Results are reported of a thermoanalytical study of several binary pyrotechnic systems using zinc as fuel and one of the oxidants : PbO2, Pb3O4, PbO, BaO2, SrO2 or KMnO4, including estimates of kinetic parameters. These studies show that reactions of zinc with the solid oxidants, under the controlled heating rate conditions of thermal analysis, all involve prior melting of the zinc. Under the uncontrolled conditions of combustion, reaction probably also involves the participation of zinc vapour.