SPIN-STABILIZED NON-LETHAL PROJECTILE WITH A SHEAR-THINNING FLUID

摘要

A non-lethal projectile having a shear-thinning fluid within an interior cavity. The shear-thinning fluid having a greater apparent viscosity at low shear rates to spin-stabilize the non-lethal projectile during flight and a lower apparent viscosity at a high shear rate corresponding with the shear-thinning fluid shearing against the frangible cap upon the non-lethal projectile striking the target, with the low viscosity of the shear-thinning fluid allowing proper dispersal upon impact with the target. The shear-thinning fluid can comprise a marking media and be in the form of an emulsion with less than about 50% liquid by volume to effectively disperse upon impact with the target.

主权项

1. A non-lethal projectile comprising:
a frangible shell comprising a polymeric material having an interior cavity; and a shear-thinning fluid within the interior cavity, the shear-thinning fluid comprising an emulsifying agent chosen from glyceryl stearate, PEG-100 stearate, petrolatum, glycol strearate, and mixtures thereof; wherein the shear-thinning fluid has a spin-stabilizing viscosity that is greater than an impact dispersing viscosity, such that the impact dispersing viscosity of the shear-thinning fluid decreases with the rate of shear at impact with a target, and the impact dispersing viscosity of the shear-thinning fluid is less than about 30 Pa·s at a shear rate of about 50 Hz at about 25° C., and the impact dispersing viscosity of the shear-thinning fluid is less than about 30 Pa·s at shear rates greater than about 50 Hz at about 25° C.