Flash-ignitable energetic material

Abstract

Carbon nanotubes and activated carbon containing a metal such as palladium release a photoacoustic effect when subjected to a flash of light. A light ignitable, energetic composition is produced by mixing one of them with an energetic material such as carbon black powder or ammonium perchlorate.

1 . A light ignitable, energetic composition comprising an intimate mixture of 
 (i) activated carbon;    (ii) an energetic material selected from the group consisting of black powder, ammonium perchlorate, hexogen, octogen, pentaerythritol tetranitrate, trinitrotoluene, nitroglycerine, nitrocellulose, ammonium nitrate, lead azide, lead styphnate, nitro plasticizers and picric acid; and    (iii) a metal selected from the group consisting of palladium, iron, nickel, cobalt, aluminum, copper, zinc, potassium, sodium and titanium.    
     
     
         2 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the mixture contains 1 to 20 weight percent activated carbon, the remainder being the energetic material.  
     
     
         3 . The composition of  claim 2 , wherein the mixture contains 95 weight percent of the energetic material and 5 weight percent activated carbon containing metal.  
     
     
         4 . The composition of  claim 2 , wherein the mixture contains 95 weight percent black powder and 5 weight percent activated carbon.  
     
     
         5 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the energetic material is ammonium perchlorate.  
     
     
         6 . The composition of  claim 2 , wherein the mixture contains 95 weight percent ammonium perchlorate and 5 weight percent activated carbon.  
     
     
         7 . The composition of  claim 3 , wherein the mixture contains 95 weight percent of ground ammonium perchlorate and 5 weight percent of activated carbon containing 97 weight percent carbon and 3 weight percent palladium.