Phosphor combination and method, particularly adapted for use with explosives, for providing a distinctive information label

Abstract

Phosphor-explosive material combination and method wherein a small amount of inorganic phosphor is mixed with explosive material to provide an indicia or label of information regarding the explosive, either before or after detonation of same. The phosphor can readily be located with an ultraviolet lamp even after the explosive has been detonated, and by correlating the phosphor emission spectra with data known about the explosive when it is manufactured, the explosive can be identified. Line-emitting phosphors are especially useful because of their distinctive emission characteristics, which provide a vast number of possible combinations of emission which are correlated against the data known about the explosive when it is manufactured. Preferably the phosphor is formed as a combination of finely divided "spotter" phosphor and finely divided "coding" material held together by a binder in the form of small conglomerates, in order to facilitate initial location and later identification of same. There exists a vast number of different combinations of distinctive fluorescent emission, and these can be combined to label any item for later identification.

We claim as our invention: 
     
       1. In combination, explosive agent or explosive material and associated means which will provide an indicia of information regarding said explosive agent or explosive material, said combination comprising: a. an explosive agent or explosive material; and   b. a relatively small amount of inorganic phosphor means incorporated with and retained in intimate association with said explosive agent or explosive material and receptive to the shock, pressure, high temperature and reactive atmospheres resulting from the ultimate detonation thereof, and the fluorescence of said phosphor means comprising a readily identifiable indicia of information regarding said explosive agent or explosive material.   
     
     
       2. In combination, solid explosive material and associated individualistic and readily determinable phosphor means which will provide an indicia of information regarding said explosive material either before or after detonation of same, said combination comprising: a. solid explosive material; and   b. a relatively small amount of conglomerated small particles scattered within said explosive, said conglomerated particles comprising a first finely divided phosphor material which is excited by predetermined energy to produce a predetermined emission of readily detectable radiations, at least one finely divided second phosphor material which is excited by predetermined energy to produce a predetermined individualistic emission of radiations which is different from the emission of said first phosphor material, and inorganic binder material intimately holding together said first phosphor material and second phosphor material as a plurality of small particles each comprising said conglomerates of said first finely divided phosphor material and said second finely divided phosphor material, and said binder material transmissive of at least said predetermined energy which excites said first phosphor material and transmissive of said readily detectable radiations produced by said excited first phosphor material.   
     
     
       3. The combination as specified in claim 2, wherein said explosive material comprises dynamite, said first phosphor material is efficiently excited by ultra-violet radiations to provide a band-type emission, said second phosphor material is excited by ultra-violet radiations to produce a line-type emission, and the relative amount of said first phosphor material substantially exceeds the relative amount of said second phosphor material. 
     
     
       4. The combination as specified in claim 3, wherein said conglomerates comprise from about 0.01 to 1 percent by weight of said dynamite, said conglomerates are of such size as to weigh about one milligram each, said first and second phosphor materials comprise about 80 percent by weight of said conglomerates, said first phosphor material is apatite structured halophosphate activated by antimony and manganese, and said second phosphor material comprises yttrium oxide matrix activated by trivalent europium, and the weight ratio of said first phosphor material to said second phosphor material is about 90:10. 
     
     
       5. The combination as specified in claim 2, wherein said solid explosive material has the general configuration of an explosive cartridge. 
     
     
       6. In combination, an explosive cartridge and associated means which will provide an indicia of information regarding said explosive cartridge, said combination comprising: a. an explosive cartridge comprising a casing and explosive material enclosed by said casing; and   b. a relatively small amount of inorganic fluorescent phosphor means incorporated with and retained in intimate association with said explosive cartridge and receptive to the shock, pressure, high temperature and reactive atmospheres resulting from the ultimate detonation thereof, and the fluorescence of said phosphor means comprising a readily locatable indicia of information regarding said explosive cartridge.   
     
     
       7. In combination, explosive agent or explosive material and associated means which will provide an indicia of information regarding said explosive agent or explosive material, said combination comprising: a. an explosive agent or explosive material; and   b. a relatively small amount of inorganic phosphor means incorporated with and retained in intimate association with said explosive agent or explosive material and receptive to the shock, pressure, high temperature and reactive atmospheres resulting from the ultimate detonation thereof, and the fluorescence of said phosphor means comprising a readily identifiable indicia of information regarding said explosive agent or explosive material, said phosphor means is in finely divided form, and finely divided other material is retained in intimate association with said phosphor means in the form of small conglomerates, said finely divided other material upon identification providing individualistic indicia of information, and once said other material has been located, said other material is readily identifiable.   
     
     
       8. In combination, explosive agent or explosive material and associated means which will provide an indicia of information regarding said explosive agent or explosive material, said combination comprising: a. an explosive agent or explosive material; and   b. a relatively small amount of inorganic phosphor means incorporated with and retained in intimate association with said explosive agent or explosive material and receptive to the shock, pressure, high temperature and reactive atmospheres resulting from the ultimate detonation thereof, and the fluorescence of said phosphor means comprising a readily identifiable indicia of information regarding said explosive agent or explosive material, said phosphor means is in finely divided form, and finely divided other material is retained in intimate association with said phosphor means in the form of small conglomerates, said finely divided other material upon identification providing individualistic indicia of information, and once said other material has been located, said other material is readily identifiable by at least one of the procedures of emission spectroscopy, atomic absorption spectroscopy, X-ray fluorescence analysis, neutron irradiation and activation analysis, or distinctive fluorescent emission response.   
     
     
       9. The combination as specified in claim 8, wherein said conglomerates are scattered throughout said explosive agent or explosive material. 
     
     
       10. In combination, explosive agent or explosive material and associated means which will provide an indicia of information regarding said explosive agent or explosive material, said combination comprising: a. an explosive agent or explosive material; and   b. a relatively small amount of inorganic phosphor means incorporated with and retained in intimate association with said explosive agent or explosive material and receptive to the shock, pressure, high temperature and reactive atmospheres resulting from the ultimate detonation thereof, and the fluorescence of said phosphor means comprising a readily identifiable indicia of information regarding said explosive agent or explosive material, said phosphor means is in finely divided form, and finely divided other material is retained in intimate association with said phosphor means in the form of small conglomerates, said finely divided other material upon identification providing individualistic indicia of information, and once said other material has been located, said other material is readily identifiable by at least one of the procedures of emission spectroscopy, atomic absorption spectroscopy, X-ray fluorescence analysis, neutron irradiation and activation analysis, or distinctive fluorescent emission response, and said distinctive fluorescent emission response comprises line emisson fluorescent response.   
     
     
       11. In combination, an explosive cartridge and associated means which will provide an indicia of information regarding said explosive cartridge, said combination comprising: a. an explosive cartridge comprising a casing and explosive material enclosed by said casing; and   b. a relatively small amount of inorganic fluorescent phosphor means incorporated with and retained in intimate association with said explosive cartridge and receptive to the shock, pressure, high temperature and reactive atmospheres resulting from the ultimate detonation thereof, and the fluorescence of said phosphor means comprising a readily located indicia of information regarding said explosive cartridge, said phosphor means is in finely divided form, and finely divided other material is retained in intimate association with said phosphor means in the form of small conglomerates, said finely divided other material upon identification providing individualistic indicia of information, and once said other material has been located, said other material is readily identifiable.   
     
     
       12. In combination, an explosive cartridge and associated means which will provide an indicia of information regarding said explosive cartridge, said combination comprising: a. an explosive cartridge comprising a casing and explosive material enclosed by said casing; and   b. a relatively small amount of inorganic fluorescent phosphor means incorporated with and retained in intimate association with said explosive cartridge and receptive to the shock, pressure, high temperature and reactive atmospheres resulting from the ultimate detonation thereof, and the fluorescence of said phosphor means comprising a readily locatable indicia of information regarding said explosive cartridge, said phosphor means is in finely divided form, and finely divided other material is retained in intimate association with said phosphor means in the form of small conglomerates, said finely divided other material upon identification providing individualistic indicia of information, and once said other material has been located, said other material is readily identifiable by at least one of the procedures of emission spectroscopy, atomic absorption spectroscopy, X-ray fluorescence analysis, neutron irradiation and activation analysis, or distinctive fluorescent emission response.   
     
     
       13. In combination, .[.en.]. .Iadd.an .Iaddend.explosive cartridge and associated means which will provide an indicia of information regarding said explosive cartridge, said combination comprising: a. an explosive cartridge comprising a casing and explosive material enclosed by said casing; and   b. a relatively small amount of inorganic fluorescent phosphor means incorporated with and retained in intimate association with said explosive cartridge and receptive to the shock, pressure, high temperature and reactive atmospheres resulting from the ultimate detonation thereof, and the fluorescence of said phosphor means comprising a readily locatable indicia of information regarding said explosive cartridge, said phosphor means is in finely divided form, and finely divided other material is retained in intimate association with said phosphor means in the form of small conglomerates, said finely divided other material upon identification providing individualistic indicia of information, and once said other material has been located said other material is readily identifiable by at least one of the procedures of emission spectroscopy, atomic absorption spectroscopy, X-ray fluorescence analysis, neutron irradiation and activation analysis, or distinctive fluorescent emission response, and said distinctive fluorescent emission response comprises line emission fluorescent response.   
     
     
       14. In combination, an explosive cartridge and asscociated means which will provide an indicia of information regarding said explosive cartridge, said combination comprising: a. an explosive cartridge comprising a casing and explosive material enclosed by said casing; and   b. a relatively small amount of inorganic fluorescent phosphor means incorporated with and retained in intimate association with said explosive cartridge and receptive to the shock, pressure, high temperature and reactive atmospheres resulting from the ultimate detonation thereof, and the fluorescence of said phosphor means comprising a readily locatable indicia of information regarding said explosive cartridge, said inorganic phosphor means comprises a plurality of conglomerated small particles, said conglomerated small particles comprising a first finely divided phosphor material which is excited by predetermined energy to produce a predetermined emission of readily detectable radiations, at least one finely divided second phosphor material which is excited by predetermined energy to produce a predetermined individualistic emission of radiations which is different from the emission of said first phosphor material, and inorganic binder material intimately holding together said first phosphor material and second phosphor material as a plurality of small particles each comprising said conglomerates of said first finely divided phosphor material and said second finely divided phosphor material, and said binder material transmissive of at least said predetermined energy which excites said first phosphor material and transmissive of said readily detectable radiations produced by said excited first phosphor material. .Iadd. 15. An explosive device comprising an explosive material and inorganic luminscent material making-up less than about 1 percent by weight of the explosive device such that prior to detonation of the explosive device the luminescent material is not readily detectable under ambient light while following detonation of the explosive device the luminescent material is detectable upon excitation by a nonvisible excitation radiation. .Iaddend..Iadd. 16. An explosive device of claim 15 in which the luminescent material is present in an amount of from about 0.01 to about 1 percent. .Iaddend..Iadd. 17. An explosive device of claim 15 in which the luminescent material is added to explosive material in the explosive device. .Iaddend..Iadd. 18. An explosive device of claim 15 in which the luminescent material is a fluorescent material. .Iaddend..Iadd. 19. An explosive device of claim 15 in which the luminescent material is a phosphorescent material. .Iaddend..Iadd. 20. An explosive device of claim 15 in which at least two luminescent materials are employed. .Iaddend..Iadd. 21. An explosive device as claimed in claim 15 in which the average particle size of the luminescent material is about 500 to 700 microns. .Iaddend.