Low-Cost Production of Nano-Pyrotechnics
Abstract
It was the objective of this study to find a low-cost, environmentally friendly percussion primer composition replacement for use in the standard M42 primer widely used by the military for center-fire ammunition A BAM fallhammer apparatus, ball-drop primer testing apparatus, and an ESD sensitivity testing device were all designed, fabricated, and implemented for material screening. Thermites, as a class of reactive material, are suited to this application because they produce no harmful by-products, and the pre-cursor materials are relatively inexpensive. Nano-thermites have been previously studied, however they are expensive and are not suitable as low-cost replacement. In an attempt to reproduce nanothermite sensitivities, inexpensive 2pm aluminum flake was ball-milled and coated with a reactive PFPE layer in an attempt to reduce particle size, increase specific surface area, and create a more impact sensitive mixture. Various oxidizers and other additives were also explored During the course of the one year study, over 50 different compositions were fabricated and tested, yet no suitable low-cost replacement was found within the desired sensitivity levels.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 01, 2010
- Accession Number
- ADA541685
Entities
People
- Aaron Tayler
- Dennis Wilson
- John Granier