What is Greek fire made up of?
Naphtha, sulphr and pitch
What does ballistite consist of?
Camphor (wax)
NG
Collodion (NC)
What does cordite consist of?
NG
Guncotton (NC)
Petroleum jelly
What are the two types of explosive initiators?
Detonators and igniters
What does ASA consist of?
Lead azide - 86%
Lead stuphnate - 29%
Aluminium powder - 3%
What are the required characteristics of primary explosives?
Stability over long storage periods
Optimum sensitivity to applied stimulus
Optimum output of the required kind
Compatibility with materials
Safety in loading and handling
Definition of low explosives
An explosive substance which decomposes rapidly rhtrough combustion with the evolution of heat and flash. Generates a large quantity of gaseous products
What does gun powder consist of?
7 parts saltpetre
5 parts hazel twig
5 parts sulphr
4 types of smokeless powder
Single, double, triple based propellants and composite
What are the types of pyrotechnics?
Illum
Smoke
Signal
Delay
Tracer
Incendiary
Priming
Simluator
Pyromechamisms
What makes the couloir red?
Strontium nitrate
What makes the colour yellow?
Sodium nitrate
What makes the colour green?
Barium nitrate
What makes the colour blue?
Cooper carbonate, chloride, oxychloride
Characteristics of priming compositions?
Not burn too quickly
Generate a large amount of heat
Be compatible with the mixture
Produce some solids of combustion
Not be unduly sensitive to impact or shock
Types of initiators
Flash receptive initiators
Stab igniters and detonators
Percussion igniters
Conducting composition igniters and detonators
Hot bridge wire igniters and detonators
Exploding bridge wire detonators
Pyrotechnic igniters
The 5 purposes of additives in explosives?
Increase sensitivity
Improve stability
Increase blast effects
Improve mold ability
Decrease sensitivity
What are the essential ingredients in caps?
Primary explosive sensitiser
Sensitiser
Oxidiser
What is dark ignition?
To avoid observation of exact location of the gun
To avoid dazzling the gun firers at night
What are the design requirements for illum composition?
Must burn for the correct time
Must have the correct luminosity
Withstand the firing forces
Ideal properties for smoke compositions?
Persistent
Non anti personal
Immediate in effect
Non incendiary
What are the 2 groups of incendiary material?
Metals and alloys
Combustible liquids
What is the definition of propellant?
An explosive which by controlling burning provides the gas pressure required to give motion to a projectile or missile
What are the advantages of single based propellants?
Cooler burning
Considerably less flash than cordite
Ballistics less effected by change in temp
