MISSILE TECHNOLOGY CONTROL REGIME (MTCR): U.S.

C O N F I D E N T I A L STATE 146965

SIPDIS


E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/04/2031
TAGS: MTCRE ETTC KSCA MNUC PARM TSPA FR UK DA

SUBJECT: MISSILE TECHNOLOGY CONTROL REGIME (MTCR): U.S.
PAPER ON MISSILE-USEFUL CHEMICALS

Classified By: ISN/MTR Director Pam Durham.
Reasons: 1.4 (B),(D).


1. (U) This is an action request. Please see paragraph 2.


2. (C) ACTION REQUEST: Request Embassy Paris provide the
interagency cleared paper on "Missile Useful Chemicals that
are not MTCR-controlled" in paragraph 3 below to the French
Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) Point of Contact
(POC) for distribution to all Partners. Also request Embassy
London provide paper to the MTCR Information Exchange (IE)
Co-Chair (John Andrews),and Embassy Copenhagen provide paper
to the Danish MTCR Plenary Chair. Info addressees also may
provide to host government officials as appropriate. In
delivering paper, posts should indicate that the U.S. is
sharing this paper as part of our preparation for the
Information Exchange that will be held in conjunction with
the October 2-6, 2006 MTCR Plenary. NOTE: Additional IE
papers will be provided via septels in the coming weeks. END
NOTE.


3. BEGIN TEXT OF PAPER:

CONFIDENTIAL/REL MTCR PARTNERS

SIPDIS

Missile-Useful Chemicals That Are Not
MTCR-Controlled

Introduction
////////////

Probably the most difficult materials to control from a
ballistic missile standpoint are many of the chemicals used
to manufacture and process solid propellants. In general,
solid propellants are a blended chemical mixture of oxidizer
and fuel substances held together by polymeric binders. At
times, the fuel and the binder may be the same.
Additionally, several agents may be used to enhance the
bonding of the binders with propellant ingredients and small
amounts of additives may be used to alter the propellant's
physical properties. While most of the major ingredients in
solid propellants such as the binders Hydroxyl-terminated
polybutadiene (HTPB),Carboxyl-terminated polybutadiene
(CTPB),Polybutadiene-acrylic acid-acrylonitrite terpolymer
(PBAN),etc. and oxidizers such as ammonium perchlorate are
controlled, there are many chemicals used as minor
ingredients that are not controlled because of their
widespread use in non-missile related industries. The
following are several chemicals grouped by their
use or category in solid propellants that are not controlled
by the MTCR, but are often used in the propellant production
process.


Binders
///////

The following are binders that can be used or have been used
in solid propellants, but have widespread use in other
industries such as polyurethane rubbers, caulks, sealants,
etc. All of these materials are produced in the U.S.,
Europe, Russia, and many third world countries with a basic
chemical industry.

1) Polypropylene glycol (PPG). PPG is one of the earliest
binders used in solid propellants. Its major use is in the
polyurethane rubber and sealants industries, but it is quite
suitable for use as a binder when HTPB or other more
state-of-the-art binders are not available.

2) Polydiethyleneglycol adipate or polyglycol adipate (PGA).
As with PPG, the major use of this binder is in the
polyurethane rubber industry. Its main use in modern solid
propellants is as a binder for high performance nitrate ester
(nitroglycerin, butanetriol trinitrate) plasticized
propellants. These types of propellants are used in the U.S.
Trident C-4 missile.

3) Polycaprolactone (PCP). PCP is very similar to PGA, with
the main use being the polyurethane rubber and sealants
industries. Its main use in solid propellants is as a binder
for high performance nitrate ester plasticized propellants.

4) Polyethylene glycol (PEG). PEG is the polyether that is
used as a binder in some of the most advanced high
performance propellants. Commonly referred to as NEPE
(nitrate ester polyether) propellants, these propellants are
used in the Trident II D-5 SLBM. This binder has many uses
in the plastics, pharmaceutical and food packaging
industries, and of the millions of pounds of this material
produced in the U.S. and world-wide, only a fraction of this
production is devoted to military purposes.

5) Polyvinyl chloride (PVC). This is one of the earlier
binders used in solid propellant production and is still used
in some countries for solid propellant production.
Propellants with this binder are generally low in performance
and not suitable for long and medium range ballistic missile
production. Its main use is in the vinyl plastics industry,
namely plastic lawn furniture, plastics pipe, and other
injection molded plastics.

6) Hydroxyl terminated poly ethers (HTPE),hydroxyl
terminated poly esters (HTPS),and hydroxyl terminated poly
acetylene (HTPA). These binders are similar to HTPB, but
with a higher oxygen content. Polytetrahydrofuran
polyethylene glycol (TPEG),like PEG, is a HTPE binder that
is currently being used in several missile systems and has
similar or improved properties compared to HTPB.

Cross-linkers or Curatives
//////////////////////////

Cross-linkers are important materials used to improve the
bond between the oxidizer and binder in the solid propellant
mixture. Any difunctional or polyfunctional isocyanate can
be used to cross-link or cure HTPB, PPG, PGA, PCP, or PEG
binders. However, the only cross-linker controlled by the
MTCR is Isophorone Diisocyanate (IPDI). IPDI is best when
used with HTPB and not used with any of the other binder
systems mentioned. While there are many di- and
polyfunctional isocyanates available, only 3 or 4 are of any
importance to the solid propellant industry. The major use
of all isocyanates is the polyurethane rubber/polyurethane
foam industries and the plastics industries. Most are
available worldwide. Any isocyanate going to an entity
connected to solid propellant production should be questioned.

1) Toluene Diisocyanate (TDI). TDI is probably the most
widely produced diisocyanate in terms of quantity in the
world. Millions of pounds go into the polyurethane
rubber/foam industry and it is the primary material used by
that industry. Other lesser used isocyanates can be used to
impart differing properties to the rubber or foam, but TDI
remains the largest in terms of volume. From a propellant
standpoint, it is an excellent cross-linker for PGA, PCP, and
PPG propellants, while IPDI is not suitable for these types
of propellants. TDI is also used extensively with HTPB when
IPDI is not available and is often used by other countries
for this very reason. Quite acceptable HTPB propellant can
be obtained with TDI.

2) Hexamethylene Diisocyanate (HMDI or HDI). This material is
often used in place of TDI where long propellant casting
times are involved. HMDI has a slower rate of reaction than
TDI and thus delays the time at which the propellant begins
to harden. As with TDI, it has many more uses in other
industries. It is also an acceptable substitute for IPDI in
HTPB propellants.

3) Dimeryl Diisocyanate (DDI). DDI is often used with HTPB
propellants because of its tendency to produce a propellant
with a lower burning rate than an equivalent propellant with
IPDI. It is not used with any binder other than HTPB. Its
main use is in the rubber sealants industry with hydrocarbon
rubbers such as the HTPB family.

4) Isonate 143. This is a polyfunctional isocyanate based on
TDI and is used in place of TDI to produce harder, higher
modulus rubbers. It can be used with HTPB or any of the
polyester/polyether binders with hydroxyl functionality.

Plasticizers
////////////

Plasticizers are important materials in the solid propellant
industry, and are used to improve the flexibility and
processing characteristics of the propellant. As with other
materials used in propellants, they are used in the rubbers
and plastics industries. In general, they are usually esters
of difunctional organic acids. Another class of plasticizers
called energetic plasticizers are used in high performance
propellants. One family of this type of plasticizer is the
nitrate esters, which are organic esters of nitric acid.
This family includes nitroglycerin, butanetriol trinitrate
(BTTN),diethylene glycol dinitrate (DEGDN) and
triethyleneglycol dinitrate (TEGDN),some of which are
controlled by the MTCR. The following are plasticizers which
are not controlled by the MTCR:

1) Dioctyl adipate or di-2-ethylhexyl adipate (DOA). This
plasticizer is commonly used with hydrocarbon binders such as
HTPB, CTPB and PBAN. It can also be used with PVC binders.
As mentioned above, this material is most widely used in the
plastics and rubber industries.

2) Dioctyl sebacate or di-2-ethylhexyl sebacate (DOS). This
material is often used in place of DOA and is used with
hydrocarbon binders such as HTPB, CTPB, and PBAN. It is also
widely used in the plastics and rubber industries.

3) Dioctyl azelate or di-2-ethylhexyl azelate (DOZ). This
material is often used in place of DOA and is used with
hydrocarbon binders such as HTPB, CTPB, and PBAN. It is also
widely used in the plastics and rubber industries.

4) Dibutyl Phthalate (DPB). This is the ester of a
difunctional aromatic acid (phthalic acid) and is generally
not soluble in hydrocarbon binders. It is often used in
small quantities in doublebase propellants but has been used
in composite propellants. Its primary use is as an insect
repellant in clothing.

Oxidizers
/////////

Oxidizers are one of the most important constituents of solid
rocket propellant and can be anywhere from 60 to 85 percent
of the total propellant formulation. By far the most
important oxidizer for solid propellants is ammonium
perchlorate (AP),which is controlled by the MTCR. Other
important oxidizing substances include ammonium dinitramide
(ADN),hydrazinium nitroformate (HNF),and various nitramines
such as cyclotetramethylene-tetranitramine (HMX),
cyclotrimethylene-trinitramine (RDX),and
hexanitrohexaazaisowurtzitane (HNIW) or CL-20. These
materials are all controlled by the MTCR. Other oxidizers
are available which are not controlled, but they are
generally not suitable for ballistic missiles purposes
because of their low performance. Many of these materials
can be used however in propellants for short range or
battlefield rockets. These oxidizers are:

1) Potassium perchlorate
2) Potassium nitrate
3) Ammonium nitrate
4) Hydroxylammonium nitrate
5) Hydroxylammonium perchlorate

Fuels
/////

The fuels used in solid propellants are generally powdered
metals, the most important being aluminum powder. Most of
the useful metal fuels are covered by the MTCR and include
aluminum, beryllium, zirconium and magnesium. The MTCR also
covers alloys of these metals. Boron is also controlled but
is generally not used in composite solid propellant. Another
class of very high performance fuels is the metal hydrides.
The reason for their high performance is that they combine
the metal fuel with the highest performing fuel, hydrogen.
The important metal hydrides from a solid propellant
standpoint are as follows:

1) Beryllium hydride
2) Aluminum hydride
3) Lithium aluminum hydride

The use of these fuels in the past has been very limited
because of the difficulty in handling them. All are very
strong reducing agents, which means that they will react
rapidly with any source of oxygen or other oxidizing agent.
All react rapidly with water to produce hydrogen which
creates an explosion hazard. They can be used very
successfully in solid propellants if the proper precautions,
such as protection from air and moisture, are taken.

Summary
///////

There are many other chemicals and classes of chemicals used
in small amounts to improve service life, modify burning rate
or ballistic properties, improve physical properties, etc.,
but the majority of these are already controlled by the MTCR.
Most of these materials are not a necessity for producing
solid propellant or are used in such small amounts that it is
impossible to track their procurement. What has been
attempted here is to list some of the more important
constituent components of solid rocket propellants that are
not controlled by the MTCR and which could be of interest to
proliferators.

END TEXT OF PAPER.


4. (U) Please slug any reporting on this or other MTCR
issues for ISN/MTR.
RICE


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