Ammonium perchlorate-containing gas generant compositions which, upon
combustion, produce or result in an improved effluent and related methods
for generating an inflation gas for use in an inflatable restraint system
are provided. Such ammonium perchlorate-containing gas generant
compositions include ammonium perchlorate present with a mean particle
size in excess of 100 microns. Such ammonium perchlorate-containing gas
generant compositions also include or contain a chlorine scavenger
present in an amount effective to result in a gaseous effluent that is
substantially free of hydrogen chloride when the gas generant is
combusted, wherein at least about 98 weight percent of the chlorine
scavenger is a copper-containing compound. Suitable copper-containing
chlorine scavenger compounds include basic copper nitrate, cupric oxide,
copper diammine dinitrate-ammonium nitrate mixture wherein ammonium
nitrate is present in the mixture in a range of about 3 to about 90
weight percent, copper diammine bitetrazole, a copper-nitrate complex
resulting from reaction of 5-aminotetrazole with basic copper nitrate and
combinations thereof.