129 replies to this topic

[RegimentalPyro]

I have some potassium sulphate for "mopping up" barium - either spills or when I wash my tools after using it.

Huh? Sounds like a good tip. Could you share the chemistry behind this - I'd like to know how this works? I've held off opening my Barium salts up to now. They still make me twitchy!

Edited by RegimentalPyro, 17 November 2004 - 09:41 PM.

[broadsword]

They still make me twitchy!

Why do you say that is Barium Poisonous?

[Creepin_pyro]

Why do you say that is Barium Poisonous?

Barium Nitrate:

Health Rating: 3 - Severe (Life)
Estimated lethal dose lies between 1 to 15 grams

Nasty stuff

[lord_dranack]

I have read that NaNO3 powders are sometimes used in hot countries where moisture is not a problem, eg Egypt.

The Potassium sulfate works by precipitating out the barium as BaSO4, which is insoluble and pretty much harrmless.
Personly I use magnesium sulfate for this, which is easily avalible from boots chemists as epsom salt (a laxitave I think?)

[Richard H]

An excess of magnesium sulphate or potassium sulphate in solution will be ideal when cleaning milling jars, media, tools, work surfaces etc to remove any residual barium nitrate.

I'm quite certain ingesting the above would help remedy barium poisoning.

EDIT: Regimental, I posted this twice and accidentally deleted your reply when trying to remove the duplicate.

[broadsword]

Has anyone dealt or seen these people.. Click Here
They are selling Metal Powders that i thought were relitively cheap? What are your thoughts....

Metal powders 500g/1kg
Iron ?2.95/?4.20
Aluminium ?4.50/?7.20
Bronze ?6.90/?10.50
Copper ?6.90/?10.50
Brass ?5.40/?8.70

[Creepin_pyro]

I've used aluminium powder from a resin supplier. Most likely it will be roughly 100-250mesh atomised.

Not the most useful stuff, but it certainly has its place.

[broadsword]

Hi, i have been looking on the Garden Direct website and found Potassium Nitrate and have purchased some! But when i looked again they had stuff called 'chilean nitrate of potash'? I have searched the forum and found no hard evidence to which is better, so... Which is better? considering that 'chilean nitrate of potash' is ALOT cheaper?

[Phoenix]

"Chile saltpetre" is usually used to mean the raw sodium nitrate that is mined in chile, which, whilst of surprisingly high purity, is not sufficiently pure for use in fireworks. "Chilean nitrate of potash" puzzled me too. My guess is that the sodim nitrate has been converted to potassium nitrate, but it is not purified to any great extent, so would not function well in fireworks.

[broadsword]

So next time i order some i should go for the cheaper stuff? If it works just aswell, might aswell save myself some money

[Stuart]

I wouldn?t. It is an impure form of Potassium Nitrate and contains Sodium Nitrate. This will make it hydroscopic and I think I can remember reading that it can have other impurities too. Buy the straight Potassium Nitrate, it isn?t that expensive and works well.

[italteen3]

An excess of magnesium sulphate  or potassium sulphate in solution will be ideal when cleaning milling jars, media, tools, work surfaces etc to remove any residual barium nitrate.

I'm quite certain ingesting the above would help remedy barium poisoning.

EDIT: Regimental, I posted this twice and accidentally deleted your reply when trying to remove the duplicate.

What about activated charcoal? I have read it is very porous and that it helps prevents KNO3 from turning into the highly toxic KNO2. Could activated charcoal also help for other compounds?

[Patrick]

An excess of magnesium sulphate  or potassium sulphate in solution will be ideal when cleaning milling jars, media, tools, work surfaces etc to remove any residual barium nitrate.

I'm quite certain ingesting the above would help remedy barium poisoning.

EDIT: Regimental, I posted this twice and accidentally deleted your reply when trying to remove the duplicate.

Would Copper Sulphate work for clean up?

[green flame]

Hey everyone, my garden direct catalog came recently. ( really annoying as i get it, then the website goes online).

anyway i was going to get 2kg of kno3 when flicking the pages i saw sulphur chips and sulphur powder ( sulphur chips being the one better value for money). i don't know wether these would be any good for making BP but i would only be able to make green mix as i have no ball mill and wont be getting one in a hurry.
if the chips are useless ill try jamesyawns rcandy to start off with intead.

Thanks, Aj

[Creepin_pyro]

If you have no ball mill, then surely the finest powder will suit your needs best. Green meal requires very fine powders to start.