Sebastian Hoerold and Andrew Ratcliff
ABSTRACT: Red phosphorus has become an essential ingredient in the production of modern smoke and obscurant devices. Nearly all multispectral developmental projects are being based on the new versions of red phosphorus available from Clariant. In pyrotechnics and munitions, phosphine liberated by the traditional red phosphorusbased smoke compounds may diffuse through the device and can give rise to corrosion of essential working parts. This paper shows that surface modification treatment of red phosphorus can dramatically reduce the formation of decomposition products. New developments in coating the surface are presented and the longterm stability of various pre-treated red phosphorus powders are discussed. The best stabilization results are found by using special combinations of precipitated inorganic salts together with special micro encapsulation systems. The use of dust suppression agents is also discussed. The newly developed materials reduce the potential hazards that arise during the manufacturing process whilst improving the shelf life of the smoke composition.
Keywords: red phosphorus, stability, smoke, microencapsulation
Ref: JPyro, Issue 13, 2001, pp54-60
(J13_54)
© Journal of Pyrotechnics and CarnDu Ltd
