Masters Theses

Keywords and Phrases

Biogenic oils; Methyl soyate

Abstract

"Obscurants have been used for centuries to conceal and protect military assets from direct enemy attack, or as a signal between units. Obscurants still play a significant role in protecting soldiers on the battlefield. This research was geared towards development of highly efficient man portable obscurant generation system to demonstrate its use with biogenic oils as the obscurants. The research reported in the thesis was directed evaluating the performance of a mini-jet based generator in the laboratory and field with two different obscurant oils, Fog Oil (FO) the oil used by the US Army at present and potential replacement oil - Methyl Soyate (MS). MS is a mixture of fatty acid methyl ester obtained through transesterification of soybean oil. Instrumental set-ups were assembled to facilitate the characterization obscurant aerosols obtained from the mini-jet in terms of size distribution, number density and their light scattering efficiencies in the visible (Vis) and the near infrared (NIR) regions. A limited set of experiments were carried out in field to assess the performance of the mini-jet based generator relative to the M-56, the obscurant generator used by the US Army at present. In addition, chemical characterization of the input oils and aerosol condensate was carried out to monitor any chemical transformation of the oils during the aerosolization in the min-jet based generator. The results of aerosol characterization experiments showed that the mini-jet based obscurant generator produces aerosol over the 100 - 2,000 nm range with both oils. The size distribution appears to be normal, with highest particle density around 500 nm. Aerosols from both oils were very effective in attenuating the intensity of visible radiation. Transmittance of 532nm laser through the aerosol plume was less than 1%. Transmittance of NIR radiation was curtailed by the aerosol plume but with lower efficiency. Chemical analysis of the input oils and aerosol condensates showed that oils do not under go any measurable transformation. Chemical composition of the input oils and the aerosol condensate was found be the same. No carcinogenic or potentially carcinogenic polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons were detected in the aerosol condensates"--Abstract, page iii.

Advisor(s)

Kapila, Shubhender

Committee Member(s)

Flanigan, V. J.
Winiarz, Jeffrey G.

Department(s)

Chemistry

Degree Name

M.S. in Chemistry

Sponsor(s)

Army Research and Technology Laboratories (U.S.)

Publisher

Missouri University of Science and Technology

Publication Date

2008

Pagination

x, 99 pages

Note about bibliography

Includes bibliographical references.

Rights

© 2008 Daniel Bahaghighat, All rights reserved.

Document Type

Thesis - Open Access

File Type

text

Language

English

Subject Headings

Smoke screensSoy oil -- Environmental aspects -- ResearchBiodiesel fuels -- Environmental aspects -- Research

Thesis Number

T 10186

Print OCLC #

861230194

Electronic OCLC #

861231019

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