ENERGETIC BINDER PRODUCTION.

The preparation of the high energy binder, poly1,2-bisdifluoramino-2,3-epoxypropane P-BEP, has been scaled up to produce ca 68 lb for evaluation by Air Force and ARPA Contractors. The prepolymer containing ca 58 NF2 is prepared in a three step process 1 polymerization of epichlorohydrin, 2 dehydrochlorination of the polyepichlorohydrin and 3 difluoramination of the resulting unsaturated polymer. Scaleup of the first two steps has been carried out in batch processes to the 50 lb and 15 lb levels, respectively, with no difficulty. In the third step a production rate rising to 1 lb P-BEP per 8 hour shift has proved adequate to meet all present demands for the binder. Design and construction of a continuous flow reactor and recovery unit to replace our present batch process are essentially complete. The design capacity of this unit is 0.25-0.5 lbhr. Cure tests using an inert plasticizer have continued to be used to evaluate various P-BEP batches and have demonstrated the storage stability of P-BEP both in methylene chloride solution and in cured filled formulations for periods of a year or more. The compilation of property data has continued with a survey of impact sensitivity measurements made by a number of companies on P-BEP mixes, with thermogravimetric analyses, with water analyses on P-BEP and P-BEP plasticizer mixtures, and with a revised procedure for determination of hydroxyl content by infrared spectrophotometry. Author