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W0-r-
AB2 1 a 138
ARMED SERVICES TECHNICAL INFORMWflON AGENCY
AlINTON HALL SIATION
ARLINGTON 12, VIRGINIA
UNCLASSIFIED
NOTICE: When government or other drawings, specifications or other data are used for any purpose
other than in connection with a definitely related
government procurement operation, the U. S.
Government thereby incurs no responsibility, nor any
obligation whatsoever; and the fact that the Government may have formulated, furnished, or in any way
aupplied. the said drawings, specifications, or other
data is not to be regarded by implication or otherwise es in any manner licensing the holder or any
other person or corporation, or conveying any rights
or permission to manufacture, use or sell any
patented invention that may in any way be related
thereto.
NOLTR
6 1-153
A
LOW GASSING
IGNITER MIXTURE FOR
VARIOUS
PYROTECHNIC
DELAY
COMPOSITIONS
C/D
cc
RUZASM) TO k.ryA
S2f NAVAL ORDWAROK LAfOR.~njM
For Release to Military and
(Govea-monnAgencies Only.
0Approvi
tAppral.
by Butwps
6abuo~qu.t releaa*.
]NotIjI
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fp
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NOVEMBER 1961
I"!'
-7
I-
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NOLTR 61-153
Prepared by:
E. Eugene Kilmer
NOLTR 61-153
1 November 1961
W. D. COLEMAN
Captain, USN
Commander
C.
ARONSON
By direction
li
NOLTR 61-153
CONTENTS
IntZtroduction
........
e.
. .
Selaettion of Final Mix for Further Tests.
Tesitng
in Delay Devices . . . . . . . . .
Serr,-.sLtivity to Hot Wire Ignition. . . . .
Corrncjusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Retffer-ences . . . . . . . . . ..
. . .
.
.........
. .
Page
. 1
2
. 2
.
3
. .
.
.
.
4
.. . . . . . . .
5
..
. .
. .
. 6
ILLUSTRATIONS
Fiaure
Title
Page
. 11
. 12
. 13
Tall bles
1
~iii
....
..
NOLTR 61-153
introduction
1.
The designs ofelectro-explosive devices (EEDs) containing
"gasless" delays have almost exclusively used primary explosives heated by a bridgewire to effect initial reaction.
Primary explosives, when they react, produce liberal quantities of gaseous combustion products. If these gases are
allowed to materially increase the internal pressure of the
EED, the burning rate of the gasless delay, which is pressure
sensitive, is considerably increased over its rate at ambient
pressureand inefficient use of the delay (with respect to
time/length) results. In addition, if the internal gas pressure is not controlled, time uniformity may not be obtained.
2. To overcome these difficulties practical designs have allowed
for venting the primary explosive gases through vent holes to
the exterior or have incorporated a fully contained internal vent
chamber (1). The former expedient reduces the shelf life of the
EED in moist environments and also prevents potting of the EED.
The latter solution overcomes the moisture and potting difficulties but requires increased volume or length (for the vent
chamber) and this space in a weapon system is often at a premium.
3. Another method of overcoming the problem would be to eliminate the primary explosive and substitute an igniter material
sensitive to ignition by a hot wire and having combustion
products which are essentially gasless. Such igniter materials
have not been generally available. Two possibilities, however,
exist:
Metal acetylides.
"Gasless" mixes similar to the gasless delays but
with sufficient sensitivity to be initiated by
hot wires.
The acetylides had been previouslyoinvestigated (2) but abandoned
because of their extreme static sensitivity and difficulty of
preparation. Gasless igniter materials of sufficient sensitivity
were unknown; however, some gasless igniter mixes, A-lA for
example (3), were known to be marginally close to the sensitivity
desired*
*KA-A could be initiated by a hot wire some of the time but not
always. In some cases the wire could be burned out without
initiating the A-lA.
NOLTR 61-153
4. The Universal Match Corporation in 1959 was assigned a
problem under Contract NOrd 13466, Task 2, to develop hot wire
sensitive gasless igniter mixes for use in non-vented delay
systems. The results of their work are summarized in their
final contract summary report (4). In brief, they found a
number of mixes which could be ignited by hot wires. They
centered their testing on the most promising; mixes of boron
and lead dioxide and mixes of zirconium and lead dioxide. The
boron mix was found to introduce appreciable non-uniform delays
itself so zirconium/lead dioxide was the final igniter material
selected. When it was used in non-vented delays appreciable
reduction in time over the vented system resulted.
5. The work reported herein is a continuation of the work
started at the Universal Match Corporation. It was hoped to
obtain a sensitive gasless igniter capable of being incorporated
into non-vented delays without appreciably decreasing the burning time below that of identical vented items. It has been
found that a (50/50) zirconium/lead monoxide igniter mix acts
as if it were gasless when igniting molybdenum and manganese
*base mixes in systems with delays up to several seconds. This
mix, however, does not satisfactorily ignite all delay compositions and affects the burning times of long burning tungsten
base delays in obturated systems.
Selection and Preparation of Mixes
6. After reviewing the work performed by the Universal Match
Corporation and all other pertinent literature and information,
it was decided that mixtures of zirconium and lead monoxide
would be investigated. An approximate stoichiometric mixture
of these ingredients, (17/83) Zr/PbO, as well as several oxygen
deficient combinations were prepared. The zirconium powder conformed to specification JAN-Z-399A. The lead monoxide was
reagent grade obtained from Merck and Co. It was finer than
325 mesh. For reasons of safety, mixing was performed with the
ingredients wet. The wetting fluid was ethyl acetate. Quantities of 10 grams or less were wetted with the fluid and mixed
in a Waring blender for twenty minutes. The mixtures were then
fkItered and dried in an oven.
Selection of Final Mix for Further Tests
7. The selection of the final mix for further testing was
based on two criteria:
The ignition sensitivity at a selected size hot wire.
2
NOLTR 61-153
The rapidity of the combustion sensed by a phototube
detector.
Preliminary sensitivity tests were conducted by pressing the
mixtures about a 0.0004-inch diameter Tophet-C wire, 0.050
inch long, and then determining, by a few exploratory tests,
the potential needed on a 1-microfarad capacitor to cause
samples to fire. The results of this testing are given in
Table 1. From this table-it can be seen that the (20/80), and
(50/50) Zr/PbO mixes could be ignited without sufficient difference in sensitivity to choose between them. The (95/5)
Zr/PbO mix could not be fired even at 6 microfarads and 250
volts, and was thus eliminated.
8. The (20/80), (40/60), and (50/50) Zr/PbO mixes were than
subjected to hot wire ignition testing in which the light ouput was viewed as a function of time using a photoelectric
detector tube and an oscilloscope. Typical traces for the
three mixes are shown in Figure 1. The (20/80) Zr/PbO mix
showed no output 'for the full sweep of the oscilloscope, which
was 5 milliseconds in these tests, although the mix, of course,
was ignited. The inherent delay was felt to be too long and the
burning, which finally did occur, too erratic for further consideration of this mix as an igniter material. The (40/60)
mixture and the (50/50) mixture ignited within the sweep time;
however, the (40 0 mixture showed a rather slow build-up in
intensity while the (50/50) mixture showed an even, rapid
build-up to its final intensity. On the basis of these results
it was decided to use only the (50/50) mixture for further
testing.
NOLTR 61-153
The vented devices were identical to the obturated ones
shown in Figures 2 and 3 except that the charge holder was
reduced in diameter and a vent hole 0.025 inch in diameter
was drilled in the delay body slightly above the igniter
level to allow gases to escape to the exterior.
10. On the basis of preliminary tests, the igniter mix was
loaded at 10,000 psi. The initiator assembly contained 30
milligrams of (50/50) Zr/PbO igniter mix. The quantity of
igniter used for the fast burning molybdenum and manganese base
mixes was 100 milligrams while the slow burning tungsten base,
delay composition required 250 milligrams of the igniter mix.
The delay compositions were loaded at 30,000 psi and the units
tested over a temperature range of -65@F to + 160F. The
energy from a 1-microfarad capacitor charged to 60 volts was
used to produce ignition and the ability of the mixture to
ignite the delay compositions and the delay times were determined. Table 2 summarizes the results observed.
The manganese delay compositions were reliably initiated
over the temperature range +160F to -65 0 F in both the
obturated and vented systems.
In the case of the molybdenum base delays, there was no
significant difference in the observed delay times
between the obturated and vented systems.
For the manganese delay compositions there was a small
reduction of the burning time in the obturated system.
The slow burning tungsten base delay composition was
ignited satisfactorily in the obturated system but in
the vented system failures occurred at the igniter-delay
mix interface. The failures were probably due in part
to the loss of pressure caused by the venting. There was
a considerable reduction in time in the obturated system
as compared to the vented system. This can be seen from
the tests conducted at 160*F where all items ignited
properly. The table shows also that ignition reliability
at the igniter-delay interface is a function of the operating temperature.
NOLTR 61-153
I
NOLTR 61-153
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REFERENCES
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NOLTR 61-153
Table 3
Determination of the Firing Characteristics of
Igniter Mix (50/50) Zr/PbO by the Bruaeton Sensitivity Method
Volt
Fire
X's
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Report No. S'=
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20/80
Zr/PbO
40/60
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50/50
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TIME
(0.5 MS/Cim
10
NOLTR 61-153
"K
KOVAR
2 -GLASS
PLUG.
SOLD ER.
CHARG0E
HOLDER'--Zr/PbO
DELAY CARRIERM
DE LAY
COMPOSITION
BRASS
BAFFLE
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AdiA-IA IGNITER
CUP-
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SR 4990
REF
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NOLTR 61-153
100
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13
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NOLTR 61-153
GLASS
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HOLDER
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DEA
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IGNITER
PISTOL
POWDER
SR 49 90
.500
*
-~~~~
REFCOUEDS
CLSR-IC
NOLTR 61-153
DISTRIBtTfION LIST
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*Chief..
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SP-20
.
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NOLTR 61-153
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NOLTR 61-153
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NOLTR 61-153
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NOLTR 61-153
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The Franklin Institute
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