Zirconium Potassium Perchlorate Research Articles

Investigation of system parameters towards safer impact based shock-to-detonation transition in a novel laser driven flyer plate prototype

Laser driven flyer plate technology offers improved safety and reliability for detonation of explosives in industrial applications ranging from mining and stone quarrying to the aerospace and defense industries. This study is based on developing a safer laser driven flyer plate prototype comprised of a laser initiator and a flyer plate subsystem that can be used with secondary explosives. System parameters were optimized to initiate the shock-to-detonation transition (SDT) of a secondary explosive based on the impact created by the flyer plate on the explosive surface. Rupture of the flyer was investigated at the mechanically weakened region located on the interface of these subsystems, where the product gases from the deflagration of the explosive provide the required energy. A bilayer energetic material was used, where the first layer consisted of a pyrotechnic component, zirconium potassium perchlorate (ZPP), for sustaining the ignition by the laser beam and the second layer consisted of an insensitive explosive, cyclotetramethylene-tetranitramine (HMX), for deflagration. A plexiglass interface was used to enfold the energetic material. The focal length of the laser beam from the diode was optimized to provide a homogeneous beam profile with maximum power at the surface of the ZPP. Closed bomb experiments were conducted in an internal volume of 10 cm3 for evaluation of performance. Dependency of the laser driven flyer plate system output on confinement, explosive density, and laser beam power were analyzed. Measurements using a high-speed camera resulted in a flyer velocity of 670 ± 20 m/s that renders the prototype suitable as a laser detonator in applications, where controlled employment of explosives is critical.

Energetic material characterization and ignition study of MEMS based micro-thruster for multi spacecrafts missions

Over the past few years, there has been a growing recognition of the importance of multi-spacecraft missions for a variety of purposes, including Earth observation, navigation, guidance, climate monitoring, and environmental monitoring. The trend amongst agencies is to favour constellations of smaller satellites, which can aggregate data from various sources, rather than relying on larger satellites. The numerous benefits of multi-spacecraft formation flying missions have led to an increasingly growing interest to explore its propulsion technologies, i.e., micro propulsion. Thoroughly characterising and studying the behaviour of the energetic materials is essential to ensure the safe and effective use of these micro-thrusters. Through the optimisation of micro-thruster design, the current research aims to generate outcomes that can be utilised to enhance the design and optimisation processes. Consequently, this will facilitate the widespread utilisation of micro-thrusters in multi-spacecraft missions. To optimise the performance of pyrotechnic micro-electromechanical systems, an efficient heater design, appropriate base material, channel dimensions, and electrical resistance must be considered based on available power and heat transfer requirements. A unique firing and monitoring test setup has been developed to produce a current-time plot for the device. Additionally, different micro-heater configurations, including spiral, loop, and meander types, were designed for the igniter. Experimental observations indicate that the spiral micro-heater design resulted in the lowest ignition delay and produced highly reliable combustion. The proposed microthruster design demonstrated efficient combustion and yielded promising results when tested with energetic materials such as Zirconium Potassium Perchlorate (ZPP) and Boron Potassium Perchlorate (BPN).

Separation Behavior of Pyrotechnically Actuated Device Considering Small-Volume Effect of Combustion Chamber

Pyrotechnically actuated devices (PADs), such as pyrotechnic separators, pyro-cutters, and pyro-valves, use a pressure cartridge to generate high operating pressure. Generally, an initiator is used as the pressure cartridge, which ignites a propellant, such as zirconium/potassium perchlorate (ZPP), electrically and generates a high-pressure gas within a very short time of less than 0.5 ms. To accurately predict the performance of the PADs, a proper combustion model should be secured; closed bomb tests typically have been performed for this purpose. However, a combustion test has not been performed in a chamber with a very small volume (a few cubic centimeters). In this study, the combustion characteristics of ZPP charge in a small volume chamber based on a series of experiments and a mathematical model are investigated to obtain a precise analytical model of PADs. The pressure histories were measured experimentally in a cylindrical chamber with various volumes for four different ZPP charge masses. The experimental results show the tendencies of the peak pressure and steady pressure according to the initial volume and ZPP mass. The energy efficiency for each case is evaluated by a zero-dimensional analysis. The change of the energy efficiency with regard to the vessel volume and ZPP charging mass is analyzed.

Towards understanding the effects of heat and humidity on ageing of a NASA standard pyrotechnic igniter

Ageing of pyrotechnic substance, primarily fuel oxidisation, can cause changes in composition that degrade their performance. This study investigates the effect of ageing on zirconium potassium perchlorate (ZPP), a widely used NASA Standard Initiator. Although prior studies have investigated the effects of accelerated ageing on ZPP, this is the first to conduct kinetic analyses at different relative humidity (RH) levels. Here, both thermal and kinetic analyses are conducted for a variety of hygrothermal ageing cases in order to replicate the natural ageing process. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results reveal that oxidant levels drop and zirconium dioxide levels rise as ZPP ages. Lower heats of reaction and increases in activation energy were also observed under the RH conditions. Calculations using van’t Hoff equation indicate that moisture shortened the lifespan of the unaged ZPP up to about 85% under extreme RH conditions, while significantly deteriorating the heat of reaction, sensitivity, and thus increased the risk of a misfire.

An Analysis of the Different Flow Characteristics of a Closed Bomb Test in Cylindrical and Spherical Closed Vessels

A zirconium/potassium perchlorate (ZPP) mixture is ignited inside cylindrical and spherical closed vessels. The performance of an explosive is measured via pressure histories. Each experiment maintains the same conditions (other than vessel shape), but the outputs indicate different pressure characteristics. The cylindrical vessel shows oscillating pressure values, while the spherical vessel exhibits dampened pressure values. A 2-D numerical simulation and a 0-D performance analysis are thus utilized to reveal the physical phenomena inside the vessels and select the adequate vessel shape for the test. It is determined that the different pressure characteristics occur due to the different pressure shock wave movements generated by the rapid ZPP combustion. The cylindrical vessel retains its shock longer than the spherical vessel because the cylinder has a constant cross-sectional area. The spherical vessel has a narrow–wide–narrow shape, which consistently reflects the side of the shock wave along with its propagation. A flow visualization inside the thick closed vessel provides elementary understandings on the closed bomb test that helps to interpret the combustion characteristics.

Aging Mechanism of Zirconium Potassium Perchlorate Charge in Pyrotechnic Mechanical Devices

Aging Mechanism of Zirconium Potassium Perchlorate Charge in Pyrotechnic Mechanical Devices

LabRAM Mixer를 이용한 ZPP 입자 제조

ZPP (Zirconium-Potassium Perchlorate)는 PMD (Pyrotechnic Mechanical Device)에 사용하는 1차 점화장약의 일종이다. 용매에 녹아있는 바인더 성분을 석출시켜 부유해 있는 입자들을 유동상태에서 과립형태로 만들어 제조하는데 LabRAM Mixer를 이용하여 기계적 접촉을 하는 블레이드형 장비와 달리 공진현상을 이용하여 에너지를 전달시켜 입자를 제조한다. 본 연구를 통해 LabRAM Mixer의 조건 변화에 따라 제조한 입자의 특성을 평가하고 그 특성을 고찰하였다. ZPP (Zirconium-Potassium Perchlorate) is type of primary charge initiators for PMD (Pyrotechnic Mechanical Device) system. The binder component dissolved in the solvent is precipitated to suspended particles in the granules. The LabRAM Mixer uses resonance phenomenon to transfer energy, unlike blade equipment that utilizes mechanical contact. In this study, the properties of the particles prepared by the LabRAM Mixer were evaluated with the changes of the conditions.

Numerical Simulation for the Combustion of a Zirconium/ Potassium Perchlorate Explosive inside a Closed Vessel

AbstractThe combustion of zirconium potassium perchlorate (ZPP) in a closed vessel is modelled and validated through a numerical simulation. Because the extremely high pressure oscillation occurs in less than a millisecond, an in‐house computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code is used to observe the detailed flow structures and determine the adequate burning characteristics, including the burning rate. A hybrid RANS/LES scheme with a 5th order upwind weighted essentially non‐oscillatory (WENO) is implemented to capture complex, strong shock waves in highly turbulent combustion. A two‐way coupled Eulerian‐Lagrangian scheme tracks the combusting ZPP granules reasonably well. Monodisperse and Rosin‐Rammler assumptions are applied to the ZPP granule distribution. The monodisperse assumption reveals that the diameter of the ZPP (17 μm) achieves marginal agreement with the measurements. However, the Rosin‐Rammler distribution improves the transient and dynamic combustion characteristics in that the small granules contribute to a faster burning rate and stronger shock waves. These results are more analogous to the closed vessel tests used as validation data.

PMD용 금속화약(ZPP) 제조 및 특성분석

본 연구에서는 항공우주, 유도탄, 자동화 산업에 널리 적용되는 금속복합화약 ZPP(Zirconium Potassium Perchlorate)의 제조공정 과 특성평가를 고찰하였다. 기본적으로 PMD에 사용되는 고체 점화제는 금속연료와 산화제 그리고 유기 고분자물질(결합재)로 구성되며, 이들 원료들을 균질하게 혼합하기 위하여 precipitation process를 사용하였다. 원료 물질의 특성 및 열적 반응 해석을 통한 최적 조성비를 설계하였으며, 이들의 입도, 형상, 열량 분석 등의 특성 평가를 수행하여 결과를 비교하였다. This research investigated the manufacturing process and characteristics analysis of ZPP(Zirconium Potassium Perchlorate) as pyrotechnic are commonly found in the aerospace, defense, and automotive industries. A solid pyrotechnic mixture is composed of an oxidizing agent, fuel, and binder. Precipitation process was used to uniformly mix the raw material. Through the analysis of the material characteristics and thermal response is designed optimum ratio by NASA CEA program. It was compared by performing the evaluation of these size, shape and calorimetry characteristics.

The Reactive Bridge: A Novel Solid-State Low Energy Initiator

Within a broad variety of commercial (i.e. automotive airbags, mining) and government ordnance systems there exists an interface which utilizes electrical energy to initiate an exothermic reaction (i.e. combustion, deflagration, detonation). The structure that performs this function is commonly referred to as an Electro-explosive device (EED). The basic EED design is susceptible to initiation failures due to mechanical hazards such vibration and shock. This paper discusses the fabrication and characterization of a micro-machined EED (the Reactive Bridge) which is mechanically robust, extremely reliable and inexpensive to manufacture. The structure is capable of directly initiating a wide variety of pyrotechnics and primary explosives. The Reactive Bridge offers the additional advantage of being able to be directly fabricated onto any custom integrated circuit. This feature may be of particular interest for adding anti-tamper features directly at the individual die level of electronic systems. The structure consists of patterned sequential layers of titanium and boron which react exothermically when properly initiated. Design parameters will be discussed and compared to firing data for Reactive Bridge EEDs loaded with fine grain zirconium potassium perchlorate (ZPP). A number of different sized bridges were investigated. Scanning electron microscope photographs of cross-sectioned devices before and after firing will also be discussed.

Solid Propellant Microthrusters on Silicon: Design, Modeling, Fabrication, and Testing

The design, modeling, fabrication, and characterization of solid propellant microthrusters for space application is presented. The operational concept of solid propellant thruster is simply based on the combustion of a solid energetic material stored in a micromachined chamber. Each thruster contains four main parts (nozzle, heater, chamber, seal). Thrusters presented in this paper have a chamber area of 2.25 mm2. Throat diameters (160, 250, and 500 mum) have been calculated to generate thrusts in the range from 0.3 to 30 mN that meets station keeping requirements for micro satellites. Fabrication processes for each part of the thruster are presented as well as the assembling procedure and the electronic module implementation. Characterizations give ignition power between 80 and 150 mW depending on the energetic material contained in the igniter's cavity. The ignition success is of 100% when using a Zirconium Potassium Perchlorate propellant. Thrust balance is presented as well as the thrust measurements that validate our model