Underwater Flares

R.G. Clarke, Underwater Flares , OSRD 1522(PBL 24890)(1943) E) British Report, Comprehensive List of Govt Explosives 1955, Admiralty BR819(lB/54) F) J.F. Tyroler L.J. Frey Jr, "Development of a Special Flare (Rita) , PATR 2238(1956)... 

Hand-held underwater flares for use by divers differ from othpr types by their battery operated, self-contained initiator protected by a rubber diaphragm. The flares, according to a commercial pamphlet, " bum for one or two minutes and furnish 80,000 cp. They can be used at 100-ft depths and lower, and are useful for underwater inspection and exploration—not to forget their popularappearance in some television programs. 

A U. S. patent claims a composition purportedly useful as an underwater flare, though it appears to be overly rich in fuel under conditions where ambient air is absent and the water is not likely to partake in any useful reactions. 

Douda refers to stoichiometric (Mg/F = 1 2) underwater flares [llj. One particular composition is shown helow ... 

Rolle underwater flare [11] NOTS PL 6246 underwater flare [12]... 

Wilson, M.A. (2001) The Development of an Underwater Flare for the Olypic Torch Relay. Sydney 2000, 28th international Pyrotechnics Seminar, 4-9 November, Adelaide, Australia, p. 759. 

Addnl Refs A) W.F. Shirk, "MKIII Reconnaissance and Observation Flare , PATR 1130(1941) B) C.R. Hoover, "Development of Flares Suitable for Underwater Use , OSRD 435 (PBL 40558) (1942) C) A. 

PTFE has been considered both as hydrophobic co-oxodizer and as exclusive oxidizer in underwater illuminating flares. A patent from 1959 devises the use of Mg/Al/Fe304/Ba(N03)2/PTFE as payload for underwater torches [10] with the PTFE content ranging from 17 to 33 wt%. 

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