PRIMING MIXTURE

Abstract

A priming mixture is described, comprising aluminium silicate in a quantity not exceeding 30% and preferably in a quantity ranging from 15 to 25% by weight, titanium in a quantity ranging from 1 to 10%, preferably from 2 to 7% by weight, samarium oxide in a quantity ranging from 5 to 20%, preferably from 8 to 16% by weight, all quantities referring to the total weight of the priming mixture.

Claims

1. A priming mixture characterized in that it comprises aluminium silicate in a quantity not exceeding 30% by weight, titanium in a quantity ranging from 1 to 10% by weight, samarium oxide in a quantity ranging from 5 to 20% by weight, all quantities referring to the total weight of the priming mixture.

2. The priming mixture according to claim 1, wherein the titanium is in a finely divided metal form.

3. The priming mixture according to claim 1, wherein the mixture also comprises a potassium compound in a quantity of over 10% by weight, with respect to the total weight of the priming mixture.

4. The priming mixture according to claim 1, wherein the mixture also comprises diazodinitrophenol in a quantity ranging from 22 to 32% by weight, and tetrazene in a quantity ranging from 2 to 7% by weight, with respect to the total weight of the priming mixture.

5. The priming mixture according to claim 1, wherein the mixture also comprises nitrocellulose in a quantity ranging from 2 to 5% by weight, and/or penthrite in a quantity ranging from 2 to 7% by weight with respect to the total weight of the priming mixture.

6. The priming mixture according to claim 1, wherein the priming mixture consists of: diazodinitrophenol in a quantity ranging from 22 to 32% by weight; tetrazene in a quantity ranging from 3 to 5% by weight; potassium nitrate in a quantity ranging from 25 to 35% by weight; nitrocellulose in a quantity ranging from 2 to 4% by weight; aluminium silicate in a quantity ranging from 16 to 24% by weight; penthrite in a quantity ranging from 2 to 4% by weight; titanium metal in a quantity ranging from 3 to 7% by weight; samarium oxide in a quantity ranging from 8 to 13% by weight, all quantities referring to the total weight of the priming mixture.

7. The priming mixture according to claim 1, wherein the priming mixture is selected from the following mixtures: a) diazodinitrophenol 27%; penthrite 2%; tetrazene 4%; aluminium silicate 21%; potassium nitrate 30%; titanium 5%; samarium oxide 9%; nitrocellulose 2%, all quantities being by weight and referring to the total weight of the priming mixture, and b) diazodinitrophenol 25%; penthrite 3%; tetrazene 5%; aluminium silicate 20%; potassium nitrate 31%; titanium 5%; samarium oxide 11%, all quantities being by weight and referring to the total weight of the priming mixture.

8. Use of the priming mixture according to claim 1 as a generating element of gunshot residues univocally identifiable through scanning electron microscope analysis with energy dispersive microprobe.

9. The priming mixture according to claim 1, wherein the aluminium silicate is in a quantity ranging from 15 to 25% by weight.

10. The priming mixture according to claim 1, wherein the titanium is in a quantity ranging from 2 to 7% by weight.

11. The priming mixture according to claim 1, wherein the samarium oxide is in a quantity ranging from 8 to 16% by weight.

12. The priming mixture according to claim 3, wherein the potassium compound is in a quantity ranging from 30 to 40% by weight.

13. The priming mixture according to claim 3, wherein the potassium compound is potassium nitrate in a quantity over 25% by weight.

14. The priming mixture according to claim 13, wherein the potassium nitrate is in a quantity over 30% by weight.

15. The priming mixture according to claim 4, wherein the diazodinitrophenol is in a quantity ranging from 25 to 30% by weight.

16. The priming mixture according to claim 4, wherein the diazodinitrophenol is in a quantity equal to 27% by weight.

17. The priming mixture according to claim 4, wherein the tetrazene is in a quantity equal to 4% by weight.

18. The priming mixture according to claim 5, wherein the nitrocellulose is in a quantity ranging from 3 to 4% by weight.

19. The priming mixture according to claim 5, wherein the penthrite is in a quantity ranging from 3 to 4% by weight.

Description

EXAMPLES

[0031] Some embodiment examples of priming mixtures according to the present invention and comparative priming mixtures are provided hereunder for illustrative but non-limiting purposes of the present invention.

Example 1

[0032] A priming mixture according to the present invention was formulated, having the following composition (weight percentage):

Diazodinitrophenol 27%

Penthrite 2%

Tetrazene 4%

[0033] Aluminium silicate 21%
Potassium nitrate 30%

Titanium 5%

[0034] Samarium oxide 9%

Nitrocellulose 2%

[0035] Said priming mixture applied to ammunition for a calibre 9 firearm was tested to verify its properties in terms of heavy metal residues, stability and ballistic effectiveness at different temperatures, and also in terms of traceability of the gunshot residues.

[0036] Heavy metal residues: upon analysis with analysis techniques, such as for example Plasma ICP, the ammunition with the priming mixture according to Example 1 had heavy metal residues lower than 0.01%.

[0037] Stability at different Ts: by applying the EPVAT NATO method, it was observed that the ammunition with the priming mixture according to Example 1 is stable and ballistically effective at any temperature from 54 C. to +52 C.

[0038] FIGS. 3 and 4 enclosed with the present patent application show the SEM/EDX analysis of the gunshot residues of the priming mixture without titanium and samarium oxide as reference spectrum (FIG. 3) and the gunshot residues of the priming mixture according to Example 1 (FIG. 4).

[0039] The samarium signal is in a position which is particularly easy to detect, as it is far from the signals of all the other elements present in the priming mixture. More specifically, the energy of one of the three lines having the greatest intensity of samarium from 1 keV to 15 keV at the Rntgen fluorescence spectrum, is significant and is clearly distinguished from that of the other elements present.

Example 2

[0040] A priming mixture according to the present invention was formulated, having the following composition (weight percentage):

Diazodinitrophenol 25%

Penthrite 3%

Tetrazene 5%

[0041] Aluminium silicate 20%
Potassium nitrate 31%

Titanium 5%

[0042] Samarium oxide 11%

[0043] This priming mixture, also applied to ammunition for a calibre 9 firearm, was tested to verify its properties in terms of heavy metal residues, stability and ballistic effectiveness at different temperatures, and also in terms of traceability of the gunshot residues.

[0044] Heavy metal residues: upon analysis with analysis techniques, such as for example Plasma ICP, the ammunition with the priming mixture according to Example 2 had heavy metal residues lower than 0.01%.

[0045] Stability at different Ts: by applying the EPVAT NATO method, it was observed that the ammunition with the priming mixture according to Example 2 is stable and ballistically effective at any temperature from 54 C. to +52 C.

[0046] Also in this case, the samarium can be clearly identified, even when present in lower quantities with respect to those present in Example 1.

Example 3 (Comparative)

[0047] A priming mixture was formulated, having the following composition (weight percentage):

Diazodinitrophenol 25%

Penthrite 3%

Tetrazene 5%

[0048] Aluminium silicate 20%
Potassium nitrate 31%

Titanium 5%

[0049] Cerium oxide 5%
Lanthanum oxide 4%

Nitrocellulose 2%

[0050] This priming mixture, also applied to ammunition for a calibre 9 firearm, was tested to verify its properties in terms of unequivocal analysis of the gunshot residues.

[0051] FIG. 5 enclosed with the present patent application shows the REM/EDX analysis of the gunshot residues of the priming mixture according to comparative Example 3, whereas FIG. 6 shows the REM/EDX analysis of a sample obtained from the paraffin glove test of a person who had not fired. The possible metals resulting in the spectrum of FIG. 6 are consequently not due to gunshot residues, but to environmental pollution due to the working environment (for example bodywork operator, mechanic) or quite simply to the use of objects that can cause a contamination of the user with said metals (for example the use of cigarette lighters). FIG. 6 indicates that lanthanum and cerium can be present in the environment and this makes the measurement based on the identification of these metals unreliable and not univocal: by comparing FIG. 5 with FIG. 6, it is evident that the presence of traces of said metals in FIG. 5 cannot be associated with certainty with the presence of cerium/lanthanum in the priming mixture and not attributable, on the other hand, to the cerium/lanthanum already present in the environment (as indicated in FIG. 6).