Study of Low-Pressure Combustion and Luminescence Properties of Different Magnesium/Nitrate Pyrotechnics

Abstract

ABSTRACT To explore the effect of pressure on the combustion and luminescence properties of magnesium/nitrate pyrotechnics, four sets of zero-oxygen-equilibrium magnesium/sodium nitrate (N), magnesium/potassium nitrate (K), magnesium/barium nitrate (B), and magnesium/strontium nitrate (S) pyrotechnic samples were subjected to TG-DSC (thermogravimetric analysis-differential scanning calorimetry) testing and combustion tests at atmospheric pressure and 1 kPa. The combustion experiments showed that the flame height increased at 1 kPa due to the rapid diffusion of gas products. Moreover, the degree and rate of oxidation of magnesium are limited by the scarcity of oxygen in the environment, resulting in a decrease in both combustion temperature and luminous intensity at low pressure. Thermal analysis tests showed that B and S have higher combustion temperatures and better luminescence performance at 1 kPa because of their higher low-pressure reactions than N and K. In addition, the Mg/Sr(NO3)2 red light tracer has the best luminescence performance at low pressure because it still has a higher concentration of visible light emitter SrOH at 1 kPa. These scientific findings provide useful insights into the low-pressure combustion behavior of pyrotechnics and support the growing demand for military and civilian applications.