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Technology to the Warfighter Quicker
Environmentally Benign Black Smoke Pyrotechnic Formulation
Environmentally Benign Black Smoke Pyrotechnic Formulation
Dr. Gary Chen
Presented by Mr. Noah Lieb
Pyrotechnic Research & Technology BranchU.S. Army RDECOM-ARDEC
Picatinny, NJ 07806-5000
Hughes Associates, Inc.
Pyrotechnic Research & Technology BranchU.S. Army RDECOM-ARDEC
Picatinny, NJ 07806-5000
Hughes Associates, Inc.
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Maryalice Miller, Program DirectorResearch, Development & Engineering Command- Environmental
Acquisition and Logistics Sustainment Program
Bill Ruppert, Ordnance Environmental Program ManagerHughes Associates, Inc.
Dr. Mark JohnsonU.S. Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine
Jim Wejsa, Branch ChiefPicatinny Pyrotechnics R&T Branch
AcknowledgementsAcknowledgements
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BackgroundBackground
• Black smoke is an integrated part of pyrotechnics used to simulate battlefield effects and realisms (target hit, target kill, flash, sound, etc.) during pre-deployment training
• Old GUFS/ATKS systems (M26 Target Kill) have been phased out with Battlefield Effect Simulator (BES)
• Target Kill Simulator is used to cue the gunner and tank crew on live-fire ranges of a killed target by emitting black smoke when a target is struck
• Old black smoke formulation contains naphthalene or anthracene and potassium perchlorate
• There is no black smoke simulator currently available due to environmental impacts
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Naphthalene Naphthalene
• Old black smoke formulation contains naphthalene (benzene ring type) which is a possible carcinogen.
• Naphthalene (two benzene rings side by side) • Highest risk from inhalation• Binds weakly to soils and sediment
– Easily passes through sandy soils to reach underground water
• Potential combustion products: benzene ring type compounds
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‘Old’ Composition/ System‘Old’ Composition/ System
M26 Target Kill SimulatorATKS
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• System– Black smoke formulation and process are
compatible to all BES systems (Force on Target and Force on Force)
• Performance Requirements (Subject to change):– Burn Time: 20-25 seconds (Discretion of
user)– Smoke Type: black smoke– Smoke Visibility Distance: 1800 meters
• Initial Goal – Demonstration on Titan OMEGA system
Project DescriptionProject Description
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• Pyrotechnic Black Smoke (primary approach)– Old method - Black smoke (essentially the carbon
particles suspended in air) is produced by burning organic compounds laden with carbon and hydrogen.
– New method – Heat up colored dye to sublimation and recondense in air to create black colored smoke
• Physically Generated Black Smoke (alternate approach)– Black smoke is generated through dispersing black
carbon particles in the air with a pyrotechnic– Focus on physical assembly and selection of
dispersion pyrotechnic
Smoke MechanismSmoke Mechanism
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Environmental Health AssessmentEnvironmental Health Assessment
Persistence TransportCombustion
ProductsHuman
HealthEcologic
Health Data Gaps
Charcoal
Gum Arabic
Potassium Nitrate
Water (cold)
Likely Benign
Possible Problem
Probable Problem
Unknown
Igniter Composition
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Environmental Health AssessmentEnvironmental Health Assessment
Likely Benign
Possible Problem
Probable Problem
Unknown
Persistence TransportCombustion Products
Human Health
Ecologic Health Data Gaps
Magnesium Carbonate
Potassium Chlorate
VAAR
Stearic Acid
Ethyl Acetate
Black Powder (BP)
Solvent Green 3
Disperse Red 9 .
Disperse Red 11
Solvent Red 1
Sugar (Sucrose)
Black Smoke Composition
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Small Scale Smoke Test Set-upSmall Scale Smoke Test Set-up
Crucible Smoke Test Small Pellet Smoke Test
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Crucible Smoke TestCrucible Smoke Test
Black smoke, 15 seconds, thick*Potassium chlorate
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Small Pellet Smoke TestSmall Pellet Smoke Test
Variation of SS-660Less soot but smoke remains thin, duration of 8 seconds
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Physical Dispersion ApproachPhysical Dispersion Approach
• Approach: Three carbon samples were evaluated during initial testing
• Outdoor Tests:– 2 gms Class 7 Black
Powder was loaded in a 20 gauge shotgun shell
– The samples were then tested in the open using an electric match as the ignition source
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
0.1 1 10 100 1000Diamter (microns)
Per
cent
per
Cha
nnel
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Cum
mul
ativ
e P
erce
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Microtrac: Sterling R X76
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Video: Formulation SS-854Video: Formulation SS-854
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Current WorkCurrent Work
• Phase II testing completed– Produced and tested 300 cartridges for the
Titan Dynamic Systems• Downselected to final formulation• Phase III testing underway
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ImplementationImplementation
• Integration and Leveraging– Integrate developed formulations into BES system– Leverage resources available from the BES simulator production
contractor • Transition Path
– PM-Close Combat Systems (PM-CCS) funding engineering proposal & approval
– Type classification– Hardware fabrication at production level– System performance qualification– Transportation/vibration testing– Final hazard classification and energetic material qualification– Safety & environmental approval– Material Release
• Endorsements– PM-CCS– PEO-Simulation, Training, and Instrumentation (STRI)
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Questions?Questions?
• Contact Picatinny Pyrotechnics R&T Branch– Dr. Gary Chen
• [email protected]• 973-724-2663
– Shawna Showalter• [email protected]• 973-724-4954
– Gretel Raibeck• [email protected]• 973-724-3081