US1708151A - Tracer composition - Google Patents

Description

. Patented Apr. 9, 1929.

UNITE oFHC TRACER COMPOSITION.

N 0 Drawing.

Application filed May 23, 1924. Serial No. 715,457.

(GRANTED UNDER THE ACT OF MARCH 3, 1L883, AS AMENDED APRE 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757.)

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government or for governmental purposes withsults; the preferred elements for this purpose are thorium and cerium.

These elements may be used either in the form of a nitrate or other oxygen carrier;

in the form of a fuel, as a sulpho-cyanates;

or in the form of inert substances merely for increasing the brilliance, as chloride.

in oxide or The following tracer mixtures'are typical examples of different uses of these elements: 40

As an oxygen carrier: I

out the a ent t e of n ro alt there- 5 on ym o m a y y y Strontium nitrate- 60 p The subject of this invention 'is a com-' f mlimte 40 bustible composition or mixture burning Thol'lmfl with greater or less rapidity, as may be de- P sired, and possessing the desirable quality (1511011111? 25 10 of luminosity, brilliance, or visibility in an inert Substance;

burning; the mixturebeing especially adap St ti it at w for use as a tracer mixture in projectiles, S di i t 60 50 though also useful in many other organiza- 40 tions, such as port fires, rockets, signal fires, c fg Oxide 15 and any burning composition in which the Thorium Oxide 10 above mentioned qualities are desirable. C i 10 It has been found that the addition of certain rare earth elements to combustible The followlng are yp examples of materials will greatly increase the lumicombustible mlxtlll'es 0f the S 20 noslty bnlhapcev and Vlslblhty thereof Thorium-cerium salts 90 to 98 parts when combustion takes place These same Thorium salts 2 to 10 v or elements, or proper salts thereof, when them- Thorium -alts '7' 90 to 98 selves combustible, may be used either alone Cerium n 2 to 10 or in combination with other elements for T n 25 the purpose; above outlined. While the above mixtures are typical hile any rare earth element possessing tracer mixtures they are cited only by way the characteristics, when heated, of giving of example and are intended in no way to off an unusually large proportion of its limit the proportions of the various ingreenergy in the form of light Waves are adaptdients to those set forth as the proportions in 30 ed to produce the above outlined desired rewhich the thorium or cerium salts will be used depend largely upon the other ingredients mixed therewith and the use to which 7 the mixture is intended to be put.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is:

1. A non-explosive pyrotechnic composition including as elements salts of thorium I and cerium and a binder.

2; A tracer composition for projectiles includingnitrates of an alkali'earth metal, salts of cerium and thorium, a fuel and a binder.

3. A tracer composition for projectilesineluding nitrates of alkali earth metals, an oxide of an alkali earth metal, salts of cerium and thorium a fuel and a binder.

4. A tracer composition for projectiles including nitrates of alkali earth metals, an

oxide of an alkali earth metal, salts of rare earth metals a fuel and a binder.

5. A trader composition for projectiles including nitrates of an alkali earth metal, sulphocyanates of cerium and thorium a fuel and a binder.

6. A tracer composition for projectiles including nitrates of an alkali earth metal, salts of cerium and thorium and a fuel.

7 A tracer composition for projectiles, in-

eluding strontium nitrate 60 parts, mag- I nesium 40 parts, cerium thorium salts, 41 parts, calcium resinate 45 parts.

HENRY G. PRITHAM.