Thermal decomposition of pyrotechnic mixtures containing sucrose with either potassium chlorate or potassium perchlorate

The thermal behavior of sucrose, KClO3, KClO4, and KClO3 + sucrose and KClO4 + sucrose mixtures was studied experimentally using differential thermal analysis (DTA) and thermogravimetry (TG). The mixtures (KClO3 or KClO4 with sucrose) are sometimes used as pyrotechnic mixtures in military activities. The results demonstrate that the ignition temperatures for KClO3 and KClO4 are 472 and 592 °C, respectively. On the other hand, DTA-TG of pure sucrose indicates that this compound decomposes at 180 °C before it initiates. Also, when KClO3 is replaced by KClO4 as oxidizer of the fuel, sucrose, the sensitivity of the mixture decreases. In addition, the ignition temperature for a mixture of KClO3 and sucrose can be as low as 180 °C. However, replacing KClO3 with KClO4 elevates the ignition temperature of the mixture by at least 200 to ∼410 °C, which is a safe temperature for preventing activation of the mixture by accidental factors such as static electricity.