Formulation and Several Characteristics of the Smoke Compositions Based on Red Phosphorus

Red phosphorus is an important ingredient in the manufacture of pyrotechnic smoke and is likely to be in service for many years. One of the most effective ways to use smoke screens is to protect special vehicles from laser and infrared guidance systems. In this work, the formulation, obscurant and emission characteristics of the smoke composition in smoke devices used in military vehicles were determined and evaluated. Research results show that the smoke composition comprises red phosphorus, sodium nitrate, Al-Mg alloy, and fluorine-containing polymers. The outcomes also demonstrated that the smoke screen has a high attenuation capability to 1.064 µm laser radiation and strong infrared emission in both wavelength ranges of 3 - 5 µm and 8 - 14 µm.