The European Regulation Concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals

Pierre Thebault Abstract: The European regulation n°1907/2006 of 18 December 2006 – commonly referred to as “REACH” – states the mandatory registration and evaluation of chemical substances marketed, manufactured or imported in quantities of more than one ton per year on the European market. This obligation not only applies to chemical substances but also to …
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Analysis of Impact on Ambient Air Quality of Outdoor Firework Display During Chinese New Year 2013 in Hong Kong

Andrew Tang Abstract: Outdoor displays have been carried out for many years at Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong. These occur at least twice a year on China National Day (CND) and Chinese New Year (CNY) with a show time of about 23 minutes. The 2013 shows attracted many hundreds of thousands of people to watch …
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Quantification of Visible Aerosols from Pyrotechnics: The Effect of Relative Humidity

Rene Yo Abe, Yoshiaki Akutsu, Akihiro Shimada and Takehiro Matsunaga  Abstract: Light transmission and particle size distribution measurements of aerosol (smoke) emissions from pyrotechnic compositions have been performed in a combustion chamber at atmospheric pressure over a wide range of relative humidity. Maximum light extinction over time is proportional to weight of incinerated sample and …
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Comparison of national “safety distances” at professionally fired firework displays and distances derived from ShellCalc©

Tom Smith & Christian Lohrer Abstract: There is a wide variety of approaches across the world in determining appropriate “safety distances” for firework displays. Comparison of the different national approaches and distances for shells derived from ShellCalc© highlights the variety and derivation of the “safety distances” adopted and these distances are related to the various …
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Display Fireworks And Stage Pyrotechnics In Use – Which Distances Are ‘Safe’ In Germany And Other Parts Of the EU?

Christian Lohrer Abstract: Display fireworks and theatrical pyrotechnic articles are widely used in the EU by persons with specialist knowledge for local festivities, events, concerts and various music shows. According to the European Directive 2013/29/EU relating to the making available on the Union market of pyrotechnic articles, these articles are categorized as fireworks of category …
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Green Pyrotechnic Formulations Based on Metal-Free and Nitrogen-Rich Tetrazolylborate Salts

Thomas M. Klapötke, Magdalena Rusan and Jörg Stierstorfer Abstract: The investigation of green-burning boron-based compounds as colorants in pyrotechnic formulations as an alternative for environmentally and health hazardous barium nitrate is reported here. Metal-free and nitrogen-rich dihydrobis(5-aminotetrazolyl)borate salts and dihydrobis(1,3,4-triazolyl)borate salts have been synthesized and characterized by NMR spectroscopy, elemental analysis, mass spectrometry and vibrational …
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Quantification of Visible Aerosols from Pyrotechnics: Metal and Metal Compound Additives

Rene Yo Abe, Yoshiaki Akutsu, Akihiro Shimada and Takehiro Matsunaga Abstract: The effect of metal and metal compounds commonly used in pyrotechnics on visible aerosol development at high relative humidity has been investigated in combustion experiments using a combustion chamber. Ammonium perchlorate/ hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene as oxidant/fuel system allowed aerosols generated from the additives to be …
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OPINIONS – Issues with UN explosives classification – a personal perspective

Dr Tom Smith Abstract: The United Nations classification regime for explosives is well established and has undoubtedly led to improvements in transport safety. However there are challenges that the hazard based approach faces and this paper attempts to highlight some of the more pressing issues. Ref: JPyro, Issue 33, 2014, pp9-15 (J33-9) OPINIONS This article is …
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Screening of hexachlorobenzene (HCB) contents in fireworks

Silke Schwarz, Annett Knorr and Christian Lohrer Abstract: This paper gives a brief overview of the findings of hexachlorobenzene (HCB) in fireworks compositions observed within EC type-examinations according to Module B (as set out in the annex II of the Directive 2007/23/EC) of the notified body BAM. In this work, roughly 220 samples were analysed, …
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Visual and Near Infrared Mass Extinction Coefficient of Five Pyrotechnic Screening Smokes

Matti Harkoma Abstract: The screening properties of five different obscurants were compared at relative humidities of 30%, 50% and 85% and mass extinction coefficients were calculated. The obscurants were five military smokes: 1) a traditional hexachloroethane, Zn powder and TNT based screening smoke, the HC smoke as a reference, 2) a potassium chlorite, Mg powder …
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