Smokeless flash powder

Abstract

A flash powder formulation for use in flash grenades that produces reduced smoke containing from about 10 percent by weight to about 60 percent by weight of zirconium hydride, from about 40 percent by weight to about 90 percent by weight CAN, and from zero percent by weight to about 5 percent by weight of a binder material.

1 . A flash grenade comprising:
 a grenade shell,   a flash powder located within the grenade shell, the flash powder including:
 from about 10 percent by weight to about 60 percent by weight of zirconium hydride; 
 from about 40 percent by weight to about 90 percent by weight of CAN; and 
 from zero percent by weight to about 5 percent by weight of a binder material. 
   
     
     
         2 . The flash grenade of  claim 1 , wherein the flash powder comprises from about 38 percent by weight to about 44 percent by weight of zirconium hydride. 
     
     
         3 . The flash grenade of  claim 1 , wherein the flash powder comprises from about 52 percent by weight to about 58 percent by weight of CAN. 
     
     
         4 . The flash grenade of  claim 1 , wherein the flash powder comprises:
 from about 38 percent by weight to about 44 percent by weight of zirconium hydride;   from about 52 percent by weight to about 58 percent by weight of CAN; and   about 3 percent by weight of a binder material.   
     
     
         5 . The flash grenade of  claim 1 , wherein the flash powder is configured to be ignited and upon ignition is both audible and visible to a target. 
     
     
         6 . The flash grenade of  claim 5 , wherein upon ignition the flash powder is configured to produce a high report to deafen the target. 
     
     
         7 . The flash grenade of  claim 5 , wherein upon ignition the flash powder is configured to produce a light emission to blind the target. 
     
     
         8 . The flash grenade of  claim 5 , wherein the grenade shell is configured to be thrown at the target. 
     
     
         9 . The flash grenade of  claim 1 , wherein the grenade is configured to be detonated and upon detonation the flash powder produces less obscurant smoke than a flash powder comprising a potassium perchlorate oxidizer and an aluminum powder fuel. 
     
     
         10 . A flash grenade having a flash powder comprising:
 from about 10 percent by weight to about 60 percent by weight of zirconium hydride;   from about 40 percent by weight to about 90 percent by weight of CAN; and   from zero percent by weight to about 5 percent by weight of a binder material,   
     
     
         11 . The flash grenade of  claim 10 , wherein the flash powder includes from about 38 percent by weight to about 44 percent by weight of zirconium hydride. 
     
     
         12 . The flash grenade of  claim 10 , wherein the flash powder includes from about 52 percent by weight to about 58 percent by weight of CAN. 
     
     
         13 . The flash grenade of  claim 10 , wherein the flash powder includes from about 38 percent by weight to about 44 percent by weight of zirconium hydride; from about 52 percent by weight to about 58 percent by weight of CAN; and about 3 percent by weight of a binder material. 
     
     
         14 . The flash grenade of  claim 10 , wherein the flash powder is configured to be ignited and upon ignition is both audible and visible to a target. 
     
     
         15 . The flash grenade of  claim 14 , wherein upon ignition the flash powder is configured to produce a high report to deafen the target. 
     
     
         16 . The flash grenade of  claim 14 , wherein upon ignition the flash powder is configured to produce a light emission to blind the target. 
     
     
         17 . The flash grenade of  claim 14 , wherein the flash grenade shell is configured to be thrown at the target. 
     
     
         18 . The flash grenade of  claim 10 , wherein the grenade is configured to be detonated and upon detonation the flash powder produces less obscurant smoke than a flash powder comprising a potassium perchlorate oxidizer and an aluminum powder fuel.