Armstrong's mixture
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Armstrong's mixture is a highly sensitive primary explosive whose primary ingredients are red phosphorus and potassium chlorate, with sulfur and calcium carbonate present in small amounts. Commercially, it is used in extremely small quantities on the paper caps that are used in toy cap guns. [1] It has also been considered a suitable mixture for the primer used in guns after boron carbide has been added. [2] The explosive is exteremely dangerous, as it can detonate from very small shocks and friction. It is especially volatile when dry, and inexperienced pyrotechnicians who try to produce it often injure themselves severely in the attempt. Armstrongs Mixture is extremely explosive and can explode violently in an unenclosed space, e.g. a pile of the mixture with a fuse in it will explode the same way that it will if it was in a sealed container. [3]
[edit] References
- ^ J. B. Calvert. Flash! Bang! Whiz!: An introduction to propellants, explosives, pyrotechnics and fireworks. Retrieved on 2006-11-11.
- ^ US3,973,502 (1976-08-10) Charles R Olsen Tube primer
- ^ John Donner. Impact Firecrackers (PDF). Retrieved on 2006-11-11.
