How to work with a sulfur bomb so as not to harm yourself and others

What is a sulfur bomb used for?

A sulfur bomb is a device consisting of a wick and flammable tablets containing a sulfur-based drug. When ignited, it emits acrid smoke, which destroys pests, fungi and bacteria. It is used for disinfection (fumigation) of non-residential premises - primarily storage facilities and empty greenhouses.

Its advantages over other means of disinfection :

Versatility. The checker destroys both fungi and bacteria, as well as insects, ticks and rodents.
Simplicity. It is enough to close the room and light the wick - and the acrid smoke will do the rest.
Cheapness.

However, in order for these advantages to be revealed, the checker must be used correctly.

A more serious way

The disadvantage of the method described above is the fact that a thin newspaper is in no way suitable for the role of a fuse cord. It can quickly go out, and then suddenly burn out right before your amazed eyes. The consequences can be very sad.

Therefore, it is advisable to get high-quality cotton rope. It is also soaked in the above-described aqueous solution of saltpeter and dried thoroughly. To make the structure as reliable as possible, you can lubricate it with a mixture of potassium permanganate and Moment glue. We have already given the recipe for the “hellish composition” above.

This ignition cord will withstand even significant moisture, which will not have any effect on its ability to burn. By the way, what can you make a wick from, if you do not take into account the above methods?

Preparing the object for disinfection

You should start by preparing the room:
After this, you need to take care of the metal parts: when burning, the bomb releases sulfur dioxide, which, when in contact with air moisture, forms sulfurous acid, which causes corrosion. Therefore, metal objects that cannot be removed from the cellar or greenhouse (hinges, door handles, fastening brackets, etc.) must be coated with a greasy lubricant - for example, grease. If the metal is painted with oil or enamel paint, then you need to check the condition of the coating and the need to paint over cracks and chips.
After this, you need to seal the room. All ventilation holes are closed, vents and cracks are plugged or sealed with masking tape.
Next, we prepare places for installing checkers. You need stands made of non-combustible materials with a thickness of at least 3 cm and dimensions of 70 by 70 cm. For example, a stand made of bricks is suitable. Checkers should be located no closer than half a meter from flammable materials. Their total quantity depends on the area of the room and the weight of the bomb: usually you need 300 g of sulfur mixture per 10 square meters. m for a cellar and 20 sq. m of greenhouse or greenhouse.
At the deployment stage, you need to immediately figure out escape routes. Sulfur dioxide is also poisonous to humans, so after setting the bomb on fire you need to leave the room as quickly as possible.

Operating principle

The composition of the sulfur bomb contains dry substances, and the active substance is sulfur (in dry powder form) in an amount of 750-800 g per 1 kg of mixture. When burned, it combines with oxygen and forms sulfur dioxide SO2, which completely destroys various plant pests:

insects;
viruses;
bacteria;
fungi.

This substance also repels rats, mice and other rodents.

The combustion process is slow, without the formation of an open flame. After the protective surface (packaging lid) burns, the powder begins to smolder, releasing abundant, thick smoke of a dark yellow, brownish color. Thanks to the closed space, massive death of insects and other pests is observed already on the day of treatment.

The principle of operation of the checker is based on the destruction of pests by smoke generated by the combustion of sulfur

Important! The sulfur gas released during combustion actively absorbs moisture from the air, which makes it possible to cope with mold and rot.

Today you can purchase several types of sulfur bombs. They differ in the amount of active ingredient and packaging (different weights). Therefore, during the application process, you need to correctly calculate the amount based on the fact that 300 g is enough for every 5 m3 of the greenhouse.

The most famous are:

FAS;
Climate.

The FAS sulfur block for a polycarbonate greenhouse has a high sulfur concentration - 800 g of dry matter per 1 kg of mixture. Copes well with pathogenic bacteria, fungi, rot, mold and insect pests. It dehumidifies the air, making it suitable not only for treating greenhouses, but also for storing vegetables (basements, cellars, storage rooms).

The product is sold in briquettes of 300 g. They should be stored in a dry place at room temperature. Shelf life is 5 years if storage conditions are met.

FAS sulfur bomb is used for combustion in greenhouse structures, basements and cellars

In accordance with the instructions, the sulfur smoke bomb Climate for a greenhouse is used to treat any utility premises. The sulfur concentration is 750 g per 1 kg of mixture. The product is sold in briquettes of 300 g, 40 pieces are packed in one box.

Consumption depends on the type of room:

For empty greenhouses, greenhouses and greenhouses, 300 g per 20 m3 is sufficient.
For empty basements, cellars, storages – 300 g per 10 m3.

Important! After treatment, it is recommended to ventilate greenhouses for 8-10 days in a row, and basements for at least two days.

Checkers are packaged in 300 g pieces - this amount is enough for 10-20 m3 of space

Working with a checker

When everything is ready, place the checkers on stands and lay the wick so that 2-3 cm are free.
After this, you need to set it on fire, and if it is smoldering, quickly leave the room. The wick will burn for about a minute and a half, which is how long you can stay in the room being treated.

When the drug tablets themselves begin to burn, there should be no person in the basement or greenhouse.

When leaving the room, you need to seal the door behind you. To do this, the door leaf is covered with tape around the perimeter so that there are no gaps left. but the smoke did not disappear.

The checker will burn for about an hour. After this, the room being cleaned must remain closed for at least 24 hours. You can then open the doors and unseal the vents. After treatment, the basement or greenhouse must be ventilated for at least two days. It is highly undesirable to go inside at this time.

Reliable wicks

The most suitable wicks for homemade pyrotechnics. All of them are almost equally good; which one to choose depends on the situation. Let's see how to make a reliable fuse.

Hunting or camping matches

Special matches differ from ordinary ones by having a larger head and are coated with a special flammable material that prevents the match from going out along its entire length. Such a match burns at a constant speed, does not go out, the combustion time is about 20 seconds. Perfect as a short but reliable wick.

Incendiary fuse

Incendiary pipe

Source

Safety precautions when working with sulfur grenade

You can use a sulfur bomb only if you have protective equipment. You will need at least an industrial respirator (or better yet, a civilian or military gas mask - fortunately, decommissioned models are inexpensive and legally sold).

You will also need protective clothing. You should wear rubber gloves on your hands, and cover your body with thick clothing (again, if possible, purchase a chemical protection suit).

After the work with checkers is finished, you need to act like this:

clothes - first air, then wash;
gloves - throw away;
Wash your face and hands thoroughly with cold water and soap. .

Preliminary preparation

The components and tools for making the device can be found in the kitchen; the only thing you have to purchase is potassium nitrate. Fertilizer is offered in stores for gardeners and gardeners; there will be no problems with the purchase.

To make a smoke fume you will need:

50 gr. potassium nitrate; 10 gr. sodium bicarbonate; 50 gr. sugar (allowed to replace with powdered sugar); 55-65 gr

dye (available from hardware stores); a small diameter cardboard tube (suitable for toilet paper), a matchbox; pencil; stewpan (saucepan); a little tape; cotton swabs; fuse (carefully remove from the fireworks, soak a regular cord with saltpeter, use hunting matches).

To mix the composition, use a wooden stick or spoon.

What not to do

When working with sulfur bombs, it is strictly forbidden to:

Use them in residential areas.
Use for cleaning and disinfection of chicken coops, cowsheds, beekeeping areas, etc.
Be in the room being cleaned when the bomb burns. The smoke is extremely poisonous!
Process a personal basement in a shared storage area without the consent of all co-owners. Smoke will inevitably seep into neighboring basements.

And remember: a sulfur bomb is, although a civilian, quite a chemical weapon. Don't joke with it and use it correctly!

And again potassium nitrate

Unfortunately, it will not be possible to abandon this substance, since only with its help can one create fairly reliable wicks. So, we take about two parts of saltpeter and one part of regular granulated sugar.

Grind all this in a porcelain mortar until a fine and homogeneous powder is formed. The resulting composition can be hammered into juice tubes (as in the method with match saltpeter).

Sources

Part I // Manual on military camouflage. - Moscow: Military Publishing House of the Ministry of Defense of the USSR, 1957.
Part II // Manual on military camouflage. - Moscow: Military Publishing House of the Ministry of Defense of the USSR, 1957.
E.S.Kolibernov, V.I.Kornev, A.A.Soskov.
Engineer Troops Officer's Handbook. - Moscow: Military Publishing House, 1989.
E.S.Kolibernov, V.I.Kornev, A.A.Soskov.
Combat engineering support. - Moscow: Military Publishing House of the USSR Ministry of Defense, 1984.
Textbook // Military engineering training. - Moscow: Military Publishing House of the USSR Ministry of Defense, 1982.
Textbook // Techniques and methods of action of a soldier in battle. - Moscow: Military Publishing House of the USSR Ministry of Defense, 1989.
Manual on ensuring combat operations of the Ground Forces.
Part IV // Engineering support, actions of units and units of engineering troops. — 1982.
Manual on military engineering for the Soviet Army. - Moscow: Military Publishing House of the USSR Ministry of Defense, 1984.

Smoke on guard

Interestingly, smokes are used not only in the military, but also in the security sector. Some companies, such as the British company Smokescreen, offer systems based on aerosol generators to clients, including boutiques and supermarkets. It is not so easy to protect yourself from burglars - they will pick any lock and break any door or grill. Video cameras do not scare them either, because even when noticed, criminals manage to do their dirty deed before the police arrive. But everything will be different if, at the moment the alarm goes off, the broken-in room suddenly begins to quickly fill with smoke. The effect will be aggravated by flashes of a stroboscopic lamp and a loud sound that puts pressure on the psyche. Obviously, in this situation (tested by experience), the robbers will prefer to quickly retreat empty-handed. After all, they will be overwhelmed by horror, and they won’t be able to see anything around them.

The editors thank Colonel Alexander Shamov for his assistance in preparing the article

Swirling Shield

The use of white and black smokes, which respectively refract or absorb radiation in the optical range, is not limited these days. A whole range of colored smokes has been developed. In different countries, there are compositions that make it possible to hide the radiation of camouflaged objects not only in the visible, but also in the infrared, and also partially in the microwave range.

Yellow fog

Various-scale techniques for setting up smoke screens were, of course, created in the event of a major war, including the use of nuclear weapons, but the era of local conflicts began in which there was no longer any place for crossing rivers under multi-kilometer screens and similar operations of a strategic scale.

Our military somewhat neglected the use of smoke weapons during the war in Afghanistan, since the enemy did not create threats that would require covering the troops with smoke. Occasionally they used smoke grenades or bombs to smoke out dushmans from karizs and caves. Smoke grenades were also used to orient landing helicopters relative to the direction and strength of the wind at the point of arrival. Artillery smoke shells were sometimes used for sighting and target designation.

During the conflict in Chechnya, federal troops repeatedly resorted to means of smoke camouflage, and not only RGD-2 grenades and smoke bombs were used (for example, when crossing the Sunzha River), but also 81-mm smoke grenades fired by the 902 “Tucha” installation - This is how armored vehicles protected themselves from targeted fire. In urban battles, the use of the TDA vehicle was recorded - with its help, the troops “cleansing” Grozny from militants protected themselves from sniper fire from windows and basements. Smoke bombs and aerosol camouflage worked well in the area of Khankala airport, protecting taking off and landing aircraft from shelling.

The Bootlegger's Invention

The history of smoke screens dates back to the distant past: both the Romans and the Vikings hid their movements on the battlefield in puffs of smoke. It is believed that the dragon's head on the bow of the Kobukson, a 15th-century Korean warship, emitted smoke created by the combustion of sulfur and saltpeter, and these acrid clouds also served for camouflage. However, the importance of camouflage smoke was truly appreciated only in the 20th century - in the century of total wars, during which it was often necessary to break through the continuous, deeply echeloned defense of the enemy.

After the Second World War, many types of equipment and ammunition were developed in different countries of the world, including the USSR, to create camouflage screens. It’s worth saying right away that a smoke screen is not necessarily smoke. Smoke, that is, combustion products, is spread by camouflage agents based on pyrotechnics. Other devices generate liquid aerosols, that is, fine suspensions consisting of microscopic droplets. The honor of inventing liquid aerosol curtains belongs to the American First World War veteran Alonzo Patterson, who was, among other things, known for smuggling alcohol during Prohibition in the United States. It was he who came up with the idea of evaporating oil by heating it with hot gases. When mixed with cold air, the oil condensed into tiny droplets, creating a thick white fog.

History[ | ]

The invention of a new type of cord by the English engineer William Bickford made it possible to increase the reliability of impulse transmission. In a kickford cord

stopin, covered with powder pulp, is enclosed in a double textile braid, the top layer of which is impregnated with bitumen to protect against dampness. Stopin ensured the stability of the burning of the cord, the powder pulp provided sufficient flame power, the double braiding provided flexibility and integrity of the core, bitumen, in addition to protection from dampness, also allowed the powder gases to break out during combustion, and oxygen to enter the combustion zone [3]. The combustible composition did not have enough oxygen of its own, since it had a low content of nitrate, the main supplier of oxygen. However, the fuse cord

has a number of disadvantages that do not meet modern requirements for reliability and safety: it goes out in water, the burning rate is unstable, bitumen cracks at low temperatures and loses its qualities.

In a modern fire cord

Outer diameter OSH 4-6 mm. The burning rate is constant, always about 1 cm per second, which allows demolitionists to set the time before the explosion along the length of the cord. Transfer of combustion between touching sections of cords is impossible.

visco fire cord has become widespread in household pyrotechnics.