Abstract:
Manganese metal was evaluated as a fuel for slow-burning delay compositions press-filled in aluminium or compaction-rolled
in lead tubes. Oxides of antimony, bismuth, copper, manganese and vanadium were considered as oxidants. Measured burn rates
for binary mixtures varied between 5 and 22 mm s 1 but slower burning ternary and quaternary compositions were also found.
The addition of fumed silica to the Mn/MnO2 system had little effect on the propagation rate but a low level addition of hollow
glass sphere significantly reduced the burn rate. Mn MnO2
mixtures showed reliable burning over a wide stoichiometric range. In this system the fuel and the oxidant share a common
metal. They combine to form the more stable intermediate oxide (MnO) releasing considerable quantities of heat in the process.
