O-132 Combustion Properties of Blackbody Infrared Compositions Based on Perfluoroalkylated Tetrazolates, Magnesium and Viton®

Infrared decoy flares serve the protection of aerial platforms such as helicopters, fixed wing and jet propelled planes against infrared guided air-to-air and surface-to-air missiles [1-3].  These flares are jettonised from the craft at high speed and upon combustion develop a strong infrared signature in the infrared band between 1-5 μm.  Blackbody signature flares are often constituted from magnesium, polytetrafluoroethylene, (C2F4)n, (Teflon® and vinylidene fluoride - hexafluoropropene copolymer (C10F13H7)n (Viton®) and are hence called MTV flares [4].  Operational MTV flares contain 55 wt-% Magnesium, 30wt-% Teflon® and 15 wt-% Viton®.  The overall reaction of this composition can be described according to Eq. 1 and 2.