Black Powders Used in Pyrotechnics

For glazing a small quantity of finely powdered graphite is added during finishing process 

Bk Pdrs are safe to handle and are easily ignited over a wide range of temperatures, and at atm pressures as low as 0.1 atm. They also can serve as combined ejection and ignition materials (Ref 57, p 192) 

The rule should be to keep the more hazardous mixts at minimum size. Transfer lines (such as fuses, quickmatch, etc) between prime ignition and first fire are regarded as a part of the secondary ignition system 

When used with highly compacted main pyrotechnic items, such as flare candles the first fire is either pressed (in dry form), or painted (in paste or slurry form) on top of item. For initiation of solid proplnts, a first fire mixt can be ignited if confined in a tube or capsule so that the hot gases will be spread over a larger surface area (Ref 57, pp 189 91) Table F lists various formulations for starter mixtures Table G for ignition mixtures and Table H for first fire mixtures . -These formulations are given in Ref 57, pp 377-83. Some mixtures are taken from Ref 44a, 

Formulas 161, 162 163 of Table F are of the same type as BkPdr. They are employed in a variety of items where extreme heat is neither needed nor desirable 

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