Metal-Fluorocarbon Based Energetic Materials

Metal-Fluorocarbon Based Energetic Materials This exciting new book details all aspects of a major class of pyrolants and elucidates the progress that has been made in the field, covering both the chemistry and applications of these compounds. Written by a pre-eminent authority on the subject from the NATO Munitions Safety Information Analysis Center (MSIAC), it begins with a historical overview of the development of these materials, followed by a thorough discussion of their ignition, combustion and radiative properties. The next section explores the multiple facets of their military and civilian applications, as well as industrial synthetic techniques. The critical importance of the associated hazards, namely sensitivity, stability and aging, are discussed in detail, and the book is rounded off by an examination of the future of this vital and expanding field. The result is a complete guide to the chemistry, manufacture, applications and required safety precautions of pyrolants for both the military and chemical industries. From the preface: “... This book fills a void in the collection of pyrotechnic literature... it will make an excellent reference book that all researchers of pyrolants and energetics must have...” Dr. Bernard E. Douda, Dr. Sara Pliskin, NAVSEA Crane, IN, USA

Table of Contents:
Foreword xiii Preface xv Acknowledgment xvii 1 Introduction to Pyrolants 1 References 3 2 History 6 2.1 Organometallic Beginning 6 2.2 Explosive & Obscurant Properties 8 2.3 Rise of Fluorocarbons 10 2.4 Rockets Fired Against Aircraft 13 2.5 Metal/Fluorocarbon Pyrolants 15 References 17 Further Reading 19 3 Properties of Fluorocarbons 20 3.1 Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) 20 3.2 Polychlorotrifluoroethylene (PCTFE) 22 3.3 Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF) 24 3.4 Polycarbon Monofluoride (PMF) 25 3.5 Vinylidene Fluoride–Hexafluoropropene Copolymer 27 3.5.1 LFC-1 28 3.6 Vinylidene Fluoride–Chlorotrifluoroethylene Copolymer 28 3.7 Copolymer of TFE and VDF 30 3.8 Terpolymers of TFE, HFP and VDF 31 3.9 Summary of chemical and physical properties of common fluoropolymers 33 References 33 4 Thermochemical and Physical Properties of Metals and their Fluorides 36 References 41 5 Reactivity and Thermochemistry of Selected Metal/Fluorocarbon Systems 42 5.1 Lithium 42 5.2 Magnesium 45 5.3 Titanium 47 5.4 Zirconium 52 5.5 Hafnium 53 5.6 Niob 53 5.7 Tantalum 54 5.8 Zinc 55 5.9 Cadmium 56 5.10 Boron 57 5.11 Aluminium 59 5.12 Silicon 63 5.13 Calcium Silicide 64 5.14 Tin 65 References 66 6 Ignition and Combustion Mechanism of MTV 68 6.1 Ignition and Pre-Ignition of Metal/Fluorocarbon Pyrolants 68 6.2 Magnesium–Grignard Hypothesis 68 References 77 7 Ignition of MTV 80 References 85 8 Combustion 87 8.1 Magnesium/Teflon/Viton 87 8.2 Porosity 95 8.3 Burn Rate Description 96 8.4 Combustion of Metal–Fluorocarbon Pyrolants with Fuels Other than Magnesium 97 8.5 Underwater Combustion 114 References 115 9 Spectroscopy 119 9.1 Introduction 119 9.2 UV–VIS Spectra 120 9.3 MWIR Spectra 135 9.4 Temperature Determination 141 References 148 10 Infrared Emitters 151 10.1 Decoy Flares 151 10.2 Nonexpendable Flares 153 10.3 Metal–Fluorocarbon Flare Combustion Flames as Sources of Radiation 158 10.4 Infrared Compositions 165 10.5 Operational Effects 184 10.6 Outlook 191 References 193 11 Obscurants 197 11.1 Introduction 197 11.2 Metal–Fluorocarbon Reactions in Aerosol Generation 199 References 208 12 Igniters 210 References 214 13 Incendiaries, Agent Defeat, Reactive Fragments and Detonation Phenomena 216 13.1 Incendiaries 216 13.2 Curable Fluorocarbon Resin–Based Compositions 217 13.3 Document Destruction 218 13.4 Agent Defeat 221 13.5 Reactive Fragments 223 13.6 Shockwave Loading of Metal–Fluorocarbons and Detonation-Like Phenomena 229 References 232 Further Reading 234 14 Miscellaneous Applications 235 14.1 Submerged Applications 235 14.2 Mine-Disposal Torch 238 14.3 Stored Chemical Energy 240 14.4 Tracers 240 14.5 Propellants 241 References 244 15 Self-Propagating High-Temperature Synthesis 247 15.1 Introduction 247 15.2 Magnesium 249 15.3 Silicon and Silicides 252 References 256 16 Vapour-Deposited Materials 258 References 262 17 Ageing 264 References 270 18 Manufacture 271 18.1 Introduction 271 18.2 Treatment of Metal Powder 271 18.3 Mixing 273 18.4 Pressing 286 18.5 Cutting 289 18.6 Priming 289 18.7 Miscellaneous 289 18.8 Accidents and Process Safety 290 References 296 19 Sensitivity 299 19.1 Introduction 299 19.2 Impact Sensitivity 300 19.3 Friction and Shear Sensitivity 301 19.3.1 Metal/Fluorocarbon 303 19.4 Thermal Sensitivity 304 19.4.1 MTV 304 19.5 ESD Sensitivity 305 19.6 Insensitive Munitions Testing 310 19.7 Hazards Posed by Loose In-Process MTV Crumb and TNT Equivalent 321 References 323 20 Toxic Combustion Products 326 20.1 MTV Flare Composition 326 20.2 Obscurant Formulations 330 20.3 Fluorine Compounds 331 References 332 21 Outlook 334 References 335 Index 337

About the Author :
Dr. Ernst-Christian Koch is Technical Specialist Officer at the NATO Munitions Safety Information Center (MSIAC), Brussels, Belgium. He studied chemistry at the Technical University of Kaiserslautern, Germany and was awarded his doctoral degree by the same university in 1995. Before joining NATO in 2008, Dr. Koch spent 12 years working as a scientist for the German defense industry, developing energetic mate-rials and countermeasures. He is author of more than 20 peer reviewed papers and two book chapters. He holds more than 100 patents on energetic materials and countermeasures. Dr. Koch is a Lecturer on Energetic Materials at Technical University of Kaiserslautern/Germany and Pardubice Univer-sity/Czech Republic and he currently serves as Vice President of the International Pyrotechnics Society and as an Editorial Board Member of Propellants Explosives Pyrotechnics.