General Features of Pyrotechnics

Pyrotechnics are invariably intimate mixtures of finely powdered fuels and oxidizers together with other additives in order to impart special effects depending on the requirement. Pyrotechnic formulations burn very rapidly when ignited as a loose powder. However, there are some applications where controlled steady burning is required for a definite time and this is achieved by compressing the mixture into columns surrounded by a relatively non-combustible material so that combustion proceeds from one end to other, layer by layer for a long duration. 

Pyrotechnics are rarely composed of a single substance the examples are titanium tetrachloride (TiCL ), red phosphorus (RP) and white phosphorus (WP). TiCb 

---