The present application generally relates to compositions with solid fuel loaded on graphene foams (GFs) for enhanced burn rates, and methods of making and using the compositions with solid fuel loaded on graphene foam.

A method of producing a propellant material element, such as an electrically-operated propellant material, includes extruding a propellant material through a heated nozzle. The nozzle may be heated to a temperature that is above the boiling point of a solvent that is part of the propellant material, yet is below a decomposition temperature of the propellant material. This allows some of the solvent to be driven off during the extruding process, while still preventing initiation of an energy-creating reaction within the material. The heating of the material in the extruding process, and especially the heating of the nozzle that the material is extruded through, may be controlled to remove an amount of solvent that results in the extruded material having desirable properties.

A radiation curable energetic composition that can be used, for example, to form pyrotechnic energetic components. The energetic composition includes a radiation curable polymer precursor and a pyrotechnic. The energetic composition may be dispersed in a liquid vehicle to facilitate deposition of the energetic composition using direct-write techniques.

Embodiments directed to a method of manufacturing a pyrotechnic article for use with a thermal battery are disclosed. The method includes forming an iron oxide preform from iron oxide powder. The method also includes reducing the iron oxide preform to an iron preform made of metallic iron. The method further includes impregnating the iron preform with an oxidizer to form the pyrotechnic article.

An additively manufactured solid fuel grain for a hybrid rocket engine having a cylindrical shape, defining a center combustion port and comprising a stack of fused layers of polymeric material suitable for hybrid rocket fuel. Each layer is formed as a plurality of fused abutting concentric beads of solidified material arrayed around the center port. An oxidizer is introduced into the solid fuel grain through the center port, with combustion occurring along the exposed surface area of the solid fuel grain center port wall. Each concentric bead possesses a surface pattern that increases the combustion surface area and when stacked forms a rifling pattern of undulations that induces oxidizer-fuel gas axial flow to improve combustion efficiency. The port wall surface pattern persists during the rocket engine's operation as the fuel phase changes from solid to gas and is ablated.

A handheld tool configured to procure fuel is described. Embodiments of the fuel procurement tool include a handhold having a cutting mechanism located proximate one end of the handhold. Typically, the cutting mechanism can include at least one cutter link having a depth gauge, a top plate, and a gullet formed between the depth gauge and the top plate. The fuel procurement tool can be implemented to procure kindling from a piece of wood.

Methods of preparing propellant compositions for power loads and firearms that include providing pre-shaped particle sized starting material, shaped consistent with a desired final propellant product shape, and thereafter nitrating and stabilizing the pre-shaped starting material using boiling stabilization processes. The resulting nitrated propellants of the methods reliably exhibit complete stabilization, high nitrogen substitution, high shelf life and acceptable ballistic performance.

A hybrid rocket solid fuel grain having a cylindrical shape and defining a center port is additive manufactured from a compound of thermoplastic fuel and passivated nanocomposite aluminum additive. The fuel grain comprises a stack of fused layers, each formed as a plurality of fused abutting concentric circular beaded structures of different radii arrayed defining a center port. During operation, an oxidizer is introduced along the center port, with combustion occurring along the exposed port wall. Each circular beaded structure possesses geometry that increases the surface area available for combustion. As each layer ablates the next abutting layer, exhibiting a similar geometry is revealed, undergoes a gas phase change, and ablates. This process repeats and persists until oxidizer flow is terminated or the fuel grain material is exhausted. To safety achieve this construction, a fused deposition additive manufacturing apparatus, modified to shield the nanocomposite material from the atmosphere is used.

A nanoenergetic material composite having a remote ignition characteristic by a high-power pulsed laser beam is prepared by adding various contents of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) to a nanoenergetic composite material (nEM) to enable remote ignition by a high-power laser beam. The nanoenergetic material composite is a MWCNT/nEM composite powder prepared by adding multiwalled carbon nanotubes to the nanoenergetic material, which is a mixture of fuel material nanoparticles and metal oxidizer nanoparticles, wherein the multiwalled carbon nanotubes enhance a combustion rate of the MWCNT/nEM composite powder by delivering thermal energy upon remote optical ignition by the high-power pulsed laser beam.

A hybrid rocket solid fuel grain having a cylindrical shape and defining a center port is additive manufactured from a compound of thermoplastic fuel and passivated nanocomposite aluminum additive. The fuel grain comprises a stack of fused layers, each formed as a plurality of fused abutting concentric circular beaded structures of different radii arrayed defining a center port. During operation, an oxidizer is introduced along the center port, with combustion occurring along the exposed port wall. Each circular beaded structure possesses geometry that increases the surface area available for combustion. As each layer ablates the next abutting layer, exhibiting a similar geometry is revealed, undergoes a gas phase change, and ablates. This process repeats and persists until oxidizer flow is terminated or the fuel grain material is exhausted. To safety achieve this construction, a fused deposition additive manufacturing apparatus, modified to shield the nanocomposite material from the atmosphere is used.