White phosphorus munition
A military munition containing white phosphorus, used chiefly to produce smoke screens and sometimes to cause incendiary effects.
White phosphorus: A reactive allotrope of phosphorus that ignites spontaneously in air and forms dense white smoke when burning. Its air-triggered combustion drives the munition’s smoke and incendiary effects.
Military smoke screen: A battlefield obscurant deployed to hinder visual observation or targeting. White phosphorus is chiefly used to create this form of concealment.
White phosphorus burns: Severe chemical and thermal injuries caused when white phosphorus particles ignite on or within tissue. These injuries are a direct human consequence of exposure to burning phosphorus.
White smoke: A visible aerosol cloud whose particles scatter light and appear white. Phosphorus smoke is white, but its production involves burning material with additional hazards.
Phosphorus pentoxide: A compound formed when phosphorus burns in oxygen; it reacts with water vapor to produce phosphoric acid aerosol. Its fine aerosol contributes to the dense smoke produced by burning phosphorus.
Artillery shell: A projectile fired from a cannon or howitzer to deliver an explosive, smoke, or other payload. Artillery shells are one common delivery form for white phosphorus.
Chemical Weapons Convention: An international treaty prohibiting the development, production, stockpiling, and use of chemical weapons. Its rules are often raised in debates, although white phosphorus is not banned solely by its chemical identity.
Hexachloroethane smoke: A smoke-producing chemical mixture historically used in military smoke grenades and munitions. It is an alternative smoke agent that does not rely on white phosphorus combustion.
Smoke screen: A cloud of obscurant used to conceal people, equipment, or movement from observation. Creating this concealment is the munition’s principal military purpose.
Mortar (weapon): A portable, short-barreled weapon that launches shells on a high, arcing trajectory. Mortars can fire phosphorus-filled smoke shells for battlefield concealment.