Pyrotechnic Smoke Compositions Containing Boron Carbide

Abstract

Smokes are used on the battlefield for signaling, for marking targets, and for screening troop movements. Many high-performance compositions are toxic or hazardous, while non-toxic alternatives offer sub-par performance. The environmentally benign compositions described herein use boron carbide as a pyrotechnic fuel to produce thick clouds of white smoke. Experimentation and thermodynamic modeling were used in conjunction to develop the compositions which were then evaluated both visually and by transmittance-based measurements. Small scale smoke chamber tests indicate that some of these new systems can approach the performance of the AN-M8 HC composition (Al/ZnO/C2Cl6).

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 10, 2012
Accession Number
ADA563733

Entities

People

  • Anthony P. Shaw
  • Gary Chen
  • Jared D Moretti
  • Jay C. Poret
  • Jesse J Sabatini
  • Karl D. Oyler
  • Robert A. Gilbert

Organizations

  • Picatinny Arsenal

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Human Systems
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Additives (Chemicals)
  • Boron Carbides
  • Carbides
  • Chlorides
  • Combustion
  • Combustion Products
  • Fatty Acids
  • Low Temperature
  • Materials
  • Measurement
  • Organic Compounds
  • Particle Size
  • Perchlorates
  • Smoke
  • Stearic Acid
  • Transmittance
  • Vinyl Alcohol

Readers

  • Aerosol Science/Aerosol Physics
  • Rocket Propulsion.
  • Vision Science/Vision Psychology/Cognitive Neuroscience.