India Grants Patent for New Solid Rocket Propellant Compound Developed by DRDO, University of Hyderabad

India's Patent Office has granted Patent No. 599900 to the Chairman of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Advanced Centre of Research in High Energy Materials (ACRHEM), now known as DIA-CoE, at the University of Hyderabad, for a new energetic compound aimed at solid rocket propulsion. The patent, titled "N1,N1,N1,N4,N4,N4-hexaethylbut-2-yne-1,4-diaminiumdodecaborane: The Next Generation Solid Rocket Propellant Fuel," was filed on December 21, 2022, and granted on August 20, 2026.

The compound, designated BAM-H24, was developed by Dr. Muddamarri Hanumantha Rao of ACRHEM and Prof. Muralidharan Krishnamurthi of ACRHEM and the School of Chemistry at the University of Hyderabad. Their research covered the synthesis, structural characterization and energetic properties of the boron-, hydrogen- and nitrogen-rich compound.

According to the research, BAM-H24 demonstrates chemical and thermal stability along with lower sensitivity to impact and friction. Its non-hygroscopic nature is also expected to help maintain material stability in humid storage conditions. The compound has potential applications as a solid rocket propellant fuel, fuel additive or burn-rate accelerator in high-energy material formulations, and the research indicates it could offer high specific impulse and reduced ignition delay, parameters relevant to solid propulsion system performance.

The patent adds to the body of research from ACRHEM/DIA-CoE at the University of Hyderabad in high-energy materials, and reflects continuing collaboration between DRDO and academic institutions in advanced materials research. Further research and development would be required to assess BAM-H24's performance in specific propulsion systems and determine its suitability for practical applications.