Sulfides, antimonious charge

Performance tests consisted of loading DBX-1 as a transfer charge in U.S. Army M55 stab detonators. Standard M55 detonators consist of three separate explosive layers, pressed sequentially into a metal detonator cup as shown in Figure 6. The first layer is 15 mg of the stab initiation mix (NOL-130) it is a combination of lead azide, lead styphnate, barium nitrate, antimony sulfide, and tetrazene [l-(5-tetrazolyl)-3-guanyltetra-zene hydrate], pressed at 70,000 psi. The second layer is 51 mg of transfer charge, lead azide, pressed at 10,000 psi. Lastly, the third layer is 19 mg of output charge, RDX, pressed at 15,000 psi. 

ANTIMONY SULFIDE 30% t 2% MERCURY FULMINATE 35% t 2% POTASSIUM CHLORATE 35% WEIGHT OF CHARGE 0.025 GRAM... 

Reilly (Ref 1) describes a gray mixt made by mixing 7 parts of meal powder with 100 parts of sulfur, and is mostly used for the manuf of fire balls (used in war). These consist of twill bags, charged with compressed gray mixture, which is filled into them with the aid of spirit they are fired by means of a composition fuse. Gray mixture mixed with antimony sulfide is used for torches. 

Second star composition. Take of saltpeter in fine and dry flour ten ounces, of charcoal, of sulfur, of powder (gun-pow der), of antimony (sulfide), and of camphor each two frcscottx. Temper the whole with oil of turpentine, and make it into a powdery (mealy) paste w hich you will put into little cartridges and.you wdll load them in the same manner as rockets [that is, by pounding in the charge]. When you wish to use them, it is necessary to remove the paper wrapper and to cut them into pieces setting a little black match (m che d estoupin) in the middle (of each piece) through a little hole which you will pierce there. 

In stab and percussion detonators (Figure 1), motion of the firing pin initiates a deflagration in a sensitive primary mixture, such as NOL-130 (a mixture of 40% lead styphnate, 20% lead azide, 15% antimony sulfide. 20% barium nitrate, and 5% tetrazene) [2], The upper illustration shows a typical stab detonator. Its function is to ignite rapidly and produce enough output to detonate a lead over a small gap ( 0.127 cm). Such a detonator is mounted "out-of-line" in the train, while the lead is "in-line" with a booster charge. Lead azide is initiated rapidly by the primer and detonates with sufficient impulse to detonate the output charge (RDX). 

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