Category:Original articles

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 …
Continue reading Visual and Near Infrared Mass Extinction Coefficient of Five Pyrotechnic Screening Smokes

Lutz Kurth, Holger Krebs, Benjamin Theil, Olaf Mücke, Christian Lohrer Abstract: Experiments in this study reveal that the initiating capability of commonly used squibs is not high enough to initiate PETN in all cases. The fulfilment of the ‘new’ essential safety requirement 4 as set out in the European directive 2013/29/EU and the categorization of squibs …
Continue reading Assessment of Explosives in Squibs

Frederick Van Der Sypt, M.D. Abstract: The senko hanabi sparkler was found to be a very useful tool to study glitter phenomena. It was shown that current theoretical frameworks are incapable of explaining all observations. New elements were added to the discussion about the role of critical temperature and potassium sulfate concentration on the glitter …
Continue reading The Senko Hanabi Sparkler: A Study Of Its Reaction Mechanisms

Frederick Van Der Sypt, M.D. Abstract: This article describes the many variables that influence the proper functioning of a senko hanabi sparkler. Standardization of these variables led to the development of a reliable and optimized device. On top of this, two new effects were added to the traditional design, the first being a diversification and …
Continue reading The Senko Hanabi Sparkler: A Study Of Factors Affecting Construction And Performance

K. L. Kosanke and B. J. Kosanke Abstract: A large number of sound pressure level (SPL) measurements were recorded for the firing and bursting of firework star shells ranging in size from 3 to 6 inch (75 to 150 mm). The results of a series of 400 measurements of SPLs of firework aerial shell mortar firings …
Continue reading Measurements of Sound Pressure Levels for Aerial Shell Mortar Firings and Star Shell Bursts

Tom Smith Abstract: Shellcalc© was originally developed by John Harradine and published by him and the author of this paper in the Journal of Pyrotechnics. Shellcalc© has been significantly developed since its original publication and now provides a wide range of simulations. The program has been used to model potential hazards from firework comets and …
Continue reading Shellcalc© – 10 years on. A review of progress and application

A. Jeya Rajendran, T. Lekshmana Thanulingam, A. Meisudar and U. Manikandan Abstract: Dynamic, non-isothermal analysis of the pyrotechnic mixture of a sound-producing fire cracker, KNO3/Al/S/H3BO3,was carried out under N2 atmosphere by using a simultaneous thermogravimetric and differential thermal analyser. Intermediates and the residue formed in each stage of thermal decomposition of the pyrotechnic mixture were …
Continue reading Decomposition Kinetics of Pyrotechnic Mixture from Sound-Producing Fire Crackers

Andrew Tang, Andy Y. F. Tang and Paul Z. J. Peng Abstract: Consumer fireworks is one of the two major fireworks sectors, professional display fireworks and consumer fireworks, in the fireworks industry. It is estimated that consumer fireworks occupy about half of the market share in the global fireworks industry. In terms of packaging materials being …
Continue reading Recycling of Global Consumer Fireworks

Abdelkarim Habib and Christian Lohrer Abstract: This paper aims at evaluating the practicability of an alternative strategy for the classical assessment of possible hazards aligned with the use of theatrical pyrotechnics especially at indoor venues, where the emission of solid reaction products (aerosols) is an important factor for permission for the use of pyrotechnics at …
Continue reading Numerical Simulation and Validation of Pyrotechnic Smoke Emissions