US2111203A - Ammunition - Google Patents

Description

Patented Mar. 15, I938 uommutrrore Eflvllgeucrt, 6cm. costumes to Home imgton sirens @ouuuouy, inc, 9, ooworottozn oi Delovrure it itjl,

The present invention comprises the wholly novel concept of accelerating and controllingthe performance of ammunition priming mixtures by the use of a substance or substances having catalytic properties.

The reaction of a mtuture when struck a blow may be regarded. as essentially the com bustion of a fuel with o, flame of substantial length anti duration. oxygen necessary combustion is present in the form of e co pound containing substantial quan ity gen which becomes available for reactio the fuel under comiitious oi and pressure. necessary couoliti l cluceol by the decomposition an crept credient under of a shunt blow. priming mixtures the pest has been ueces sary to carefully S81E65} auol combine particular oxidizers, fuels and explosives, in order to insure certainty of combustion with the proper characteristics. The problem has been particw larly dificult with the more stable non-corrosive oxidizers, such as barium nitrate, which yield their oxygen only at relatively high temperatures.

The discovery has now been made that the properties and combustion characteristics of priming mixtures can. be improved and controlled by the introduction into the mixture of a small amount of one or more catalysts. Such catalysts may be either oxides or substances capable of exudation. They are used in amounts oi such small proportions that they cannot be considered themselves to enter into the reaction, either as oxidizers or as fuels; instead, they act as true catalysts, merely facilitating the reactions among other ingretiients enol urobalcly themselves remaining substantially unchanged. The effect of the catalyst is such that in some instances the reaction temperature is substantially lowered.

A marked improvement in sensitiveness and powder igniting capacity of primers including such relatively sluggish oxidizers as barium nitrate has been efilected by the use of catalysts. Their utility, however, is not limited to use in conjunction with any particular oxiers, fuels, or explosives, or any particular combinations thereof. Suitable explosive or combustion initiating and sensitizing ingredients include such substances as lead styphnate, diazoclinitrophenol, mercury fulminate, normal and basic lead. azicle, basic leadpicrate, the lead salts of (11- and trinitro benzol, the lead salts of dinitro-ortho cresol, the lead salts of dinltrosalicylic acid, tetrazene and its salts, the salts ofnltro-tetrazole, azo' Application use;

phosuiute, and lead oliuitrophenyl undo.

oxidizing ingredients include one or more of the usual olilorates, perchlorates, Ell" eliminates, permanganetes and uerouiues. fuels iucluele untiny sulphide, leuel sulr .ocyonete, calcium silioiue, ferro=silicou, anti gr-ctmsium errocyanitlel of the aiorerneri ti combustion initiating and. sensitizing iucuts likewise react fuels.

lee suits include potassium oicluromate, sodiiuru tuugetate, eotassium stennate, and. mercuric cluom'ate. The presence of even minute quantities of such catalysts has been founoi to be very neiicial. it is impracticable to specify the imum amount of catalyst that will give the ocsireti results, owing both to substantial variations among difierent cetelysts and to the clifi= cuity of securing uniform distribution of very small oerceutegesoi one solid material throughout a rnixtuie of other solid materials. It may he said, however, that the optimum amount of catalyst rarely exceet's 2% and ordinarily clues not exceed 1% of the entire mixture. Larger quantities of certain catalysts, for example the oxides of cobalt, have been found to actually cleatleu a mixtme, renuerinc it less sensitive to blow.

A typical mixture comprises suitable proporticns of tetrazene, lean? styphnote, barium nitrate, lead suipl'iocyanate amt glass, with up to about 1% of such a catalyzer as platinum, silver, bisinuth, bismuth trioxide, manganese dioxide,cobali coloult, nickel, pellariium and pleltinum. a

tic oxidecobaltous oxide or soul tungstate. The

nitrate, and not over 2% of a catalyst having the property of accelerating and lowering the temperature of reaction between the barium nitrate and the fuel, said catalyst being selected from the group consisting of the metals, mixtures and alloys of the metals, the metallic oxides, and the salts of the metallo acids.

2. A priming mixture containing a fuel ingredient, a combustion initiating explosive, an oxidizing salt, and a small percentage of a catalyst having the property of accelerating the reaction between the oxidizing salt and the fuel, said catalyst being anoxide of bismuth.

3. A priming mixture containing a fuel ingredient, an oxidizing ingredient, and an oxide of centage of a catalyst having the property of accelerating the reaction between the oxidizing ingredient, and the fuel ingredient, said catalyst being a finely divided metal.

5. A priming mixture containing a fuel ingredient, an oxidizing ingredient, and a small percentage of a catalyst having the property of accelerating the reaction between the oxidizing ingredient and the fuel ingredient, said catalyst comprising finely pulverized silver.

6. A priming mixture containing a fuel ingredient, an oxidizing ingredient, and a small per centage of a catalyst having the property of accelerating the reaction between the oxidizing ingredient and the fuel ingredient, said catalyst comprising finely pulverized lead.

WILLI BRiiN.