Smokeless flash powder

• US 8,002,914 B1
• Filed: 03/24/2009
• Issued: 08/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Original Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Inventors: Swanson, Travis, D'Arche, Steven P.
• Primary Examiner(s): McDonough; James E
• Application Number:
  US12/409,956
• Time in Patent Office: 882 Days
• Field of Search: 149/37, 149/43, 149/45, 149/87, 149/108.2, 149/109.4, 149/109.6
• US Class Current: 149/37
• CPC Class Codes: C06B 31/28 the salt being ammonium nitrate
• CPC Class Codes: C06C 15/00 Pyrophoric compositions; Flints chemical lighters C06C9/00; alloys in general C22C

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.

Claims

1. A method of blinding a target, comprising the steps of:

providing 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 CAN; and

from about zero percent by weight to about 5 percent by weight of a binder material; and

,

igniting the flash powder wherein reaction products of the flash powder are seen by the target.

2. A method of blinding a target, comprising the steps of:

providing a flash powder comprising about 38 percent by weight to about 44 percent by weight zirconium hydride, about 40 percent by weight to about 90 percent by weight CAN, and about zero percent by weight to about 5 percent by weight of a binder material; and

igniting the flash powder, wherein reaction products of the flash powder are seen by the target.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the flash powder comprises about 52 percent by weight to about 58 percent by weight CAN.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the steps of:

placing the flash powder in a grenade shell; and

,

throwing the grenade shell toward the target after the ignition step.

5. A method of blinding a target, comprising the steps of:

providing a flash powder comprising about 25 percent by weight to about 60 percent by weight zirconium hydride, about 40 percent by weight to about 75 percent by weight CAN, and about zero percent by weight to about 5 percent by weight of a binder material; and

igniting the flash powder, wherein reaction products of the flash powder are seen by the target.