The objective of this project is to qualify and introduce into the Navy and Army service inventories an improved perchlorate-free green pyrotechnic composition for colored flares, more specifically the Mk 1 Mod 0, Marine Signal Illumination, and M195, Illumination Parachute Signal. The new composition contains no perchlorates and will produce equal or superior emission intensities in the appropriate spectral regions with no additional hazardous by-products.

One of the most difficult colors to produce is green and with this comes many challenges in achieving color purity and dominant wavelength. The technology solution is to remove potassium perchlorate from fielded green signal flare compositions (Mk 1 Mod 0 and M195) and substitute alternate oxidizers such as metal nitrates and other metal fuels and color enhancers. This perchlorate-free green flare, unlike the perchlorate-free red flare composition, introduces the use of other metal oxidizers such as barium nitrate. Additional fuel such as copper may be used to enhance the color.

The new perchlorate-free pyrotechnic flare compositions will eliminate the adverse impact to the environment of perchlorates during manufacturing and testing. Elimination of perchlorate from these compositions will also lead to a reduction in future cleanup costs of military facilities contaminated by perchlorate during the life cycle of the flares. Having environmentally acceptable colored signal flares available in the service inventories will avoid disruptions in training schedules should the Environmental Protection Agency promulgate a restrictive limit on perchlorates. (Anticipated Project Completion - 2013)