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Everyone has observed chemical reactions involving pyrotechnic mixtures.
Beautiful 4th of July fireworks, highway distress signals,
solid fuel boosters for the Space Shuttle, and the black powder used
by muzzle-loading rifle enthusiasts all have a common technical background.
The chemical principles underlying these high-energy materials
have been somewhat neglected in the twentieth century by academic
and industrial researchers. Most of the recent work has been goaloriented
rather than fundamental in nature (e.g. , produce a deeper
green flame). Many of the significant results are found in military
reports, and chemical fundamentals must be gleaned from many pages
of test results.
Much of today's knowledge is carried in the heads of experienced
personnel. Many of these workers acquired their initial training during
World War II, and they are presently fast approaching (if not
already past) retirement age. This is most unfortunate for future
researchers. Newcomers have a difficult time acquiring the skills and
knowledge needed to begin productive experiments. A background
in chemistry is helpful, but much of today's modern chemistry curriculum
will never be used by someone working in pyrotechnics and
explosives. Further, the critical education in how to safely mix,
handle, and store high-energy materials is not covered at all in today's
schools and must be acquired in "on-the-job" training. |
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| | | | Master Handbook of AcousticsWhat makes a book a classic? More than anything, a classic book is one that we know and trust, a well-used book with dog-eared covers and underlined passages. Without question, Mr. Everest’s The Master Handbook of Acoustics qualifies as a classic. It was extremely well received when the first edition appeared in 1981, and strong reader demand... |
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