823 replies to this topic

[Richard H]

I was generalising, but you are correct. Of course black powder and its combustion is not yet fully understood, and it is very likely that the products formed depend on the manufacture, moisture content of the powder, age, charcoal and many other factors.

[Jerronimo]

Yes, it can. But I would avoid it if possible. Why use formula like that when you can use nitrate based streamers that are safer to handle?

Yes ofcourse when you are making stars, a whole lot cheaper to!
But I was saying that formula's that contain KClO4 and S do excist and are still used commercially.

[Yugen-biki]

I would just like to ad that adding S to a perc+Al flash does not really make it better (better=louder). It is not worth the extra risk for the not very notisable difference.
I think that the Chines ad it to make it more ignitable. In this way they whon't need a large prime to get it lit. You can just put a black match into some chlorate flash to get everything lit, but a perc flash needs a small bag of BP to get everything lit at the same time. You can read about this in Shimizu?s book. About how to prime fuses used in salutes.

Edited by Yugen-biki, 23 August 2005 - 08:48 PM.

[completebeginner]

does anybody know at what weight kno3 mg flash self contains?

[italteen3]

I believe some mg FP's have a critical mass of under 5g unconfined....

To crazy for me!

[Creepin_pyro]

I think that this will be determined largely by the size of the Mg particles. 1-2 micron Mg flash can start to self-confine around 0.3g - scary stuff indeed!

Edited by Creepin_pyro, 14 October 2005 - 02:55 PM.

[completebeginner]

i got some magnesium from homehardware today and started grinding it i tested less than a gram and it was a magnificent flash! the particles are rather large the are still shiny i didnt have to ball mill it and it is still really reactive!

Edited by completebeginner, 18 October 2005 - 01:07 AM.

[sizzle]

Bangers should use nothing other than 70/30 Potassium Perchlorate/Aluminium flash. This is because it is the least likely to go off unless lit. I believe they are also illegal in the UK and America (not too sure about America) so please be careful.

Edited by sizzle, 18 October 2005 - 01:11 AM.

[completebeginner]

sizzle i dont think that kno3 magnesium flash isnt all that sesitive like you said in the sulfur magnesium flash thread it is a little hard to ignite and i have had a bit of experience with firecrackers i used to use granulated bp and always use about 10-15 seconds of fuse to ensure a safe getaway and my banger worked well it was loud but not defening

[sizzle]

sizzle i dont think that kno3 magnesium flash isnt all that sesitive like you said in the sulfur magnesium flash thread it is a little hard to ignite and i have had a bit of experience with firecrackers i used to use granulated bp and always use about 10-15 seconds of fuse to ensure a safe getaway and my banger worked well it was loud but not defening

I didn't mean to insult your intelligence or experience, I was simply reading a banger guide at the time of writing the post and it said to avoid using anything but 70/30 flash. I was just putting this forward to you. Incidentally, you wouldn't be able to PM with instructions on how you make your bangers, all the guides I have seen seem to be contradicting each other.

Edited by sizzle, 18 October 2005 - 03:30 AM.

[completebeginner]

i made a batch of kno3 mg flsh and found it quite hard to ignite so i added an extra gram of sulfur to 8 grams of 50/50. wow not only did it boost the ignitability but the flash was also much much faster.

[al93535]

Well normally I use regular 70/30 KClO4, and german aluminum. Its the safest and I have a bit of experience with it. I got ahold of some really super fine magnalium flake, like as fine as my german aluminum. I decided to use some of this to make flash. I mixed up just under 1 gram (15 grains) at a 70/30 ratio. I placed this on a piece of paper, taped a fuse to it and lit the fuse. I stood back a good 10-15 feet and held my hand up so as to block the light when it would be created and keep myself from being temporary blinded. Usually with one gram of flash, in the open I get a thump, with a small over pressure you can feel if you are close enough. Well you can imagine my suprise when the stuff exploded with the force and sound of a good 5 gram salute! I had ringing in my ears and was VERY suprised! Talk about a hot mix! Damn, I have never heard of that tiny amount of flash doing that. Very scary! Has anyone else used super fine MgAl in flash?

I just wanted to see how well it would burn/flash, but for it to explode totally unconfined and in such a small amount has got to be due to the magnesium content. I wonder how much more violent pure 2 mincron magnesium is! Anyways, I sure am glad I followed satey precautions and tested with a fuse, and stood back a bit!

So, in conclusion fine magnalium makes super flash. Also, does anyone have any idea on any unwanted reactions if this stuff is stored in a completed device? Should it be safe in devices? Thanks guys...

Edited by al93535, 20 November 2005 - 06:02 PM.

[completebeginner]

wouldn't magnalium flash be extremely sensitive?

[Richard H]

More energetic perhaps, but KClO4 based binary compositions are probably level pegging in terms of sensitivity. All flash powders are incredibly dangerous.