Flash reducers

Melamine has been used as a flash reducing agent in propints (Ref 10). It is nonhygr, of low volaty, highly resistant to hydrolysis up to 60°, and is practically neutral in aq solns (pH 7.7). Tests conducted at PicArsn indicated satisfactory impact sensitivity (40 inches with 2kg wt), and no sand crushed in the Sand Test bomb... 

Muzzle Flash or Muzzle Flame. Flame that appears at the muzzle of a gun when a projectile leaves the barrel. See Flash Reducing (or Antiflash) Agents, Flash Reduction in Ger Projectiles, and Flash Reduction in Ger Proplnts, Vol 6, F96-L to F99-L... 

It is also possible to reduce the nitrocompounds to amines which can be used as flash reducing agents in propints... 

In propellants (see Propellants, Solid in this Vol), some of the work reported by Dunkle (Ref 6) examined the addn of flash reducing agents versus smoke evolved in propint compns for the cal. 50 rifle. The oxides examined included aluminum oxide, stannic oxide, silicon dioxide, ferric oxide and, after proplnt ignition, nickel... 

It is used as a chemical reagent, as a smoke and flash reducer and storage stabilizer in NC base proplnts, in rubber-base composite propints as discussed above, and in pyrot compns... 

Pastilles Antilueurs (Fr for Antiflash Pellets). Pellets of a compressed intimate mixt of 4p of K nitrate and lp of DNT, used during WWI in lieu of Sachets Antilueurs (qv) or other flash reducers. For example, pellets used in the... 

Hydrocellulose differs from hydrated cellulose in its properties (Ref 3). According to Stettbacher (Ref 5) hydrocellulose lies between the hydrated cellulose and oxycellulose. Its use as a flash reducer in a propellant has been claimed by C.R. Franklin in USP 1564549 (1925) CA 20, 505 (1926). Accdg to CIOS Rept 31-68 (1945), pp 6-7, hydrocellulose was used during WWII by Germans in some rocket propellants, presumably to improve their burning characteristics. For instance the so-called Ammon-pulver contained 5% hydrocellulose and the EP (Einheitspulver) contained about 3%. Hydrocellulose was also used in some rocket propellants to increase the rate of burning at low temperature... 

Increment Appoint (Fr) or Zusatzladung (Ger). An additional quantity of propellant used when the charge contains some flash reducers in order not to impair the ballistics of a weapon Ref Davis (1943), 326... 

Lead Tetraethyl (Tetraethyl lead, Lead Tetraethide, Tetraethyl Plumbane). Pb(C2Hs)4, mw 323.45, colorless liq, fr p -136°, bp about 200°, also stated as 227.7° with decompn, d 1.653g/cc at 20° insol in w si sol in ale, sol in benz and eth. May be prepd by die action of Pb chloride on Zn ethyl or on a Grignard reag. Used extensively as an antiknock addition to gasoline, and has been proposed by Fr investigators as a flash reducer in proplnts (Ref 2)... 

The same phenomenon is observed on firing cannon and the flame which is produced on contact with the air is sometimes called afterglow. The "afterglow , which is undesirable because it. might indicate ro the enemy the position of artillery, may be partly or nearly completely suppressed by the addition of a few percent of alkali salt (or other flash teducing compound) to the propellant (See Flash Reducing Agents)... 

Flame, Muzxle. See Muzzle Flash, under Flash Reducing Compounds... 

Flash Reducer. In US Ordnance, any material issued separately for use with a propelling charge to reduce its muzzle flash. Differs from "flash suppressor (qv)... 

Flash-Reducing (or Antiflash) Agents. Ordinary smokeless propellants, burning in the chamber of a gun at the expense of its own... 

The triacetin functions as a flash reducing and gelatinizing agent)... 

N) D.B. Murphy et al, PATR 2029(1954) (High nitrogen compds as flash reducing agents)... 

The investigation conducted before WWIE has shown that of the inorganic compounds the best flash reducers are the alkali salts and that flashlessness is improved on going up the series in the Periodic System. (Cs is better than Rb and Rb is better than K)... 

The inorganic flash reducers (such.as K sulfate) were usually loaded in small bags separately from the propint, and placed between the projectile and the propint. These anti-flash bags, called in German "Vorlage , consisted of two perforated discs of artificial silk or cotton cloth sewn together in (he form of doughnuts and filled with coarsely pulverized K sulfate. (Ref 1, p 324)... 

Another flash reducer consisted of a large bag with oxalic acid and a small bag with K oxalate... 

According to Ref 4, die following compds were examined at the Diineberg Fabrik Dyna-mit AG as possible flash reducers (Flammend d mpfer) ... 

OB to C02 —59.1% colorless crysts from w as a hydrate, mp (dec above 200°) dlf sol in cold w. First prepd by Strecker by treating Gu2-H2C03 with oxalic acid. Potentially a good flash-reducing agent Refs 1) Beil 3, 86 8c (40) 2) A. Strecker,... 

Flash reducing agents K2S04, cryolite, potassium nitrate etc. 

Substances inhibiting the development of the secondary flame are those which inhibit burning reactions. The strongest of the substances known to possess this property is the potassium ion. Its ability to prevent the development of a secondary flame was demonstrated by Dautriche [39] as early as 1908. Since then potassium nitrate has been employed in the manufacture of flash-reducing charges added to the charges of ordinary propellant. 

Another of its advantages was that various substances, e.g. flash-reducing compounds, could be introduced into the powder mass. During World War I potassium oxalate or potassium tartrate were used to reduce or suppress flash. These salts cannot be introduced into nitrocellulose powder since they would be washed out with the water during soaking. 

Potassium hydrogen carbonate and vaseline were also tested as flash reducing agents and stabilizers. 

DGDN powder usually contained flash reducing salts. Their quantity was indicated by a figure following the letter denoting the calorific value, e.g. G.0. meant no salts are present, G 1,5 denoted 1.5% salts. 

It is miscible with ale, ether, ketones, esters aromatic hydrocarbons partly miscible with aliphatic solvs and insol in w. Diethylphthalate gelatinizes NC and is used as a gelatinizing flash-reducing ingredient in proplnts... 

DMePh acts also as a flash reducing agent US proplnts using DMePh are listed in conf SP1A/M2 (Ref 5)... 

It was proposed by Saigger (Ref 4) as a flash-reducing agent hy placing it in pro-pellant charges at the base of projectiles This compd resembles some of the red-colored substances described by Jackson et al in Ref 2... 

As was mentioned above G proplnts were unsuitable for use in short-barrel weapons. In order to obtain satisfactory results with such weapons (without resorting to NC-NG proplnts, contg flash reducing compds),... 

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