M4 flame fuel thickening compound is a nonhygroscopic
thickener
A thickening agent or thickener is a substance which can increase the viscosity of a liquid without substantially changing its other properties. Edible thickeners are commonly used to thicken sauces, soups, and puddings without altering their t ...
, adi-acid
aluminum
Aluminium (aluminum in American and Canadian English) is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately one third that of steel. It has ...
soap of isooctanoic acids derived from isooctyl alcohol or isooctyl aldehyd, which are obtained from the
oxidization of
petroleum
Petroleum, also known as crude oil, or simply oil, is a naturally occurring yellowish-black liquid mixture of mainly hydrocarbons, and is found in geological formations. The name ''petroleum'' covers both naturally occurring unprocessed crud ...
.
[Department of the Army]
Military Explosives
, TM 9-1300-214, September 1984 M4 is used in fire bombs and
incendiary weapons
Incendiary weapons, incendiary devices, incendiary munitions, or incendiary bombs are weapons designed to start fires or destroy sensitive equipment using fire (and sometimes used as anti-personnel weaponry), that use materials such as napalm, th ...
.
References
See also
*
Napalm
Napalm is an incendiary mixture of a gelling agent and a volatile petrochemical (usually gasoline (petrol) or diesel fuel). The name is a portmanteau of two of the constituents of the original thickening and gelling agents: coprecipitated al ...
*
MK-77
The Mark 77 bomb (MK-77) is a United States air-dropped incendiary bomb carrying of a fuel gel mix which is the direct successor to napalm.
The MK-77 is the primary incendiary weapon currently in use by the United States military. Instead of th ...
Incendiary weapons
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