Metals

[Visco]

Wondering if you guys could help me as I build my supply of chemicals. I was wondering what metals I should start purchasing for making my stars and soon fountains. I have some course aluminum flake, some sparkler grade steel and some titanium freebie from a skylighter order but was wondering what is the first metals I should look at keeping on hand. I just don't want to purchase a bunch of metals I'll never use. But also hate finding a composition I want to try and have to wait for a week or longer for an order to come in to make it.

[Mumbles]

I probably use 200 mesh magnalium the most. It's the most common metallic fuel in colored stars and other devices, and can be used in some glitter compositions. Atomized aluminum is also great for glitters, but doesn't have as many applications outside of that. They give different glitter effects and like each in their own application, so long run it's probably worth it to get both.

 

Outside of those bright flake aluminum is nice for streamers, some stars, and can be used is slow flash boosters. I'd make sure the titanium you have is good for fountains. You'll want something in the coarser than 100 mesh size for this. There are many other metals that have applications. For stars and fountains you can probably get by without too many.

 

I love coarse flake Al by the way. It makes beautiful streamers and firefly comets/stars.

[AzoMittle]

It depends on what you want make, colored stars vs glitter/spark or shells vs comets and of what size, etc. Off the bat though I would recommend some fine aluminum for stars and flash, copper oxide for blue/purple stars, as well as silicon and iron oxide for primes. Magnalium is also really helpful for colored stars.

 

• Magnalium, fine, for colored stars
• Aluminum, fine (dark and bright), for flash and some stars
• Aluminum, coarse (Alcoa 120 if you can find it) for glitter stars
• Titanium and FerroTitanium, coarse, for fire-dust stars
• Titanium, fine, for salutes/inserts and some stars
• Iron, turnings, for fire-dust stars and fountains
• Steel, turnings, for fountains
• Zinc, coarse, for zinc stars
• Antimony trisulfide, for glitter stars
• Copper oxide or copper oxychloride, fine, for blues/purples stars
• Iron oxide (red), fine, for primes
• Silicon, fine, for primes

 

Aluminum comes in all kinds of shapes and sizes. I like Alcoa 120 for glitters and any star with a tail. You'll definitely want to stock up on a variety of different aluminums.

Edited September 13, 2016 by AzoMittle

[Visco]

I will see what the titanium says and let you know along with the aluminum. As I say I am fairly new to the hobby and have no idea what can be substituted for what to achieve different effects.

[OldMarine]

Just put the periodic table on an order to pyrochemsource.com and get it over with!

 

Just kidding, Azo's list is excellent. You won't need all of those now but believe me, if you stick with the hobby, you will.

[Boophoenix]

Luckily metals are usually a low percentage of a comp so acquiring a pound of various till you find what you like best doesn't strain ya a hole lot.

 

I've got a weak spot for certain metals and certain chlorides that verges on an addiction.

[Visco]

Ok guys the metal I have is titanium aluminum -40-200 listed number from skylighter is CH3196 Aluminum is very fine flitters -60-325 skylighter number CH0139 what would these mainly be used for?

[OldMarine]

I started with SL as well and found the labels on many metals meant squat. The flitter aluminum will probably work fine in comps calling for it but I'd just use the Ti in gerbs. Edited September 14, 2016 by OldMarine

[AzoMittle]

Ok guys the metal I have is titanium aluminum -40-200 listed number from skylighter is CH3196 Aluminum is very fine flitters -60-325 skylighter number CH0139 what would these mainly be used for?

 

OldMarine has it right, SkyLighter's labels are hit-or-miss (plus they are damn expensive for everything, even making use of their "sales" you tend to pay more, they do carry just about everything under one roof though). Assuming the labels are actually accurate that aluminum is kind of an odd combination of sizes, you'd probably be best off running both through screens to separate the coarse (-100ish) from the fine (+120 -325ish). Most compositions are comprised mostly of oxidizers (usually potassium nitrate or potassium perchlorate for example), and contain less than 20% (usually closer to <10%) metal, so 1lb of metal might end up lasting for 10lbs+ worth of fountains/stars.

 

Generally speaking coarse metals are used to add a tail or create sparks, fine metals are used as a fuel (what the oxidizers are 'eating up'), or to heat up the burn, or as a burn enhancer, or to change the color someway (aluminum tends to brighten/whiten, magnesium tends to deepen, magnalium is somewhere between), or for flash / slow burst enhancer, that's just generally speaking though, every rule has an exception. Pay attention to whatever you are making, ask yourself why each thing is in there. Usually metals (especially when coarse) can be switched for other similar metals so play around with it to get the effect you want, if you aren't sure post here and people (myself included) will be happy to help.

 

Titanium, and its alloys, are great for fountains! Flitter aluminum is usually used for adding a tail to stars.

 

If you screen out your metals you already have a pretty decent selection to work with (coarse and fine titalium, as well as coarse and fine aluminum), that will let you make A LOT of different things already (think in the thousands)! Start with potassium nitrate + charcoal + sulfur + titanium/aluminum comps (basically modified Black Powder), learn the methods and what works for you. You can move on to colored compositions later (stars for shells, colored fountains, or microstars for fountains for example), that's where magnalium really shines, plus colors need other things (again, usually) such as chlorine donors (e.g. parlon), different fuels (e.g. red gum), and different oxidizers (e.g. barium nitrate). If anything I would suggest starting with getting some silicon or iron oxide for primes (such as monocapa, fencepost, or pinball primes). Perhaps pick up some sodium compounds (such as cryolite, baking soda, or sodium oxalate), you can use these with BP-based formulas to add a golden/amber tinge, plus NaOx is a burn retardent used in some common glitter formulas IIRC.

 

Luckily metals are usually a low percentage of a comp so acquiring a pound of various till you find what you like best doesn't strain ya a hole lot.

 

I've got a weak spot for certain metals and certain chlorides that verges on an addiction.

 

Okay, I'll bite. Which chlorides do you use and for what?

Edited September 14, 2016 by AzoMittle

[Boophoenix]

Visco, Keeep in mind if you screen metals you very likely have contaminated your screens. Some may debate this, but as a rule I personally won't cross screens up that have seen metals with screens that will see comps going into a mill. Most screens are woven which provide many places for particles to hide as well as particles that may get trapped in a screen. Larger opening screens may could be carefully cleaned if inspected well, but I find it easier to just keep dedicated screens for metals.

 

Azo, I dabble with ghost mines for a short reply to not destract the thread to much.

[Visco]

So a good place to start would be course aluminum like Alcoa 120, 200'ish magnaluim, iron oxide and titanium powder. And that should give me enough to experiment with some different fountains and charcoal stars. As soon as I make some tools I have the chemicals for what is called a plasma cutter fountain or red fountain. Is that something that would be good to make and add some magnaluim or titanium and see the different spark effects?

[OldMarine]

Whoooeee! That plasma cutter gerb is a good one. The titanium will work great in it but the mgal won't make it out of the tube and will slag up your nozzle.

There are many gerb comps that spec the mgal but I'm partial to steel and Ti.

[NeighborJ]

OM, what size titanium do you recommend? My use of Ti has not extended to gerbs, they usually face down, and work good at lifting a stick into the air.

[OldMarine]

I use 30-60 mesh spherical Ti for the large crackling spritzels and smaller meshes for a quieter but still brilliant tower of sparks.

[dynomike1]

What metal would you use for the trunk of a palm tree? Mine is not lasting long enough.

Edited September 15, 2016 by dynomike1

[dagabu]

Sponge Titanium, 12 mesh.

[braddsn]

Metals I use a lot of:

 

Magnalium 200-325 mesh (I use tons of it)

Titanium - Various meshes (I personally don't like FeTi, so I get straight Titanium)

Silicon (sort-of a metal)

-325 mesh aluminum

10890 Dark Aluminum, or Indian Blackhead

Black Copper Oxide

Black Iron Oxide

Antimony Trisulfide

Coarse flake aluminum