High‐Nitrogen‐Based Pyrotechnics: Longer‐ and Brighter‐Burning, Perchlorate‐Free, Red‐Light Illuminants for Military and Civilian Applications

Abstract

The full-up prototype testing of perchlorate-free, hand-held, signal illuminants for the US Army's M126A1 red star parachute hand-held signal is described. Compared to the perchlorate-containing control, the disclosed illuminants yielded excellent stabilities toward various ignition stimuli while offering superior pyrotechnic performance. Militarily, the illuminants provided further evidence that development of smaller hand-held signal items in an environmentally conscious way is a realistic and obtainable goal. The results are also important from the perspective of civilian fireworks, as the development of brighter, longer-burning, and environmentally compatible red-light-emitting pyrotechnics is now possible.

High‐Performing Red‐Light‐Emitting Pyrotechnic Illuminants through the Use of Perchlorate‐Free Materials

“…To develop suitable perchlorate‐free M662 compositions, a three‐pronged approach was used. Mirroring the previous work involving KClO 4 ‐free red‐light‐emitting M126 A1 development,7 the first approach was to use strontium bis(1‐methyl‐5‐nitriminotetrazolate) monohydrate ( 1 ) as the KClO 4 replacement (Figure 1). This compound is highly energetic (Δ c H o =−2 901.2 kJ mol −1 ), and is relatively stable to various ignition stimuli 14.…”

“…To date, the US Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center (ARDEC) has developed various KClO 4 ‐free simulator items for black smoke,4 flash‐bang grenades5 and rockets 6. More recent efforts have employed the use of high‐content nitrogen compounds as a KClO 4 replacement in the M126 A1 red‐light and M195 green‐light‐emitting hand‐held signals,7–9 whereas the use of periodate oxidizers (i.e., NaIO 4 and KIO 4 ) were employed in place of KClO 4 and environmentally noxious Ba(NO 3 ) 2 oxidizers in developing highly illuminating incendiary compositions 10. The use of KIO 4 has also been used as an ingredient in the pursuit of environmentally conscious delay fuzes 11…”

A Review of Illuminating Pyrotechnics

“…In 2011 and 2012, metal-based bis-tetrazolate salts 7 and 8 were found to be effective KClO 4 replacements in pursuit of environmentally conscious M126A1 red-and M195 green-light emitting compositions ( Figure 3) [13,14]. Although bis-tetrazolates 7 and 8 are monohydrates, outgasing does not occur when both compounds are subjected to the vacuum thermal stability (VTS) test.…”

Advances Toward the Development of “Green” Pyrotechnics

“…At Armament, Research, Development & Engineering Center (ARDEC), Sabatini et al found that metal-based bis-tetrazolate salts G and H serve as effective KClO 4 replacements in pursuit of environmentally conscious M126A1 red-and M195 green-light emitting compositions (Figure 4.3) [15,16]. Although bis-tetrazolates G and H are monohydrates, outgassing does not occur when both compounds are subjected to the vacuum thermal stability (VTS) test.…”