ALKALI METAL PERCHLORATE-CONTAINING GAS GENERANT

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide alkali metal perchlorate-containing gas generant compositions which, upon combustion, produce or result in an improved effluent and related methods for generating an inflation gas for use in an inflatable restraint system.SOLUTION: The alkali metal perchlorate-containing gas generant compositions include at least one alkali metal perchlorate present with a mean particle size in excess of 100 micrometers. Such alkali metal perchlorate-containing gas generant compositions also include or contain a suitable non-azide, organic nitrogen-containing fuel and at least one copper-containing compound selected from the group consisting of basic copper nitrate, cupric oxide, copper diammine dinitrate-ammonium nitrate mixture wherein ammonium nitrate is present in the mixture in a range of about 3 to about 90 wt.%, copper diammine bitetrazole, a copper-nitrate complex resulting from reaction of 5-aminotetrazole with basic copper nitrate and combinations thereof.