Propellant composition comprising nano-sized boron particles

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without payment of any royalties thereon or therefor. The present invention is a propellant composition comprising from about 2 percent to about 46 percent, by weight, boron particles having a diameter of less than about 500 nanometers. Liquid or gel embodiments of the invention may also include adding the boron particles to a liquid fuel in order to form a liquid fuel system. Examples of such liquid fuels include ethyl ammonium nitrate (EAN), triethyl amine nitrate (TEAN), Cyclotetramethylenetetranitramine (HMX), trinitrotoluene (TNT), jet fuel formula (JP-10), kerosene, RJ-4, or other hydrocarbon based fuels. These liquid fuel systems can be part of bipropellants wherein the liquid fuel system is stored separately from an oxidizing agent and the two are mixed during operation. Examples of oxidizing agents may include nitrogen tetroxide, oxygen, hydrogen peroxide, hydroxyl ammonium perchlorate (HAP), hydoxyl ammonium nitrate (HAN), ammonium perchlorate, ammonium nitrate, ammonium dinitramide (ADN), or a combination of said chemicals. One specific preferred embodiment of the invention comprises a fuel comprising approximately 61.60 percent by weight EAN, approximately 23 percent by weight boron particles having a diameter of less than about 500 nanometers, approximately 3.85 percent by weight ammonium nitrate, and approximately 11.55 percent by weight water coupled with an oxidizing agent comprising approximately 38 percent by weight hydrogen peroxide, approximately 46 percent by weight ammonium nitrate, and approximately 16 percent by weight water. The present invention also comprises a monopropellant formed by adding the nano-sized boron particles to a fuel containing oxygen. Another embodiment of the invention is a solid propellant wherein the nano-sized boron particles are used as a metal fuel component or as a portion of a metal fuel component and are mixed with an oxidizing agent and bound with a binder.