Encapsulated signal illumination flare composition

Abstract

An encapsulated signal illuminant flare composition is comprised of powde magnesium from about 45 to about 60 weight percent, of powdered sodium nitrate from about 32 to about 49 weight percent, and of capsular adhesives containing about 91 weight liquid materials contained within capsules having cell walls of equal parts Arabic gum and gelatin of about 9 weight percent to yield a binder from about 6 to about 12 weight percent. The composition ingredients are blended in a dry mixer to achieve a homogeneously, blended signal illuminant flare composition. The blended signal illuminant flare composition is incrementally fed into a flare press for compacting into cartridges in two increments at about 14,000 psi pressure which ruptures the capsular adhesives by hydraulic forces to achieve polymer mixing and the surrounding of the powder ingredients with the binder ingredients to form a very homogenous signal illuminant flare composition mass. The flare composition mass is cured for about 16 hours at a minimum temperature of about 170° F. The capsular adhesives are blended of about one part of an epoxy adhesive to two parts of a polyester adhesive. The capsular epoxy adhesive is comprised of about 79 weight percent diglycidyl ether of Bisphenol A and of about 12 weight percent of benzoyl peroxide contained in capsules having cell walls comprised of Arabic gum and gelatin of about 9 weight percent. The capsular polyester adhesive is comprised of about 86 weight percent polyester resin, of about 5 weight percent N, N'-dimethyl-o-toluidine contained in capsules having cell walls comprised of Arabic gum and gelatin of about 9 weight percent.

I claim: 
     
       1. A method for the manufacture of a signal illuminant utilizing a signal illuminant flare composition wherein the binder composition of said signal illuminant flare composition is formed from ingredients released from ruptured capsules during the mixing procedure, said capsules having cell walls comprised of Arabic gum and gelatin for containing the ingredients for forming said binder composition and wherein said capsules flow as a free-flow powder until subjected to a compacting force which ruptures the cell walls during a mixing procedure to thereby release said ingredients, said method comprising: (i) feeding milled sodium nitrate into a hammer mill and milling the same to a powder to achieve a particle size from about 20 micrometers to about 55 micrometers weight-mean-diameter by sieve analysis;   (ii) admitting said milled sodium nitrate from a weighing feeder to an operating dry mixer in a weight percent range from about 32 to about 49 of said signal illuminant flare compositions which is additionally comprised of magnesium powder of about 30 to about 50 weight-mean-diameter in an amount from about 45 weight percent to about 60 weight percent of said signal illuminant flare composition and said binder composition from about 6 to about 12 weight percent of said signal illuminant flare composition;   (iii) admitting said magnesium powder to said operating dry mixer in a weight percent range from about 45 to about 60 of said signal illuminant flare composition;   (iv) blending capsular adhesives ranging in sizes from about 300 to about 1000 micrometers in a ratio of one part of an epoxy adhesive to two parts of a polyester adhesive to achieve when blended, a blend which performs as a free-flow powder containing 91% liquid materials contained within capsules having cell walls composed of about 9% Arabic gum and gelatin in equal ratio amounts, said epoxy adhesive comprised of about 79.0 weight percent diglycidyl ether of Bisphenol A and of about 12.0 weight percent of benzoyl peroxide contained in capsules having cell walls comprised of said Arabic gum and gelatin of about 9.0 weight percent, said polyester adhesive comprised of about 86.0 weight percent polyester resin and of about 5.0 weight percent N,N'-dimethyl-o-toluidine contained in capsules having cell wall comprised of said Arabic gum and gelatin of about 9.0 weight percent;   (v) admitting said capsular adhesive blend to said operating dry mixer in a weight percent range from about 6 to about 12 weight percent of said signal illuminant flare composition ingredients to achieve homogeneity;   (vi) feeding said homogeneously, blended signal illuminant flare composition into a flare increment feeder for incremental feeding the same into a flare press for compacting into paper cartridges;   (vii) compacting said blended signal illuminant flare composition into a paper cartridge in two increments while employing 14,000 psi pressure which ruptures said capsular adhesives by hydraulic forces to achieve polymer mixing and the surrounding of the powder ingredients with said binder ingredients to thereby form a very homogeneous signal illuminant flare composition mass; and   (viii) curing said homogeneous signal illuminant flare composition mass for about 16 hours at a maximum temperature of about 170° F. to yield said signal illuminant flare.   
     
     
       2. The signal illuminant flare manufactured by the method of claim 1 wherein said flare has a density in grams per cubic centimeter, a burning rate in inches per second, and a candlepower which varies in a accordance with said binder weight percent and said magnesium weight percent as set forth below for said signal illuminant flare composition having mix numbers 1-4 as follows:   ______________________________________                                    
Mix                    Density                                            
                              Burning                                     
No.  Binder % Mg (%)   (gm/cc)                                            
                              Rate (ips)                                  
                                      Candlepower                         
______________________________________                                    
1    6        45       1.808  0.0640  137,400                             
2    6        50       1.762  0.0799  173.300                             
3    6        55       1.707  0.0996  202.400                             
4    6        57       1.686  0.1119  201,400                             
5    8        45       1.847  0.0748  151,100                             
6    8        50       1.794  0.0748  151,100                             
8    8        60       1.696  0.1110  161,700                             
9    10       45       1.858  0.0580  101,800                             
10   10       50       1.815  0.0730  119,500                             
11   10       55       1.764  0.0870  130,900                             
12   10       60       1.728  0.0996  126,600                             
13   12       50       1.863  0.0548  115.100                             
14   12       55       1.787  0.0752  103,800                             
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