An experimental investigation of the sensitization of aliphatic hydrocarbon fuels.

Abstract

Jet aircraft fuels are relatively stable and safe to handle. Therefore they are not readily adaptable to weapons applications. A study of the sensitization of the jet fuel with solid additives was carried out. Comparisons between the mixtures with the different solid additives were made to determine the best ones An investigation of different ignition methods was also made to find a practical means of igniting the mixtures. The results indicated that the jet fuel could be sensitized using a strong oxidizer in conjunction with either magnesium or red phosphorous. The fuel can also be ignited with a combination of chemicals which produce a spontaneous reaction.