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Alternative oxidants and processing procedures for pyrotechnic time delays

Dissertation (MEng (Chemical Engineering))--University of Pretoria, 2006.

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Other Authors: Focke, Walter Wilhelm
Format: Thesis
Published: University of Pretoria 2013
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access_status_str Open Access
author2 Focke, Walter Wilhelm
author_browse Focke, Walter Wilhelm
author_facet Focke, Walter Wilhelm
collection Thesis
dc_rights_str_mv © 2004, University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria.
description Dissertation (MEng (Chemical Engineering))--University of Pretoria, 2006.
format Thesis
id oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/27915
institution University of Pretoria (South Africa)
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:38:00.699Z
license_str Other — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository
publishDate 2013
publishDateRange 2013
publishDateSort 2013
publisher University of Pretoria
publisherStr University of Pretoria
record_format dspace
source_str UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository
spelling oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/27915 Alternative oxidants and processing procedures for pyrotechnic time delays Focke, Walter Wilhelm isabel.ferreira@sappi.com Ricco, Isabel Maria Moreira Detonator Antimony trioxide Lead chromate Silicon Burn speed Copper antimonite Time delay Pyrotechnic UCTD Dissertation (MEng (Chemical Engineering))--University of Pretoria, 2006. This study was directed at the pyrotechnic time delay compositions that are used in detonator assemblies. The objectives were to: --Investigate effective alternatives for the barium and lead-based oxidants currently used, maintaining the use of silicon as fuel --Develop easy to use, realistic measurement techniques for burn rates and shock tube ignitability --Determine the variables that affect burn rate, and --Evaluate alternative processing routes to facilitate intimate mixing of the component powders. Lead chromate and copper antimonite were found to be suitable oxidants for silicon in time delay compositions. They were ignitable by shock tubing, a relatively weak ignition source. The measured burn speeds for these systems showed a bimodal dependence on stoichiometry. Measured burn rates varied between 6-28 mm/s. Lead chromate is potentially a suitable alternative to the oxidant currently used in the medium burn rate commercial composition. It burns faster than copper antimonite. The latter is potentially a suitable replacement oxidant for the slow and medium compositions. Antimony trioxide-based compositions exhibited unreliable performance with respect to ignition with shock tubing. The addition of aluminium powder or fumed silica was found to reduce the burn rate. Increasing the silicon particle size (<3,5<font face="symbol">m</font>m) also decreased the burn speed for copper antimonite and lead chromate compositions. Addition of fumed silica improved the flow properties of the lead chromate, copper antimonite and antimony trioxide powders allowing for easier mixing. The silicon powder was found to react violently with water in alkaline solutions. This makes particle dispersion in a wet-mixing process problematic. Chemical Engineering unrestricted 2013-09-07T12:34:41Z 2005-09-13 2013-09-07T12:34:41Z 2004-12-12 2006-09-13 2005-09-13 Dissertation Ricco, I 2004, Alternative oxidants and processing procedures for pyrotechnic time delays, MEng dissertation, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, viewed yymmdd < http://hdl.handle.net/2263/27915 > http://hdl.handle.net/2263/27915 http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-09132005-115831/ © 2004, University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. application/pdf application/pdf application/pdf application/pdf application/pdf University of Pretoria
spellingShingle Detonator
Antimony trioxide
Lead chromate
Silicon
Burn speed
Copper antimonite
Time delay
Pyrotechnic
UCTD
Alternative oxidants and processing procedures for pyrotechnic time delays
title Alternative oxidants and processing procedures for pyrotechnic time delays
title_full Alternative oxidants and processing procedures for pyrotechnic time delays
title_fullStr Alternative oxidants and processing procedures for pyrotechnic time delays
title_full_unstemmed Alternative oxidants and processing procedures for pyrotechnic time delays
title_short Alternative oxidants and processing procedures for pyrotechnic time delays
title_sort alternative oxidants and processing procedures for pyrotechnic time delays
topic Detonator
Antimony trioxide
Lead chromate
Silicon
Burn speed
Copper antimonite
Time delay
Pyrotechnic
UCTD
url http://hdl.handle.net/2263/27915
http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-09132005-115831/