“Energetic” compositions may be used in a wide variety of applications, e.g., propellants, initiating materials, gas generators, and explosives. Formulations of energetic compositions may include one or more of the following: explosives, combustible fuels, plasticizers, binders, oxidizers, desensitizers, etc. Typically, conventional formulations of energetic compositions may then be mixed, cast, pressed, and sometimes dried.
One of the primary goals in developing new energetic compositions is to increase the energy output. After mixing, in the conventional formulation, a particle of an explosive within the resultant mix may be separated from, for example, a particle of combustible fuel, by intervening particles of binder or plasticizer. This separation of explosive from its fuel may decrease the energy output of the energetic composition, when compared to an energetic composition in which an explosive is adjacent to its fuel.
An energetic composition may benefit greatly in increased energy output, if an explosive is always adjacent to its fuel. The enhanced proximity of the explosive to its fuel may result in more complete consumption of the fuel, providing increased energy output. Such an increased energy output may translate into significant weight reductions for an energetic composition used, for example, as a payload or propellant.
The energetic compound may also benefit from the absence of the formulating overhead of mixing, casting, pressing, and drying, if the enhanced proximity of the explosive to its fuel is accomplished by a vapor or physical deposition method, similar to that used in electronic microchip fabrication.
Currently, there is no known report of formulating an energetic composition by a vapor or physical deposition method that places an explosive adjacent to its fuel.