Observation of infrared emission spectra from silicon combustion products

The combustion of silicon based pyrotechnic compositions is observed with time resolved infrared spectrometry. This revealed the build up of strong emission at 9.1 ± 0.1 μm, which is associated with condensed silicon dioxide particulates. Time averaged spectra for compositions containing different oxidants or binders illustrate the dependence of SiO2 emission intensity on composition.