K. L. and B. J. Kosanke
ABSTRACT: Several factors affect the burning of quick match. A brief study was conducted to determine the general magnitude of the effects produced by those factors, singly and in combination. For high quality quick match, under the conditions of these tests, it was determined that tight string ties, damage to the Black Powder coating and exposure to high humidity had the potential to slow the burning of quick match. However, no single performance risk factor was observed to be sufficient to produce either a significant hang fire or a failure of the quick match to propagate. To the contrary, however, typically a synergistic effect was produced by combinations of risk factors. For example, combinations of two risk factors produced short hang fires, and combinations of all three risk factors produced occasional misfires.
An examination of the extent to which moisture is gained by the materials used to make quick match suggested that the use of synthetic (plastic) string could significantly reduce moisture adsorption. This should reduce the degradation of the performance of quick match that has been exposed to high humidity. Also long duration hangfires could possibly be eliminated because this string does not tend to smolder like cotton string. Finally, there was a brief examination of the time taken for the strings in black match to lose their strength after the flame front had passed. It was found that it may occasionally be possible for one shell firing in a chain to pull apart the fusing of the next shell in the series.
Ref: Selected Pyrotechnic Publication of K.L. and B.J Kosanke, Part 5, (1998-2000), pp 33-50
(K5_33)
© Journal of Pyrotechnics and CarnDu Ltd
