6 replies to this topic

[MDH]

Hello guys,

I have just been able to chromate my magnesium and I am wondering if it is possible I could make a green burning black powder by using it as an additive to a barium nitrate based formula?

Thanks.

-MDH

[Richard H]

What has magnesium got to do with black powder? You seem to be talking about a metal fuelled colour composition. Depending upon the formulation, barium nitrate with magnesium can be used for white illumination or green in the presence of excess chlorine within the flame to encourage formation of barium monochloride.

[MDH]

What I am saying is that if I had a composition which was more or less to be used as black powder but, as you mentioned, used magnesium and a chlorine donor to turn it green, would it still very likely be useful for lift/rockets/etc?

[Richard H]

The answer is, it depends. You would have to compare the burn rate and characteristics of this theoretical composition in comparison to black powder. To exploit such a formula might require, in the example of a rocket, the engineering of the fuel grain to present sufficient surface area within time T as to produce such quantity of gas to provide effective levels of thrust.

For example a mg/al or magnesium red star pumped on crossette tooling, and ignited in the empty cavity is often quite capable of self-propulsion (This is how the Chinese typically produce the go-getter effect). As for replacing black powder for lift, I would not count on a great deal of success going down this route of query. Quite why anyone would even wish to bother replacing black powder for this purpose is questionable.

[MDH]

For the record, I am currently able to use 50 Ba(NO3)/20 Bals. Charcoal/20 Sulphur (dusting grade) as a burst composition. It works fairly well. I am careful to mill outside and not use too much moisture with barium compounds.

I actually doubt I would be using this to produce rockets.

In terms of lift, I was thinking I could use Pine charcoal treated with this composition to produce numberous green sparks from the lift charge, hence my question beforehand.

I suppose trial and error are the best ways of getting through this in terms of accomplishing the richest green.

I'll get back to you on this.

[Creepin_pyro]

There's no way I'm aware of to treat charcoal to make it produce sparks in different colours - your best bet is to use microstars embedded in the propellant.

[hst45]

MDH, if your goal is a green-burning, simple fountain or rocket fuel, try 2 parts Zinc and 1 part Sulfur. It burns with a light green hue, produces a lot of smoke, and is much less toxic than barium compounds. It will be a washed-out green though.