22 replies to this topic

[Douchermann]

With knowing that information, i am sorry for what i had said above, and will continue to keep that in mind from now on. I did not realize they had done so much scientific experimenting, i was just telling you about my personal experiences.

[miniskinny]

I actually can see where doucherman is coming from, where in my much more foolish times I had treated flash nonchalantly and had a frame of mind to suite. It sort of dumbs you down to treat it that way and not have any s or scary encounters. But all it takes is one time, and as BigG said, it's quite sensitive. Stick with BP, you'll find if you ever crave a bang, it'll suite you just fine. and plus, it's so versital you can make lots of differant fireworks with just bp and one other chemical.
good luck,
mini

[KNO3]

Good thing DOuchermann Didnt try any of his tests out on Mg flash. Ouch!!!

[Chaz]

To replace flash in very small shells, use whistle mixture that are based on sodium or pottasium benzoate. Those are vey close in power to flash - and are by far less sensetive. Thay also do not create the bright flash that sometime degrade the general quality of the effect like flash does.

BigG, do you know if KClO3 can be used as a substitute for KClO4 in Sodium Benzoate based whistle mix? Like a lot of the people here I can't get my hands on Perchlorate.

[BigG]

BigG, do you know if KClO3 can be used as a substitute for KClO4 in Sodium Benzoate based whistle mix? Like a lot of the people here I can't get my hands on Perchlorate.

As far as I can remember off the top of my head - you can't. I'm not in the country this week - but remind me and I'll give you a more defenite answer next week.

[alany]

?ztap starts out with chlorate based whistle compositions, both with benzoate and salicylate:

Chlorate/Salicylate:

79.8 KClO3 (170-200 mesh)
9.80 C7H5O3Na (170-200 mesh)
10.2 Paraffin Oil
0.2 Fe2O3

80 KClO3 (170-200 mesh)
12 C7H5O3Na (170-200 mesh)
6 Castor Oil
2 Fe2O3

73 KClO3 (170-200 mesh)
20 C7H5O3Na (170-200 mesh)
6 Vaseline
1 Fe2O3

Chlorate/Benzoate:

76 KClO3 (170-200 mesh)
20 C7H5O2Na (170-200 mesh)
3 Vaseline
1 Fe2O3

These compositions are specificially for whistle devices, rockets and noise makers, not "explosive" propellants.

You can make "Whistle Burst" with Potassium Chlorate and Sodium Benzoate alone, but the oxygen content should be rebalanced from the usual 7:3. You can either use the usual 1.196 multiplier for Chlorate replacing Perchlorate (around 74:26) or recalculate it assuming a stoichiometric reaction like this:

10(KClO3) + 2(C7H5O2Na) => 10(KCl) + 14(CO2) + 5(H2O) + (Na2O)

Which gives a ratio of about 72:28. Assuming Sodium Carbonate production instead of Oxide doesn't change it all that much, so perhaps anything near 7:3 will work fine.

[GBthriller]

I found this topic by searching for a place to post a question. Turns out the answer is here already, and some lively discussion as well!!

I was wanting a more energetic burst for my 3" shells, so I mixed up some KP burst. I'm just strongly against anything like flash; very attached to my fingers. In fact, it was only because nobody said anything about the possible sensitivity re: KP that I made it. Is it sensative?

When the KP didnt test strongly vs. BP, I thought there was a problem. But now I understand it needs strong confinement. Will give it another test with another method.

Thanks for the excellent content here!!

[pyrotrev]

The problem with KP is that although it actually has a higher force of explosion (= more heat of reaction, larger volume of products) than BP it burns significantly more slowly than BP at "normal" pressure - hence a smaller burst. The burning rate can be increased by increasing the confinement or by adding catalysts, though the latter are likely to increase its sensitivity.

Edited by pyrotrev, 02 October 2006 - 10:08 PM.