Introduction

Apart from homogeneous Energetic Materials

Energetic material

Energetic materials are a class of material with high amount of stored chemical energy that can be released.Typical classes of energetic materials are e.g. explosives, pyrotechnic compositions, propellants , and fuels ....

 such as High Explosives and Propellant

Propellant

A propellant is a material that produces pressurized gas that:* can be directed through a nozzle, thereby producing thrust ;...

s those materials constituted from separate fuel and oxidizer particles are called pyrolant

Pyrolant

Pyrolant, from the Greek word pyros to describe energetic materials that generate hot flames upon combustion. Pyrolants are metal-based pyrotechnic compositions containing virtually any oxidizer....

s or more commonly Pyrotechnics

Pyrotechnics

Pyrotechnics is the science of using materials capable of undergoing self-contained and self-sustained exothermic chemical reactions for the production of heat, light, gas, smoke and/or sound...

. Those specialists working in the field of pyrotechnics are organized in the International Pyrotechnics Society.

History

In the 1960s some of these specialists attended meetings to share experiences, to present their work, their research and to meet new people. These meetings started as "the Colorado meetings", organized by the late Dr. Robert M. Blunt, and this later was formalized into what is currently known as the IPS

The International Pyrotechnics Society was officially formed in May 1980 . However, The International Pyrotechnics Society can claim that its roots go back to 1968 when the First International Pyrotechnics Seminar was held at Estes Park Colorado, USA . In fact it was the Steering Committee of the Sixth International Pyrotechnics Seminar who officially formed the International Pyrotechnics Society. The Society has continued to sanction International Pyrotechnics Seminars . These have normally been held in the United States every other year and other countries such as Australia, China, France, Japan, New Zealand, Russia, Sweden, the United Kingdom, The Netherlands during alternative years. Over the years the membership of the Society has grown to approximately 275 in 30 countries.

Purposes of this Society

• To promote and facilitate the exchange of information concerning the science and technology of energetic materials, including propellants, explosives, and pyrotechnics, among all interested persons
• To create and maintain information resources which can expedite and enhance a member’s search for information regarding the science and technology of energetic materials as well as information on devices and applications which utilize energetic materials.
• To encourage research and education in the science and technology of energetic materials.

Seminars and Workshops

The IPS sponsors or sanctions seminars on topics in the field of energetic materials research, development, technology and applications on an annual basis.
In even years seminars are held in USA, in the uneven years the seminars are held outside the USA and are often jointly organized with similar organizations and institutes such as the French Association of Pyrotechnic .
Since 2004 the IPS has an additional function which is the Annual Workshop on Pyrotechnic Combustion mechanism.

Promoting Young Scientists

The IPS also aims to help young scientists to develop their career in this field of work. For each Seminar a bursary can be awarded to assist young pyrotechnicians to attend and present their work at International Seminars sponsored by the Society by contributing to their travelling costs. The Bursary is known as the Frank Carver Bursary and is administrated by a Bursary Committee under the auspices of the Society.

Publication

The official publication of the IPS is the Propellants, Explosives, Pyrotechnics

Propellants, Explosives, Pyrotechnics

Propellants, Explosives, Pyrotechnics is a bi-monthly peer-reviewed chemistry journal that covers all disciplines of explosives. Its impact factor is 1.122 ....

 journal published bimonthly by Wiley-VCH

Wiley-VCH

Wiley-VCH is a German publisher owned by John Wiley & Sons. It was founded in 1921 by two German "learned societies". Later, it was merged into the German Chemical Society . It has been owned by John Wiley & Sons since 1996....

-publisher in Weinheim/Germany.

List of officials

Elected IPS Presidents since 1990

#	Name	Country	Duration
1	Dr. David Anderson	United States	1990 – 1992
2	Jan Hansson	Sweden	1992 – 1994
3	Leo Saulnier	Canada	1994 – 1996
4	Dr. Nigel Davies		1996 – 1998
5	Alain Fauconnier	Early Modern France	1998 – 2000
6	Guy Hendrickx	Belgium	2000 – 2002
7	Dr. Tony Cardell		2002 – 2004
8	Dr. Bill Hubble	United States	2004 – 2006
9	Al Munger	United States	2006 – 2008
10	Rutger Webb	Netherlands	2008 – 2010
11	Dr. Tracy A.Vine		2010 – 2012