A pyrolant (from Greek ''pyr'', fire) is an energetic material that generates hot

flames A flame (from Latin '' flamma'') is the visible, gaseous part of a fire. It is caused by a highly exothermic chemical reaction taking place in a thin zone. When flames are hot enough to have ionized gaseous components of sufficient density they ...

upon

combustion Combustion, or burning, is a high-temperature exothermic redox chemical reaction between a fuel (the reductant) and an oxidant, usually atmospheric oxygen, that produces oxidized, often gaseous products, in a mixture termed as smoke. Combus ...

. Pyrolants are metal-based

pyrotechnic composition A pyrotechnic composition is a substance or mixture of substances designed to produce an effect by heat, light, sound, gas/smoke or a combination of these, as a result of non-detonative self-sustaining exothermic chemical reactions. Pyrotechnic s ...

s containing virtually any oxidizer. The term was originally coined by Kuwahara in 1992, in a paper on magnesium/Teflon/Viton, to distinguish between compositions that serve as propellants and those yielding hot flames which are not necessarily suitable for propellant purposes. ''

Thermite Thermite () is a pyrotechnic composition of metal powder and metal oxide. When ignited by heat or chemical reaction, thermite undergoes an exothermic reduction-oxidation (redox) reaction. Most varieties are not explosive, but can create brie ...

s'' constitute a subdivision of pyrolants referring to mixtures containing a narrow range of oxygen-based oxidizers only, Hence the term thermite cannot be used interchangeably with "pyrolant". A similar common term is ''

propellant A propellant (or propellent) is a mass that is expelled or expanded in such a way as to create a thrust or other motive force in accordance with Newton's third law of motion, and "propel" a vehicle, projectile, or fluid payload. In vehicles, the ...

'', which describes either a homogeneous or composite material that generates thrust upon combustion, but which may contain fuels instead of or in addition to the metals contained in

thermite Thermite () is a pyrotechnic composition of metal powder and metal oxide. When ignited by heat or chemical reaction, thermite undergoes an exothermic reduction-oxidation (redox) reaction. Most varieties are not explosive, but can create brie ...

s. Pyrolants are generally characterized by high combustion temperatures (> 2000 K) and high amounts of condensed reaction products at equilibrium conditions such as metal

oxide An oxide () is a chemical compound that contains at least one oxygen atom and one other element in its chemical formula. "Oxide" itself is the dianion of oxygen, an O2– (molecular) ion. with oxygen in the oxidation state of −2. Most of the E ...

fluoride Fluoride (). According to this source, is a possible pronunciation in British English. is an inorganic, monatomic anion of fluorine, with the chemical formula (also written ), whose salts are typically white or colorless. Fluoride salts ty ...

s and

soot Soot ( ) is a mass of impure carbon particles resulting from the incomplete combustion of hydrocarbons. It is more properly restricted to the product of the gas-phase combustion process but is commonly extended to include the residual pyrolysed ...

. Typical pyrolants find use as

pyrotechnic initiator In pyrotechnics, a pyrotechnic initiator (also initiator or igniter) is a device containing a pyrotechnic composition used primarily to ignite other, more difficult-to-ignite materials, such as thermites, gas generators, and solid-fuel rockets. The ...

s ( Zr/ BaCrO₄ or Zr/ KClO₄), illuminating flare ( Mg/ NaNO₃) and decoy flare compositions (Mg/ (C₂F₄)_n)
E.-C. Koch Metal/Fluorocarbon Pyrolants: VI. Combustion Behaviour and Radiation Properties of Magnesium/Poly(Carbon Monofluoride) Pyrolant, Prop''., Explos., Pyrotech. 30'' 2005 209.

References

Military technology Pyrotechnic compositions