Study of Pyrotechnic Blue Strobe Compositions Based on Ammonium Perchlorate and Tetramethylammonium Nitrate

Juknelevicius, Dominykas; Dufter, Alicia; Rusan, Magdalena; Klapötke, Thomas M. und Ramanavicius, Arunas (2017): Study of Pyrotechnic Blue Strobe Compositions Based on Ammonium Perchlorate and Tetramethylammonium Nitrate. In: European Journal of inorganic Chemistry, Nr. 7: S. 1113-1119

Abstract

Pyrotechnic strobes, both colorless and colorful, are compositions that burn in an oscillatory manner. They are used in military illumination devices and in fireworks as one of the most attractive pyrotechnic effects. Most colored strobes contain magnesium (Mg) or magnesium-aluminum (MgAl) alloy as a fuel. However, this is an issue for blue strobes since the choice of stable blue-flame emitters is extremely limited. In fact, copper halides have been observed to produce blue emissions in pyrotechnic flames exclusively at temperatures ranging from 1200 to 1500 degrees C. At higher temperatures, the emitter is destroyed, or more specifically, a preferred trimer Cu3Cl3 species is converted into monomers. As a result, the flame color fades and a whitish-blue flame is observed. Therefore, it was interesting to see whether blue pyrotechnic strobes can be made without using conventional high-temperature fuels, such as Mg or Al, in order to conserve a deep flame color. The formulation called the Jennings-White blue strobe No. 5 [55 % ammonium perchlorate (AP), 30 % tetramethylammonium nitrate (TMAN), and 15 % copper] is considered the top-of-the-line formulation, which is described as being capable of producing an intense blue strobe. However, its mechanism is not well-understood, and the formulation is not chemically compatible. This paper presents research focused on improving the blue strobe formulation by Jennings-White.

• Dokumententyp: Zeitschriftenartikel
• Fakultät: Chemie und Pharmazie > Department Chemie
• Themengebiete: 500 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik > 540 Chemie
• ISSN: 1434-1948
• Sprache: Englisch