Dinitramide Salts: ADN Plus Other Salts

Advantage
Dinitramide salts address the need for nontoxic oxidizers, because they contain no chlorine or metals. ADN has nominal decomposition of nonpolluting gases nitrogen, oxygen, and water. The salts are environmentally degradable and benign and can be used in conjunction with other oxidizers to enhance their performance.

Opportunity
SRI is offering licensing opportunities for its dinitramide salts in a variety of applications:

• Use in propellants for missiles and airbags
• Inclusion in medicines for blood pressure reduction
• As an environmentally benign oxidizer for solid rocket propellants, in place of ammonium
• For extra high-energy
• As low-vulnerability gun propellants with improved range (large and small caliber)
• For discreet, high-energy boosters for aircraft and submarines;
• As a phase transfer catalyst for extracting heavy metals and organic materials from waste streams.

SRI owns the composition-of-matter patent for all dinitramide salts. Currently, the right to synthesize ADN and to supply it has been licensed. We are seeking a commercial partner for further development.

History
In the early 1980s, the Office of Naval Research began a search for improved energetic materials. This program led to studies on the development of cubane-based explosives, fuels, and oxidizers. In 1989, while developing an improved route to dinitramines for application on cubanes, Dr. Jeffrey Bottaro (formerly of SRI) conceived of and first synthesized the dinitramide molecule, the parent of ammonium dinitramide or ADN.
 
SRI holds patents in the United States and abroad on the composition of matter of the dinitramides. The development work in the United States was described in Chemical & Engineering News (January 17, 1994).
 
Following publication of the patents in 1991, rumors began circulating that the USSR had used ADN in some of their systems. These rumors were confirmed in 1993 when Z. Pak of the LNPO Soyuz presented a paper at the AIAA meeting describing some of their work. The development work in the former Soviet Union was later described in a 1995 newspaper article [An interview with Boris V. Gidaspov, General Director of Technokhim, extracted from the Peterburgskie Vedomosti , January 24, 1995]. Some characteristics of ADN are described below:

• ADN contains no chlorine or metals. The molecular formula is N4H4O4.
• The ADN formulation looks like a solid form of highly hydrated, highly condensed air (O2, N2, 2H2O).
• ADN's nominal decomposition products are the nonpolluting gases—nitrogen, oxygen, and water.
• ADN and the other dinitramide salts have potential as an oxidizer. Thus ADN is the oxygen source in solid propellants and other munitions applications.
• ADN is recognized as a potential revolutionary replacement for ammonium perchlorate in missile systems.
• ADN is calculated to give propellants with high specific impulse and is environmentally degradable and benign.

Contact Us

For more information about SRI's Chemical Science and Technology Laboratory, contact:

Robert Wilson
650-859-5954
e-mail: robert.b.wilson@sri.com