The chemical reaction that supplies heat in the spontaneous combustion device becomes faster as the surrounding temperature rises. Conversely, as the temperature drops ignition delay time increases. In addition, ignition delay time varies somewhat with type of vegetable oil, type of drier, type of combustible material, confinement, density of the oil impregnated combustible material, and ventilation. Devices planned for use should be tried in advance to establish delay time.
These devices operate with a natural delay caused by the chemical reaction time of the drying process in the oil. The user places the device and is away from the scene when the fire starts. Spontaneous combustion devices have the added advantage of using items seen daily around shop, plant, or office. Containers for confining the impregnated combustible material can be small waste paper baskets, packing boxes, ice cream containers, paper bags and other items common to a particular operation. Combustible materials such as cotton waste, cotton batting, or sawdust are also common in many manufacturing plants. For these reasons, spontaneous combustion devices are useful and clever sabotage items.
It is recommended that these devices be covertly used to ignite readily flammable material such as rags, dry paper, dry hay, wooden and cardboard boxes, wooden structures, and other similar targets.
b. Material and Equipment.
Ingredient Used for Common source
Vegetable Oils
Boiled linseed oil Paint manufacture Hardware stores
Raw linseed oil Paint manufacture Hardware stores
Safflower oil Food Drug and food stores
Tung oil (China wood). Paint manufacture Paint manufacturers
Driers
Cobalt (6%) Paint manufacture Paint manufacturers
Lead (24%) Paint manufacture Paint manufacturers
Manganese (can be substituted for cobalt).
Lead oxide (can be substituted for lead).
Combustible Materials
Cotton waste Machine shops, maintenance shops. By-product of textile manufacture.
Cotton bating Furniture manufacture. Felt & textile manufacturers.
Sawdust Water-oil-grease absorbent. By-product of food working.
Kapok Life jackets, furniture padding, bedding. Furniture manufacturers, food products manufacturers.
Miscellaneous Items
Cardboard or paper container. General Commonly available
Stick approximately 1½ inches in diameter. General Commonly available
Sharp knife General Commonly available
One pint widemouth jar. General Commonly available
Teaspoon General Commonly available
Fire Fudge Igniter (optional). Igniter See paragraph 0202
Fuse Cord (optional). Initiator See paragraph 0101
Proportions of Mixture
Note. The above quantities for each system are approximately correct for use in a 1 gallon confinement container. The impregnated combustible material should fill the container to approximately ⅓ to ½ the volume for best results. Different size containers can be used with properly adjusted quantities of impregnated combustible material. At approximately 70° F., delay time to ignition is roughly 1 to 2 hours. With Fire Fudge or Fuse Cord added to the impregnated combustible material, delay time is reduced to roughly ½ to 1 hour. The exception to this is System 8 where delay time to ignition is about 2 to 3 hours. With Fire Fudge or Fuse Cord added, delay time is shortened to 1 to 2 hours.
c. Preparation.
General instructions. (a)Measure the combustible material by tightly packing it up to the top of the one pint measuring jar. The material should puff out of the measuring jar when firm hand pressure is removed.
(b)Transfer the combustible material from the measuring jar to the container in which it is to be confined.
(c)Pour the vegetable oil into the one pint measuring jar to one-third jar volume.
(d)Using a teaspoon, add the specified quantity of Cobalt Drier to the vegetable oil in the one pint measuring jar. Wipe the spoon dry and add the specified quantity of Lead Drier to the Vegetable Oil—Cobalt Drier mixture.
(e)Thoroughly mix the combination of vegetable oil and driers by stirring with the teaspoon for approximately one minute. Note. Vegetable oil and drier can be mixed and stored in an air-tight container for one week before use. Longer storage is not recommended.
(f)Pour the oil mixture from the one pint measuring jar over the combustible material in the container. Saturate the combustible material by kneading, pulling and balling with the hands. This can be accomplished either inside or outside of the container.
(g)Remove saturated combustible material from the container.
(h)Cut a hole with a knife, one to two inches in diameter, in the bottom center of the container.
(i)Place the container on a flat surface, hold the 1½-inch diameter stick vertically over the hole in the bottom of the container and pack the saturated combustible material around the stick compressing it so that it fills ⅓ to ½ of the container volume after hand pressure is removed.
(j)Remove the stick. This leaves a ventilation hole through the center of the combustible material. The spontaneous combustion device is now ready for use unless the following optional step is taken.
(k)This step is optional. Either take a piece of Fire Fudge (0202) about the size of a walnut and crush it into pieces about the size of peas. Sprinkle the pieces of crushed Fire Fudge on top of the combustible material. Or cut a piece of Fuse Cord (0101) to a length of about four inches. Since safety fuse burns inside the wrapping, it is sliced in half to expose the black powder. (Lacquer coated fuse (nonsafety type) burns completely and may be used without slicing.) Insert one or more pieces of fuse vertically in the combustible materiel near the center vent hole, leaving about one inch extending out of the top surface of the combustible material.
Preparation of improvised driers. If the commercial driers (cobalt and lead) specified under Material and Equipment above are not available, the following improvised driers can be made using either flashlight batteries or powdered lead oxide (Pb3O4). These improvised driers are used in the same manner as the commercial driers. (a)Manganese drier. Break open three flashlight batteries (size D) and collect the pasty material surrounding the central carbon rod.
Put this material in a one-pint wide-mouth jar and fill jar with water.
Slowly stir contents of jar for approximately two minutes and allow contents to settle. The contents will usually settle in one-half hour.
Pour off water standing on top of settled contents.
Remove wet contents from jar, spread it on a paper towel and allow to dry.
Dry the jar.
Pour raw linseed oil into the one-pint measuring jar to one-third jar volume.
Combine the measured quantity of raw linseed oil and the dried battery contents from 5 above in a pot and boil for one-half hour.
Shut off heat, remove pot from the heat source, and allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.
Separate the liquid from the solid material settled on the bottom by carefully pouring the liquid into a storage bottle. Discard the solid material. The liquid is the drier.
The manganese drier is ready for use.
If manganese dioxide powder is available, flashlight batteries need not be used. Place one heaping teaspoonful of manganese dioxide powder into the raw linseed oil and boil the mixture in a pot for one-half hour. Then follow 9, 10, and 11 above.
(b)Lead oxide drier. Pour raw linseed oil into the one-pint measuring jar to one-third jar volume.
Combine the measured quantity of raw linseed oil and two heaping teaspoonfuls of lead oxide in a pot and boil gently for one-half hour. The mixture must be stirred constantly to avoid foaming over.
Shut off heat, remove pot from the heat source, and allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.
Pour the liquid into a storage bottle and cap the bottle.
The lead oxide drier is ready for use.
d. Application.
Since flames normally shoot up from the open top of the container, combustible target material should be positioned from three to five inches directly over the top of the device for satisfactory ignition of the target. DO NOT COVER OPEN TOP OF CONTAINER.
Temperature of the environment in which these devices are used affect, the ignition time these devices are used affects the ignition time. The following table gives approximate time to ignition at different temperatures. However, it is recommended that ignition time be determined by advance trial. Temperature (°F.) Time to ignition (hours)
60-70 1-2
40-60 2-4
30-40 4-10
Spontaneous combustion devices can also be improvised by stuffing impregnated combustible material into a pocket of any one of the following garments: coat, laboratory jacket, pants, or similar items. The combustible material stuffed in the pocket should be below the top of the pocket and should not be packed too tight.
INDEX
Alarm clock delay 0412
Alcohol:
Incendiary 0308
Lye thickeners for gasoline 0303.1 to 0303.3
Soap thickener for gasoline 0303.4
Aluminum powder igniter mixes 0204, 0207
Animal blood thickener for gasoline 0303.8
Balancing stick delay 0410
Balsam-lye thickener for gasoline 0303.3
Barium peroxide—magnesium powder igniter. 0210
Blasting time fuse 0101
Brick, incendiary 0309
Candle delay 0406
Chemical hazards 0303
Chemical materials. (See specific materials, thickeners.)
Cigarette delay 0401
Cobalt drier 0501
Combustible materials 0501
Corrosive action delay 0409
Definitions 0002
Delay mechanisms. (See also specific item.) 0306, 0401 to 0412
Diaphragm delays 0403,0404
Dissolving action delay 0409
Egg thickener for gasoline 0303.5
Fire:
Bottles 0305,0306
Fudge igniter 0202
Hazards 0003
Flammable liquids 0308
Fuse:
Cords 0101,0102
Lighter, M2 0101
Lighter, M60 0101
Gasoline incendiaries 0302, 0303, 0308
Gelatin capsule delay 0402
Gelled gasoline incendiaries 0302, 0303
Glycerin delays 0405,0407
Glycerin—potassium permanganate igniter.0206
Igniters. (See also specific item.) 0201 to 0211
Incendiary:
Brick 0309
Materials. (See also specific item.) 0301 to 0309
Systems 0001
Initiators. (See also specific item.) 0101 to 0104
Latex thickener for gasoline 0303.6
Lead drier 0501
Linseed oil 0501
Lye thickeners for gasoline 0303.1 to 0303.3
Magnesium powder igniter mixes 0208, 0210
Match head igniter 0205
Napalm incendiary 0301
Oil of vitriol initiator 0103
Overflow delay 0407
Paper diaphragm delays 0404, 0405
Paraffin-sawdust incendiary 0304
Potassium:
Chlorate-sugar igniter 0201
Permanganate crystals delay 0405
Permanganate—glycerin igniter 0206
Rubber band delay 0411
Rubber diaphragm delay 0403
Safety Fuse, M700 0101
Safflower oil 0501
Silver nitrate—magnesium powder igniter. 0208
Soap-alcohol thickener for gasoline 0303.4
Sodium:
Chlorate-sugar igniter 0201
Peroxide—aluminum powder igniter. 0204
Peroxide—sugar igniter 0203
Spontaneous combustion 0501
String fuse 0102
Subigniter for thermite 0211
Sugar igniter mixes 0201,0203
Sulfur pellets—aluminum powder igniter. 0207
Sulfuric acid delays 0402 to 0404
Sulfuric acid initiator 0103
Thermite igniter 0211
Thermite incendiary 0307
Thickeners for gasoline. (See also specific material.) 0302, 0303
Tipping delays 0408 to 0410
Tools and techniques. (See also 0003 specific device.)
Tung oil 0501
Water delays 0402,0407 to 0409
Water initiator 0104
Wax thickener for gasoline 0303.7
White phosphorus igniter 0209
By Order of the Secretary of the Army:
HAROLD K. JOHNSON,
General, United States Army,
Chief of Staff.
Official:
J. C. LAMBERT,
Major General, United States Army,
The Adjutant General.
* U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1967 O - 300-528 (7016C)
IMPROVISED INCENDIARIES
General
Good incendiaries can be improvised more easily than explosives and the materials are more easily obtained. On a pound for pound basis, incendiaries can do more damage than explosives against many type targets if properly used. There is a time lag, however, between the start of a fire and the destruction of the target. During this period the fire may be discovered and controlled or put out. An explosive once detonated has done its work.
Incendiaries are cheap and little training is needed for their preparation and use. Used in very carefully excuted operations, the act of sabotage may be concealed in the ashes of an “accidental” fire.
Fires may be started quickly and have reasonable chance of success if the following few simple principles are observed:
1. See that there is plenty of air and fuel to feed the fire.
2. Use an incendiary that supplies a prolonged and persistent heat.
3. Start the fire low in the target structure and let it spread naturally upwards.
4. Use reflecting surfaces, such as corners, boxes, shelves, to concentrate the heat.
5. Use drafts to spread the fire rapidly—near stairways, elevator shafts.
6. Protect the fire from discovery during the first few minutes by good concealment and timing.
In preparing improvised incendiaries observe basic rules of safety. Chemicals that must be powered should be ground separately with clean tools and then mixed in the indicated proportions. Chemicals or mixtures should be kept tightly sealed in jars or cans to protect them from moisture. Damp materials will work poorly if at all.
Sulfuric acid, which is useful for chemical delays and to ignite incendiaries or explosive detonators, can be obtained by concentrating battery acid. This can be done by boiling off the water in the battery acid in a glass or porcelained pan until dense white fumes begin to appear. This operation should be done out of doors and the resulting concentrated acid should be handled carefully.
The paragraphs which follow will describe the preparation of several igniter (or “first fire”) incendiary mixes, some basic incendiary mixes, and a thermate metal-destroying incendiary.
The subject of incendiaries has been treated much more exhaustively in other publications. The intent of this handbook is to provide only a few techniques.
Potassium Chlorate and Sugar Igniter
Chlorate-sugar is one of the best of the first fire or igniter mixes. It burns very rapidly, with a yellow-white flame, and generates sufficient heat to ignite all homemade incendiaries mentioned in this handbook.
MATERIALS: Potassium chlorate (preferred) or sodium chlorate, sugar.
PREPARATION:
1. Grind the chlorate separately in a clean, non-sparking (glass or wooden) bowl with a wooden pestle. the resulting granules sh
ould approximate those of ordinary table sugar.
2. Mix equal volumes of the granulated chlorate and sugar by placing both on a large sheet of paper and then lifting the corners alternately.
CAUTION: This mixture is extremely spark sensitive and must be handled accordingly.
3. Wrap 4 to 6 tablespoonfuls of the mixture in thin paper so as to form a tight packet. Keep the mixture as dry as possible. If it is to be stored in a damp area before using, the packet may be coated with paraffin wax.
Chlorate-sugar is easily ignited by the flame of a match, the spit of a percussion cap or time fuse, with concentrated sulfuric acid.
If ignited when under confinement it will explode like gunpowder. If it is contained in a waxed packet, therefore, the latter should be punched through in several places before it is used with a basic incendiary and ignited.
Flake Aluminum-Sulfur Igniter
This simple igniter burns extremely hot and will ignite even the metal-destroying thermate, described later on. The mixture itself can be lit by chlorate-sugar.
MATERIALS: Flake aluminum, finely powdered sulfur.
PREPARATION:
1. Mix 4 parts by volume of finely powdered sulfur with 1 part of aluminum powder.
To use, place several spoonfuls of the mixture on the material to be lit and add a spoonful of chlorate-sugar on top. Be sure the safety (time) fuse or other spark-producing delay system is placed so it will act upon the chlorate-sugar mixture first.
U.S. Army Special Forces Guide to Unconventional Warfare Page 9
