Picatinny Arsenal

A. F. Smetana and T. C. Castorina, Proceedings of the Propellants, Explosives and Pyrotechnics Conference, Dec. 3—4,1974, Picatinny Arsenal, Dover, N.J. 

S. Iyer and co-workers, "New High Energy Density Materials for Propellant AppHcations," in 5th International Gun Propellant and Propulsion Symposium, ARDEC, Picatinny Arsenal, N.J., Nov. 1991, pp. 18—21. 

C. A. L. Westerdahl and co- oSk.cx.s Activated Gas Plasma SuTpace Treatment of Polymers for Adhesive Bonding, Part III, Technical Report 4279, Picatinny Arsenal, Dover, N.J., 1972. 

Bomb Investigations. National Bomb Data Center, Picatinny Arsenal, Dover, N.J., 1974. 

It will be noted that a change in editors has taken place since the publication of Volume 7 in 1975, this change being the first since the inception of the Encyclopedia program in 1958. It was necessitated by the death of Dr Basil T. Fedoroff in December 1976 (see obituary which follows), and the retirement of Mr Oliver E. Sheffield in October 1975 after some 34 years of Federal service, with incumbency atPicatinny Arsenal since January 1943. He authored or co-authored over 40 Picatinny Arsenal Technical Reports and AMC Manuals on explosives, pyrotechnics and propellants. Sheffield is best known as co-editor of this Encyclopedia, with which he was associated since 1958... 

Dr. Basil T. Fedoroff, scientist and engineer, who worked at Picatinny Arsenal from 1946—1961 and served as an Arsenal consultant from 1961—1975, died in Miami, Florida on 29 December 1976 at the age of 85. Dr. Fedoroff, who was best known as the Chief Editor of the Encyclopedia of Explosives and Related Items , Volumes 1 to 7 (1960—1975), was bom in Merv, Russia on 8 January 1891. He graduated from the Imperial Tomsk Institute of Technology as a chemical engineer in 1914, and earned his doctorate in the same field from the University of Paris, Sorbonne in 1940... 

From 1941 until he came to Picatinny Arsenal, Dr. Fedoroff worked in private industry in the field of explosives and propellants. He joined the staff of the Picatinny Arsenal Technical Division as a research chemist in 1946, and remained until his retirement in 1961. In addition to the Encyclopedia, his major publications include A Manual for Explosives Laboratories , 4 volumes... 

Picatinny Arsenal Thermal Neutron Activation Analysis Facility. N... 

The compound was also prepd and examined in the USA by Picatinny Arsenal, Hercules Powder Co and others, and was found to have the following characteristics ... 

In a 30 minute test the results obtained should not differ by more than 1 minute using different lots of paper. On being exposed to nitric oxide fumes, these papers slowly turn green, followed by a salmon pink coloration Methyl Violet Paper Test (Field Test for Pro pint Powders). This method of testing proplnts using 0.1N methyl violet paper directly in the containers in which the powder is stored, was developed at Picatinny Arsenal in 1928—29 (Refs 1 2), and was adopted by the Ordnance Dept to replace the Observation Test about 1931... 

If the proplnt is double-base, it has been observed that even the most stable propints bleach methyl violet paper in much shorter periods than one year. Investigations conducted by P.F. Macy at Picatinny Arsenal (Ref 4) showed that diphenylamine-stabilized doublebase proplnts in service storage at about 30°, may be considered of satisfactory stability if they do not cause complete bleaching of 0.1 N methyl violet paper in one month or less. Such proplnts always show satisfactory stability when subjected to the 65.5° Surveillance Test. It was observed at the same time, that double-base proplnts which had deteriorated, but were not yet hazardous, took from 11 to 24 days to bleach methyl violet paper at 30°... 

Later tests at Picatinny Arsenal revealed that methyl violet paper very often faded in shorter time periods than described above, even for perfectly stable powders, as detd by the 65.5°... 

This applied particularly to double-base propints, although some single-base propints also gave erratic results. For these reasons, work was undertaken at Picatinny Arsenal to find an indicator that would be more reliable than methyl violet. About 60 commercially available dyes were examined by S. Helf (Ref 5) in exptl indicator paper tests, of which only three were found to be superior to methyl violet benzoazurine, trypan red and ethyl violet. Laboratory and surveillance testing showed that papers prepd with a 0.1% soln of benzoazurine did not change in color after one year when used with stable double-base propint, while methyl violet paper was bleached in nearly every case. The other two indicators mentioned above, trypan red and ethyl violet, were not as satisfactory as benzoazurine, although they were better than methyl violet. 

It is a powerful expl, as sensitive to impact as NG (BurMines drop test with 2kg wt, 4cm). Its Abel Test stability is about 20 minutes at 82°. MTN alone does not gelatinize NC unless the temp is raised to 110°, which would be dangerous, but if mixed with only 8% of the triacetate, it gelatinizes the NC at 80° Physical and chemical properties of MTN, detd primarily at Picatinny Arsenal, are as follows ... 

Anon, Packing and Packaging of Ammunition and Related Material at Picatinny Arsenal, nw ra n yiyj ) j aiiuu, Packaging Requirements Code , MIL-STD-726 (I960) 6) Anon, Ammunition Packing De-... 

Picatinny Arsenal. A US Army Armament Command (USAARMCOM) installation located near Dover, Morris County, New Jersey... 

Background- Picatinny Arsenal is a development Arsenal concerned with research and engineering of military propellants, explosives and hardware for Army weapons of all kinds and for the adaption of nuclear and non-nuclear warheads to missiles... 

In 1907 this, the Army s first powder factory, was constructed. It was at this time also, and in line with its expanding activities, that the name was Finally changed to Picatinny Arsenal... 

The Ploesti oil fields were a vital source of petroleum for Hitler s forces. Special bombs were needed to blow up those fields. Picatinny Arsenal supplied these and the Ploesti installations vanished into thin air... 

The close of this period of great war activity was marked by V-J Day. It also marked, faintly and hesitatingly at first, the beginnings of a new era — the establishment of Picatinny Arsenal as... 

Picatinny Arsenal s contributions to the recent military effort in Southeast Asia were substantial. The timely and quantitative production of bombs and other standard items of ammunition was accomplished until industry could regear to resume that role. The Arsenal also responded to the need for the development of new and improved munitions during this period, in chiding more effective fuzes and safing and arming devices... 

Effective July 1973, the U.S. Army Armament.Command was established as a Major Command of the U.S. Army Materiel Command, located at Rock Island, Illinois. Effective 30 September 1973, the U.S. Army Munitions Command and the U.S. Army Weapons Command were disestablished and merged into the operational command of this new Armament Command. Picatinny Arsenal, as a Commodity Center, presently reports organizationally to the U.S. Army Armament Command Refs 1) N.F. Ramsey, ArOrdn 7, 1-8 (1926) (Historical background) 2) F.H. Miles, ibid,... 

The Picatinny Arsenal Powder Factory) 3) G.C. Hale, ibid, 13-18 (1926) (Research activities at Picatinny Arsenal)... 

EH. Zomig, ibid, 19-22 (1926) (Organization and administration of development work at Picatinny Arsenal) 5) J.P. Harris, ibid, 40-48 (1926) (Loading ammunition at Picatinny Arsenal) 6) CJ, Bain, ibid. 49-52 (1926) (High explosives at picatiiny Arsenal) 7) F. Olsen, ibid, 53—57 (1926) (The relation of Picatinny Arsenal to field service) 8) W.H. Tschap pat, ibid, 131—34 (1926) (The Lake Denmark explosion its effect on Picatinny Arsenal)... 

Canfield, Compatibility of Explosives with Polymers (III), An Addendum to Picatinny Arsenal Technical Report 2595 and PLASTEC Rept 33 , PLASTEC Rept 40 (1971)... 

Military Specification MIL-P-223B to Assure Functionally Reliable Black Powder , Picatinny Arsenal Report No ASRSD-QA-A-P-60 (June 1974), cited by Ref 110 80) J.E. Tanner, Jr,... 

Dobbs, N., and J. P. Caltagirone. Stmctures to Resist the Effects of Accidental Explosions. 6 vols. TM 5-1300, NAVFAC P-397, AFM88-22. NJ U.S. Army Armament Research, Development, and Engineering Center, Armament Engineering Directorate, Picatinny Arsenal. 

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