9 replies to this topic

[juggalo_pyro]

Hey everyone I was wondering if you can substitute potassium prechlorate with potassium nitrate in compositions and if so should I add more? Also any thing else you guy know of that can be substituted with something else. Thanks

Edited by juggalo_pyro, 15 January 2006 - 07:32 PM.

[sizzle]

Substituting Potassium Nitrate with Potassium Chlorate would not be a sensible thing to do. Mainly because the majority of compositions requiring Potassium Nitrate have sulphur in, thus substituting the Potassium Nitrate with a chlorate would mean having Sulphur and Chlorate in the same composition - not safe.

[alany]

No, obviously not! Apart from the fact they have completely different properties common sense would beg the question "Why would we bother using Potassium Chlorate compared to just using Potassium Nitrate which is *far* easier and cheaper to make?".

You can't expect the composition to behave the same after a switch either way. Even if you maintain the same oxygen balance the thermodynamics and chemistry will be affected. You also need to consider the chemical compatability of the oxidiser with the other parts of the composition and the environment in which it will be used.

It is non-trivial to design or alter compositions. If you need to ask this question then you shouldn't be attempting to modify compositions just yet. Get some experence with well known compositions and some pyrochemical theory behind you before you try this.

Please don't take this to mean I am suggesting that you quash all sense of experimentation. To do so would be a crime! I am however saying that you must understand what you are doing, if for no other reason than to get positive results, let alone perhaps saving you or someone else from personal injury.

[Zmann]

Hey everyone I was wondering if you can substitute potassium chlorate with potassium nitrate in compositions and if so should I add more? Also any thing else you guy know of that can be substituted with something else. Thanks

Potassium chlorate is a very sensitive chem and should only be handled by experienced pyros.I have been doing this for 8-9 years now and am finally thinking about using it.So like the boys said stick to proven formulas and do alot of reading

[juggalo_pyro]

You guys misread it said substitute the chlorate with nitrate not the nitrate with chlorate and I actually meant preclorate sorry about that I did that post kind of late last night so I was pretty tired

[completebeginner]

not for color comps as there is no chlorine and kno3 isn't a very stong oxidizer

[neo]

no, it's just too much differs.
KNO3 is not in long ways as strong oxider as KClO4.

so, in stars, you can't get enough heat from KNO3, unless it's a magnesium star..

but if it says preclorate, then that is what you should use..

EDIT:sorry, forgot spellchecking..

Edited by neo, 20 January 2006 - 06:54 PM.

[fishy1]

no, it's just too much diffrens.
KNO3 is not in long ways as stron oxider as KClO4.

so, in stars, you can't get enugh heat from KNO3, unleas it's a magnesium star..

but if it says preclorate, then that is what you should use..

i know you're from sweden, so english probably isn't your first language, and it isn't mine either, but try using a spell checker!

[delta_echo]

There is also the matter of energy. KNO3 releases oxygen at a much higher temperature than KCLO3 and KCLO4. Additionally, while the decomposition of KNO3 is slightly endothermic, I *believe* that the other two are exothermic.

[neo]

i know you're from sweden, so english probably isn't your first language, and it isn't mine either, but try using a spell checker!

sorry, I forgot.. it's fixed.