Text about green formular without barium compounds

[DeLormar]

I found a text about green stars without using barium for all interested in chemistry:

 

https://epub.ub.uni-muenchen.de/22524/1/oa_22524.pdf

[gregh]

^{People have experimented with Boron before. However, it is rather expensive.}

Edited January 10, 2016 by gregh

[Arthur]

Boron compounds certainly colour alcohol flames, but whether the price is right for bulk pyro use...

[taiwanluthiers]

What about using boric acid?

[Seymour]

I've never come across any formulas using boric acid, but perhaps someone should experiment. Most of the actual experimentation I have come across is people using metallic Boron and Potassium nitrate, as the text mentioned.

 

Using similar theory to what the author of the paper is using, I think it would be quite achievable to match, if not beat the spectral purity of the best of the formulations in the text.

 

Getting purity from Barium chlorate is relatively straightforward. With Ammonium perchlorate AND another chlorine donor such as Parlon you can achieve a large enough surplus of chlorine to in theory donate to all Barium (in the form of Barium nitrate) as well as for much of the 5% or so of Mg that I would ideally have in there. Magnesium chloride largely emits light outside the visible spectrum, so donating chlorine to it is worthwhile if you are in the perhaps not quite worthwhile pursuit of highest practically possible spectral purity. You will of course use Ammonium dichromate for the Mg, not the Potassium salt.

[dave321]

boron carbide has also been evaluated as an efficient smoke agent

by the military

 

literally a "green" formulation

[Arthur]

Does anyone have a price and availability for the boron compounds quoted in the research paper? Most real world fireworks compositions are very price sensitive.

[kleberrios]

I have 50 kg of Barium Peroxid. Some already work with chemical? It will give some green light? I've read that it is used in tracer bullets ..

[MrB]

It will indeed give green light, and it's a pretty good oxidizer. Some fearful incompatibilities does exist. Don't EVER mix it with organic solvents, MEK, or acetone, comes to mind. Don't. It's just a bad idea.

When it comes to useful compositions. They are mostly nasty ones, derived from tracer compositions.

B!

Edited January 28, 2016 by MrB