Concept and Performance of a Non-Azide Propellant for Automotive Airbag Inflators

A university laboratory and three companies have collaborated to develop a non-azide propellant for automotive airbag inflators which is composed of azodicarbonamide(ADCA), potassium perchlorate(KClO4), and additives such as burning catalyst, binder and others. The new propellant aims at low cost, small size of inflators, featuring low toxicity of not only raw materials of the propellant but also effluent gases, particulates and residues generated on deployment of an airbag. No hygroscopicity and low hazard of the propellant will make manufacturing, transportation, and handling easy. The performances of the propellant were evaluated by strand test, pressure chamber test, 7.5 l tank test, 60 l tank test, and airbag deployment test. The strength of the pellet of the new propellant was evaluated by a small ball drop test.