Use of Magnesium Diboride as a Green Fuel for Green Illuminants

We report here on the use of magnesium diboride (MgB2) as a barium-free alternative for the pyrotechnic generation of green light. Formulations employing KNO3 as the oxidizer, MgB2 as the fuel, and various binders and additives were investigated. Upon combustion, the compositions were found to generate the photochemically active BO2 radical, which emits green light. Fixing the MgB2 content at 21 wt % gave the closest dominant wavelength (561.4 nm) to that desired for green illuminants and a spectral purity of 33%. The addition of burning rate modifiers to this system was found to inhibit the formation of the BO2 radical. Exchanging the KNO3 oxidizer for NH4ClO4 increased the spectral purity to 45%. Correlations between the results of thermodynamic modeling and the experimental data are also reported.