No problem. Thanks. It seems that successfully obtaining aqua sparks from brass is a fairly rare occurence.
This thread got me wondering if brass could be a reasonable source of aqua.
Summary results did not prove it to be imposable; however I did not successfully create any usable shade of blue. There is a reason we use brass with Ox, brass is simply not very reactive.
Test note: All tests where conducted on the ground. Some tests should have been conducted with a non-metallic fuel
Material: Bras powder, consisting of copper (65%) zinc (30%) other (5%) split into 60-100, 100-200, -200mesh.
Test 1, Bunsen burner, fine mesh material was sprinkled through the flame. Results where short-lived orange sparks (Incandescence)
Test 2, med mesh + KCLO4, test preformed on physics stand, ignition via e-match. Results: material never lit, subsequent attempt to light via torch produced very weak glow, not self sustaining.
Test 3, med + Mg, test also preformed on stand, ignition this time was reasonable. Results, though initially bright white color within seconds nothing but an orange glow remained.
Test 4, med + coarse + Mg, Further testing for test 3, worry was that if any color was present, but was first washed out by the ematch, then the Mg. Less Mg was used, and this test was ignited with a burner. Results, there may have been some blue present during ignition, but it didn't last. Without adequate Mg, this mixture would not stay lit.
Test 5, Med + KNO3 + Mg, hoping that KN would keep the mixture alive. Results, what looked like a white puff. To much smoke, to fast to get a reading using the small amounts listed.
Test 6, Same as Test 4 but added parlon. Results, again not self sustaining but none the less there was a very faint blue shimmer.
Test 7, Mg + Grog (space filler). Results, The blue I have been seeing was not completely the brass. The Mg by its self, combined with the reflections off the test apparatus is almost as blue as any other test.
-cat
