Boron/potassium nitrate microspheres fabricated by electrostatic spraying and their combustion characteristic as pyrotechnic ignitor

Boron/potassium nitrate (B/KNO₃) microspheres are fabricated by electrostatic spraying to enhance their combustion efficiency and capability of igniting target materials. Varying composition's effect on reactivity and morphology was analyzed. Closed chamber tests were used to record the process of boron/potassium nitrate igniting guanidine nitrate/basic cupric nitrate gas generator. The results show that the spheres' diameter is approximately 1–5 µm, the reaction peak temperature obtained from TG–DSC is decreased by 55 °C, and B/KNO₃ sphere gets higher pressure and shorter ignition time. It takes only 2.18 s to ignite the gas generator completely, which is 2.32 s for traditional boron/potassium nitrate. In general, boron/potassium nitrate spheres show enhanced ignition capability and could be utilized in a broad variety of combustion systems.