The identification and subsequent reduction of harmful or unnecessary man-
made emissions and pollutants into the atmosphere is becoming increasingly important.
One such emission or pollution is caused by the use of fireworks in real-world
environments. In studying the pollution caused by the use of fireworks, we often
encounter problems in identifying the sources of pollution. Therefore, it is desirable to
have a reference created by first obtaining a selection of fireworks, burning them in a
controlled environment, and analyzing the results to identify both the shape and size of
the particles and the presence and distribution of the main chemical elements present in
fireworks. The present work describes the attempt to establish the above reference or,
more generally, to obtain and analyze the combustion products of fireworks. For this
purpose, five random compositions of fireworks were identified. Differential scanning
calorimetry was performed to examine the behavior during heating and to determine the
ignition temperature. The compositions were then ignited in a specially designed
explosion chamber where the maximum pressure and rate of pressure rise were
recorded. The combustion products were removed from the chamber and analyzed using
a scanning electron microscope, which showed both the shape and size of the sample.
Finally, an energy disperzive spectroscopy was performed to identify the elemental
composition of the samples obtained.
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