The U.S. Armys Pine Bluff Arsenal in Arkansas has placed an order for 29.5 metric tons of powdered sugar. That naturally prompts the question: why so much powdered sugar are they planning to bake cakes?
The answer lies in chemistry. Any explosive or smoke composition needs three elements: an oxidizer, an ignition source, and a fuel. Powdered sugar is an excellent fuel for pyrotechnic mixtures.
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Task & Purpose reports that Pine Bluff Arsenal intends to use the powdered sugar to manufacture M18 and M83 smoke grenades and M8 smoke cartridges. These devices require a fuel that burns quickly and produces a large volume of smoke.
Powdered sugar is mixed with a powerful oxidizer for example, potassium nitrate so that when ignited the mixture does not explode but instead generates dense smoke rapidly. Powdered sugar is chosen instead of crystalline sugar because its fine particles have a much larger surface area. Small particles burn faster; in the right concentration when dispersed in air, dust can even detonate, producing a powerful blast the same basic principle behind thermobaric munitions.
M18 and M83 smoke grenades and M8 smoke cartridges are widely used across U.S. military services for tasks ranging from covering infantry from enemy fire to marking targets for aircraft.
Historically these grenades used sulfur-based fuels, but beginning in the 2000s sulfur was gradually replaced with powdered-sugar-based mixtures because sulfur smoke is toxic to troops operating in the cloud and harmful to the environment.
Reports say the ongoing U.S. government shutdown will not affect this powdered sugar procurement. Previously Defense Express covered how long the shutdown might last and how it can impact weapons deliveries to Ukraine.
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