DEPOSING INITIARY COMPOSITIONS

Abstract

There is provided a composition and method of deposing an initiatory composition, said composition, comprising a: (i) a nanothermite suspension of a metal(M)oxide and a metal (M′) in a solvent, wherein the average particle size of the metal(M)oxide and a metal (M′) is less than 1000 nm, provided that (M)≠(M′), (ii) wherein said nanothermite suspension comprises a charging reagent comprising a reagent capable of forming a stable complex with each of the metal(M)oxide and the metal (M′), to from a metal(M)oxide complex, and a metal (M′) complex that have the same electrostatic charge, such that said metal(M)oxide complex and a metal (M′) complex repel each other in said suspension, wherein the admixture of the binder, nanothermite suspension charging reagent, has been caused to be mixed under Resonant Acoustic Mixing to provide a stable suspension of a nanothermite complex

Claims

1. A nanothermite initiatory composition, comprising: a nanothermite suspension of a metal(M)oxide and a metal (M′) in a solvent, wherein the average particle size of the metal(M)oxide and the metal (M′) is less than 1000 nm, provided that (M)≠(M′); a charging reagent comprising a reagent capable of forming a stable complex with each of the metal(M)oxide and the metal (M′), to form a metal(M)oxide complex, and a metal (M′) complex, such that the metal(M)oxide complex and the metal (M′) complex repel each other in the suspension; wherein the nanothermite suspension and charging reagent are mixed to provide a stable suspension of the nanothermite composition.

2. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the repelling of the metal(M)oxide complex and the metal (M′) complex is caused by the charging reagent having the same electrostatic charge and/or providing steric hindrance therebetween.

3. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the nanothermite suspension comprises a binder, in the range of from 0.1 to 16% w/w.

4. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the nanothermite suspension comprises a non-ionic surfactant.

5. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the composition is deposed in a primer cup, initiator, or explosive train.

6. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the metal(M)oxide is an oxide of a metal selected from a transition metal, Al, In, Sn, Mg, Be, B, and Si or a mixture thereof.

7. The composition of claim 6, wherein the transition metal is Sc, Bi, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Mo or Zn.

8. The composition of claim 1, wherein the metal (M′) is selected from a transition metal, Al, In, Sn, Mg, Be, B, Si or a mixture thereof.

9. The composition of claim 8, wherein the transition metal is Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu or Zn.

10. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the composition comprises a graphitic filler in the range of 20-40% by weight.

11. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the solvent is a polar organic solvent.

12. A method of filling explosive devices with a nanothermite initiatory composition, the method comprising: forming a nanothermite composition comprising a binder, a thermite suspension of a metal(M)oxide and a metal (M′) in a solvent, wherein the average particle size of the metal(M)oxide and a metal (M′) is less than 1000 nm, provided that M≠M′, and (iii) forming a charging reagent comprising a reagent capable of forming a stable complex with each of the metal(M)oxide and the metal (M′), such that the metal(M′) in the metal(M)oxide complex, and the metal(M′) in the metal (M′) complex have the same electrostatic charge or are sterically hindered, such that the metal(M)oxide complex and the metal (M′) complex repel each other; and causing the composition to be mixed under Resonant Acoustic Mixing to provide a stable suspension of a mixture of a nanothermite complex; and (iii) filling the device with the admixture of nanothermite complex.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the binder is present, in the range of from 0.1 to 16% w/w.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the thermite suspension comprises a non-ionic surfactant.

15. A deposed nanothermite energetic material comprising: a binder; and a metal(M)oxide and a metal (M′), wherein the average particle size of the metal(M)oxide and the metal (M′) is less than100 nm, 100 nm; wherein the metal(M)oxide and the metal (M′) are complexed with a reagent such that the metal(M)oxide in the metal(M) oxide complex, and the metal (M′) in the metal (M′) complex, have the same electrostatic charge.

16. The deposed nanothermite energetic material according to claim 15, wherein the composition is deposed in a primer cup, initiator, or explosive train.

17. The deposed nanothermite energetic material according to claim 15, wherein the metal(M)oxide is an oxide of a metal selected from a transition metal, Al, In, Sn, Mg, Be, B, and Si or a mixture thereof, and wherein the metal (M′) is selected from a transition metal, Al, In, Sn, Mg, Be, B, Si or a mixture thereof.

18. The deposed nanothermite energetic material according to claim 17, wherein the transition metal of the metal(M)oxide is Sc, Bi, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Mo or Zn.

19. The deposed nanothermite energetic material according to claim 17, wherein the transition metal of the metal (M′) is Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu or Zn.

20. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the nanothermite suspension and charging reagent are mixed via Resonant Acoustic Mixing to provide the stable suspension of the nanothermite composition.

Description

EXPERIMENTAL

[0044]

TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Component (NTS_1) Mass (g) % (W/W) Nanoparticle suspension: Nanothermite (n-Al/Bi2O3) 5.887 39.249 Ethanol 5.414 36.093 Acetylacetone 2.291 15.276 “Charging reagent”: Iodine 0.165 1.099 Acetone 0.233 1.550 Deionised water 0.147 0.981 Ethanol 0.863 5.752 Total: 15.000 100.00
The above suspension was prepared with a nanothermite loading of 40% w/w. The suspension was substantially devoid of aggregated particulates, the suspension was capable of being deposed onto a substrate and dried.