Picatinny engineer's expertise earns him 'fire-starter' nickname

By Cassandra Mainiero, Picatinny Arsenal Public AffairsOctober 31, 2014

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PICATINNY ARSENAL, N.J. (October 30, 2014)--In the field of pyrotechnics, scientists and engineers develop and test the chemical reactions that cause devices to flash, burn quickly, discharge smoke or emit light, sound and sparks.

To the casual observer, such a process may appear rather mechanical and routine, not exactly what may come to mind when using the term "art form."

But for Christopher Csernica, pyrotechnics is just that: an art form.

"Pyrotechnics is an art form and not an exact science because you work with many variables, which can lead to a wide range of possibilities that can't be narrowed down easily," explained Csernica. "You spend most of the time trying to predict what might happen if you do this or that--based on experience--and it is a gamble. It's not so black-and-white."

Csernica, a component specialist, works at Picatinny Arsenal in its Pyrotechnics Division, which is part of the Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center (ARDEC).

For 10 years, he has specialized in the primers and tracers, igniters, incendiaries, and delays that are found in almost all military items, including bullets, grenades, mortars, fuzes, pyrotechnic devices and bullets of all calibers, closed combat systems as well as rockets.

He has supported the U.S. Army's acquisition of pyrotechnic components through concept development, system development and demonstration, production, and demilitarization.

And, he has improved the testing methods and equipment used for primer and tracer testing. Csernica also holds patents on alternate primer designs, and oversees various military programs that range from calibers 5.56mm up to 155mm, to grenade fuzes using a rigorous "hands-on" approach.

"I'm like the guy who is good at making matches so that you can start the fire," said Csernica, whose expertise in primer and tracers earned him the nickname "fire-starter."

"Other people may focus on how that fire burns, how long it burns, and why. I'm the one that says 'Hey, let's just get the fire going.'"

Csernica pursued his bachelor's degree in chemical engineering at the Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey, the same school that his father attended for electrical engineering.

SPARKING THE IGNITION

"I came from a family of engineers and scientists and I was good at those subjects in school, so it must have been in the blueprint," Csernica joked. "I leaned more toward chemical engineering, though, because I liked mixing things together."

While at Steven's Institute, Csernica participated in the school's cooperative education (or co-op) program, a flexible internship program that enabled college students to receive career training as they worked with professionals in their fields of study as well as earn a salary.

The program gave him the opportunity to work in various industries. Some jobs were at oil companies, such as Castrol North America, where he learned how to make automotive oil lubricants. He transitioned to making medical sutures at Ethicon, a subsidiary of Johnson and Johnson.

"The co-op jobs taught me about work ethic, the field's expectations and pressures, and they taught me a lot about lab skills," said Csernica. "I learned to weigh, mix, prepare, and load ingredients and worked with solvents, which taught me about safety skills and respecting the realm of the unknown.

"The co-ops also taught me how to communicate well, how to work well with others, write and present ideas, and be adaptable to different management styles--some bosses are more proactive, some reactive, some are micromanagers, and some are leaders," added Csernica.

"Good engineers have to know how to jump across that board and be able to communicate their ideas to various people and then be able to connect the dots between these different people and organizations," said Csernica.

Through this study program,Csernica also met other co-op students such as Charles Kuperus, who graduated earlier. Kuperus became a systems engineer at Picatinny and later found Cersnica's resume sitting on his desk.

"It was just by luck," explained Csernia. "He [Kuperus] was sifting through all these resumes--back then a lot of people were getting hired--and he had me come in for an interview where I met Jim Wejsa, the current Division Chief, who wanted me for pyrotechnics research and development. I thought 'Ah, pyrotechnics, who wouldn't want to be doing that?'"

After Csernica graduated from Steven's Institute in 2004, he was hired at Picatinny that same year.

FILLING BIG SHOES

When Csernica first arrived at the arsenal, though, he wasn't initially trained in primers and tracers.

Instead, he was being trained in pyrotechnics and working in various programs to learn how Picatinny tested and made its pyrotechnics.

But when Thomas Doris, the former primer and tracer expert, alerted management of his plans to retire, the Pyrotechnic Division searched for someone to take Doris's place. Csernica agreed.

"Jim [Wejsa] called me up and asked if I'd like to learn from him [Doris], so I took the challenge around February 2005, when I was about six months into the job," Csernica recalled.

"It sounded intriguing. You work with primers and tracers. I thought 'Oh, this is what makes the big boom!' I am a little drawn to danger, but it was also because the opportunity was available and my boss asked 'Hey, do you want to do this' and I thought 'Why not?'"

For a year, Csernica studied tracers and primers under Doris, who encouraged Csernica to not be afraid to experiment with mixtures, but proceed with caution. Doris also advised not to criticize someone else's idea, but provide options--and always keep laughing.

"The biggest thing I learned from Tom was humor," said Csernica. "He always said 'Don't take life too seriously because you're never going to get out alive,' and this is coming from the guy who has worked with the most dangerous stuff in pyrotechnics."

Since taking on his new role, Csernica has become the Pyrotechnic Division's "encyclopedia of knowledge," learning about and gathering information on pyrotechnic materials, how they're made, how much of it is used in the Army, which devices use these materials, and even the financial costs.

He also now has a master's degree in integrated product development from Steven's Institute.

Csernica has worked on a number of military projects and programs as well as explored strobe effects, smoke reduction, igniter concepts, incendiary effects, delay mechanisms, and countermeasures in pyrotechnics devices.

One program that Csernica has worked on includes the Lead Styphanate Primer replacements program, commonly known as "Green" primers.

Lead Styphanate is the primary explosive used in all caliber munitions (small, medium, and large), grenade fuzes and pyrotechnic devices.

It is a reliable, powerful component that jump-starts the "ignition train" in those items. However, lead is toxic to humans and not environmentally friendly. Csernica was involved in replacing Lead Styphanate with a less toxic ingredient known as nano-thermite, a material that reacts quickly and can be manufactured easily.

NEW APPROACHES

The last 10 years have brought Picatinny an influx of new hires from various background--recent graduates, hires from industry--and with that shift, pyrotechnics has also changed, Csernica said.

Now, there is more emphasis on safety and more experimentation with new materials. These materials include organic materials, high nitrogen compounds, and ceramic materials, which have lead to new ways of developing, mixing and manufacturing pyrotechnics.

Additionally, there has been a push to make pyrotechnics more environmentally friendly by removing toxins (such as perchlorates) from pyrotechnics. And, there has been a wider use of nanotechnology in pyrotechnics, which is more readily available, more reactive, and helps speed up reaction.

There also has been a push toward tracers that produce a non-visible signature, said Csernica. A tracer is used on almost every caliber, functioning like candlelight on the back of the bullet so that the Soldier can see the bullet trajectory.

The Army wants to create bullets that match ball-round trajectories, reduced tracer luminosity to the enemy while enhancing tracer signature to the Soldier at longer distances during the day and night operational conditions

"The willingness to tinker goes a long way," said Csernica.

"A lot of what we do in pyrotechnics is because of synergy--learning what others have done and taking that and doing something with it. Experience is how we determine what we do in pyrotechnics.

"We take experience and apply it and we insert it into new materials and we see what happens--trial and error over and over. You investigate, learn from it and document it."

Csernica echoes what he learned from Doris, urging all aspiring scientists and engineers to stay focused, not take life too seriously and not to dwell on mistakes, but learn from those mistakes.

"Nothing is ever as it seems and nothing ever works out the way you think it will, but always keep on moving, adapting, and be flexible," said Csernica.

"There's no way you're going to get everything right every time, so keep plugging away, keep moving."

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The U.S. Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center is an internationally acknowledged hub for the advancement of armament technologies and engineering innovation. It strives to support the Army's efforts to ensure Soldier survivability and enhance platform and area protection by providing engineering, design and development support.

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