Thick, colorable smoke

[Ubehage]

Name of Composition: Burning Bakery

Composition Type: Smoke

Creator: Ubehage

The composition:

50 KNO3

35 regular baking flour

 

Precautions/Warning:

Flour and milled KNO3 are both airnborn, when in dust-form. You should wear a mask.

 

Incompatibilities:

None known. KNO3/flour is extremely durable, and also hard to ignite.

 

Preparation:

Grind the KNO3, and screen them well together.

 

 

 

It is a bit hard to light, and will not burn very fast. Smoke is guaranteed, though.

 

I usually make 1.7kg batches, and press it into a big cylinder. I use old tobacco-cans, about 4x8 inches.

After pressing the mix into the cylinder, I put a lit on, and press (RAM!) another smaller cylinder into the tube. This will serve as ignition (a fuse, that you can make as fountain).

While pressing down the smaller tube, I make sure to have a rammer through it; to keep the smoke-mix out of it. And also press a small hole, just a few mm, below the tube.

http://i.imgur.com/TPRl95G.jpg

I like to start by pressing some KNO3/sugar mix down the tube. That will help ignite the smoke composition.

For that, I use 65 KNO3 and 35 Sugar. Both milled to dust, and screened well together.

 

After that is done, you are free to fill the tube with whatever effects you want for a fountain.

 

Igniting it this way, will create a smoking chimney, that will slowly build up power (and sound) for about a minute. After that, it will erupt, and create a HEAVY cloud of thick white smoke. And it will last for several minutes. Everybody will be surprised at how much smoke it generates.

 

You are able to color the smoke, by mixing in some organic dye. But you will have to experiment with the ratios for yourself, I haven't done that.

Edited September 6, 2014 by Ubehage

[BurritoBandito]

"You are able to color the smoke, by mixing in some organic dye. But you will have to experiment with the ratios for yourself, I haven't done that."

 

You haven't actually colored the smoke, or you haven't tested different ratios of dye? The reason I ask is because as I understand KNO3 based smokes don't take color from dyes.

[Ubehage]

I haven't colored it myself. Except for when I burned a load on the grass. There were hints of green in the smoke.

 

I have never heard of KNO3-smoke not being colorable. I know that most people who try to make smoke with KNO3, uses sugar. And that burns too hot for any colorant.

Edited September 7, 2014 by Ubehage

[Arthur]

The smokes I've come across are usually 50% dye and 50% fire mix, usually that fire mix is about 50% chlorate and 50% lactose, -put enough dye in there and the burn is slowed! The dyes are chosen for their suitable sublimation temperature (below their decomposition temp).

[FlaMtnBkr]

I've also never heard of a colored smoke with KNO3 as the oxidizer.

 

And I doubt green grass would produce the first spec of green smoke. Unless the hint of green was from the blades of grass sticking out of the smoke.

[dagabu]

I haven't colored it myself. Except for when I burned a load on the grass. There were hints of green in the smoke.

 

I have never heard of KNO3-smoke not being colorable. I know that most people who try to make smoke with KNO3, uses sugar. And that burns too hot for any colorant.

 

Never seen a KNO3 based colored smoke, just white and black (brown).

[Ubehage]

I have just performed a few tests, to color this smoke. And it works very well, exactly as I claimed

 

I mixed 2:1 (2 parts smoke-mix, and 1 part dye), and have tested successfully with Yellow, Green and Red.

Dying the composition will make it even harder to ignite, and it will burn much slower. More smoke is released, though

[dagabu]

Video?

[Ubehage]

Will come tomorrow.

[Ubehage]

I am having some problems with my camera Murphy's law hit me again...

I only managed to get the last 30 seconds of smoke, and not the full show I had planned.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfxz6IrLD24

 

 

Anyway, I did a few new discoveries with dying this smoke:

You have to keep the composition in a container, and only let the smoke come out. Do not let air get to the burning composition; it will produce a lot of flames and kill all smoke-production.

Edited September 21, 2014 by Ubehage

[Mumbles]

What dyes are you using out of curiosity?

[Ubehage]

To be honest, I have no idea...

I went to a hobby-shop, and told the cashier I wanted some "powdered, organic dye". Because that is all I know about it

[dave321]

lets be honest,

absolutely dreadful video

very poor coloured smoke

 

use pot chlorate / sucrose as the heating mixture (there is a reason why this is recommended you know)

[FlaMtnBkr]

It doesn't do us much good without knowing exactly what it is so others can attempt to reproduce it. I think the few videos that claim to produce color with KNO3 have been shown to be fake or not reproducible.

 

As Dave mentioned, that isn't a very attractive color. Kind of do do brown smoke. What color is the dye? Looks like maybe a bright red from the concrete? There are smokes that are so bright and vivid they almost make your mouth water like bright sour candy.

 

There are many smoke formulas, some much much better than others. If you like smoke I suggest getting some chems to make the better formulas.

 

I have read of red iron oxide somehow being dispersed in a smoke composition and the color is similar. Think someone would call iron oxide organic? It's not a dye though.

 

Also, maybe try reading up on smokes as your new discoveries are basic techniques required with smokes. It can be fun figuring things out, but it's also much easier not having to reinvent the wheel. wheel on

[Ubehage]

I will try to get more info. Chlorate is not an option for me