire. The microstrip antennas are tunable for frequency and bandwidth by varying dipole length and/or width. Tuning causes the microstrip antennas to reject accidental ignition from an off frequency high power microwave field. The tunability, bandwidth selectivity, and low energy requirements allow for use of the tunable microwave-initiated antenna igniters in a number of new and challenging ignition applications.

A device comprises a reactive semiconductor bridge including a conductive metal, a reactive material, and an overcoat. When a high current passes through the reactive semiconductor bridge, the conductive metal vaporizes into a high temperature plasma. The reactive material is coupled to the conductive metal such that the conductive metal experiences an exothermic reaction to the plasma. When the conductive metal turns to plasma, the overcoat material absorbs at least a part of the exothermic reaction of the reactive material and breaks into a plurality of particles that are propelled away from the bridge. A gap is disposed between the overcoat and a membrane, and an explosive material couples to the membrane. The plurality of particles crosses the gap and penetrates the membrane to ignite the explosive material in response to being propelled away from the bridge.

Disclosed is a tunable microwave-initiated antenna igniter. The device includes a pair of tunable microstrip antennas on a substrate configured to receive an electromagnetic radiation frequency that provides ignition energy; and a conductive material spanning a dielectric gap between the pair of tunable microstrip antennas. The conductive material spanning the dielectric gap can include a dielectric epoxy or a bridgewire. The microstrip antennas are tunable for frequency and bandwidth by varying dipole length and/or width. Tuning causes the microstrip antennas to reject accidental ignition from an off frequency high power microwave field. The tunability, bandwidth selectivity, and low energy requirements allow for use of the tunable microwave-initiated antenna igniters in a number of new and challenging ignition applications.