Energetics

Energetics & Chemical Synthesis Solutions

Over 50 years of innovation in energetic materials: synthesis, chemical process, development and integration in end use items.

Plus over 30 chemical patents… we continue to innovate to meet future needs .

We synthesize primary, high explosive and specialty chemicals, perform powder blending and pyrotechnic compounding and conduct propellant mixing, casting and machining. In addition, our R & D team develops new energetics for a variety of applications including high-temperature, product improvement and green drop-in replacements for existing primary explosives.

Our pyrotechnic materials transform energy to perform some kind of work when milliseconds matter, whether it be to actuate, detonate, generate, initiate, perforate, separate or terminate, you can rely on the necessary outcome you need to complete your mission. Energetic materials (EMs) have long been utilized for a variety of military, aerospace, commercial and oil and gas applications. While legacy materials deliver specific and established properties, there are circumstances and applications that demand new or customized EMs.

Whether you need to replace a legacy material that is no longer commercially available or have an application requiring new or modified EMs with enhanced properties— spanning reliability, sensitivity, stability, compatibility, output and safety—We can help. With a long history of EM synthesis and evaluation, chemists and chemical engineers on staff and dedicated testing and production facilities, we can help you with a range of EM needs.

Our chemistry facility is capable of receiving, analyzing, and performing safety testing along with fully documenting your projects which involve primary and secondary explosives.

All Energetics

Lead Azide

What It Is

Lead azide (LA) is a white primary explosive composed of lead and nitrogen. Three common varieties of LA are produced based on different additives: dextrin (DLA), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and CMC (RD-1333). Manufacture with these additives optimizes the crystal shape so that the LA will flow through automatic loading equipment. The additives also serve to reduce the sensitivity of t he lead azide.

BNCP

What It Is

BNCP is a relatively insensitive primary explosive made from sodium 5-nitrotetrazole, cobalt and potassium perchlorate. It was developed at PacSci EMC in conjunction with Sandia National Labs. It’s typically orange in color and both it and it’s combustion products are relatively non-toxic.

BKNO3

What It Is

BKNO3 is a versatile energetic chemical with multiple uses at PacSci EMC. It’s a fuel-oxidizer mixture made up of approximately 24% boron, 71% potassium nitrate and 5% polyester binder. At times, we blend it at PacSci EMC but we also purchase this composition from Pyrotechnic Specialties Inc., a trusted Georgia-based manufacturer.

BKNO3 may be purchased as either granular powder or prepressed pellets

A1A Ignition Mix

What It Is
This pyrotechnic is an in-house favorite. It’s a blend of zirconium metal (fuel), red iron oxide (oxidizer) and diatomaceous earth (aka superfloss). We blend these by suspending them in solvent for safety purposes. The result is a fine dark red powder.

Titanium Hydride/ Potassium Perchlorate (THPP)

THPP is a “booster” pyrotechnic and is a blend of a fuel (titanium hydride. TiH2), an oxidizer (potassium perchlorate, KClO4) and binder, typically Viton. The primary use at Pac Sci EMC is as a pyrotechnic transfer composition where it converts the heat energy from a bridgewire pyrotechnic (usually ZPP) to generate a flame and hot particles which ignite an output charge. THPP affords a rapid pressure rise, emits hot particles and has good thermal stability.

Zirconium/Potassium Perchlorate (ZPP)

The pyrotechnic zirconium/ potassium perchlorate (“ZPP”) is a mixture of fuel (high purity micron range Zr powder) and an oxidizer (milled potassium perchlorate). ZPP has been widely used in electro-explosive devices for many years as a composition that converts the electrical energy applied to a bridgewire into sufficient heat and hot particles to initiate a downstream transfer charge or explosive output. ZPP is used in defense, automotive initiators and in the NASA Standard Initiator where it plays a critical role in initiating various pyrotechnic events in space applications. ZPP has the advantages of affording a rapid pressure rise, generating only minor gas, emitting hot particles, being very thermally stable (>450 °C) and having a long shelf life.

DBX-1 Primary Explosive

DBX-1 is a primary explosive designed to function as a drop-in replacement for lead azide. It’s produced from copper(II) and sodium 5-nitrotetrazolate and it’s chemical name is copper(I)
5-nitrotetrazolate. DBX-1 was discovered and developed at PacSci EMC.

Hipel 710 Propellant Mixture

W HIPEL 710 WORK …

Product Description

Hipel 710 Propellent is used in the oilfield, when mixed in a 50/50 blend with Hipel 3500 will deflagrate and propel the coring bullets at their optimum velocity is obtained. Hipel 710 Propellent, a trade name for a hydroxyl-terminated polybutidiene (HTPB) propellant, comprising 84% ammonium perchlorate (NH₄ ClO₄) (oxidizer), 9.1% HTPB (fuel), 0.7% aluminum trihydrate (Al₂ O₃ x3H₂ O) (burn rate catalyst), 0.2% Fe₂ O₃ (burn rate stabilizer), and 6% polymide (Kermid 601).

Heat Powder Pyrotechnic Thermite

Product Description

Our Heat Powder Pyrotechnic Thermite is designed with high burn rates for rapid activation of the battery and to provide low/no gas along with high pellet strength in order to maintain the mechanical integrity of the battery. As a replacement for Zirconium Barium Chromate, it improves storage life, mechanical properties, and ignition speed. it can be tailored to meet the needs of your program.

Green Energetics

Product Description

When it comes to energetic materials, you know that an environmental impact is inevitable. Our Green Energetics take impact into consideration.

Developing Green Energetics

After all, it’s the nature of the work you do with detonators, primers, ignition devices and pyro train elements each day. And although “greener,” lead-free energetic solutions with less impactful disposal and detonation methods have recently emerged on the market, they aren’t always as effective at delivering the results you require to produce at high volume and stay competitive.

We’ve spent two decades engineering alternatives to existing lead azide and lead styphnate materials that don’t just meet industry standards for cost-effectiveness and efficiency—they exceed them, in both defense and commercial applications.