pyrogenius007 Posted January 25, 2017 Posted January 25, 2017 Hi, I had recently made some red colored stars with the following proportions Strontium Nitrate 20Magnesium 30Potassium Chlorate 30PVC 18Lamp Black 2 The original composition consisted of Potassium Perchlorate but since I did not have it I used Chlorate instead, I added THF to the mixture which dissolved the PVC and acted as a binder. The stars gave out a dark pink color instead of red, will the addition of some Strontium Carbonate deepen the color ? or can the percentage of Strontium Nitrate be reduced and the balance quantity be filled with Strontium Carbonate ? Any suggestions please ?
bobd Posted January 25, 2017 Posted January 25, 2017 Just replace the potassium perchlorate (or chlorate in your case) with more strontium nitrate. That is:Sr(NO3)2 50Magnesium 30PVC 18Lampblack 2THF to bind.Bob
Mumbles Posted January 25, 2017 Posted January 25, 2017 Given the high intensity of the light, you may also want to ensure that you're viewing the stars from far away or look at the light reflected off of some surface. I also agree with bobd on his suggestion. Some perchlorate or chlorate can help smooth the burn or improve critical wind velocity, but 30% seems like it's diluting the potential effect. If you look into something like Independence Red (there are a few different formulas), you can find some formulas very similar to the one just mentioned.
Pirotex Posted January 26, 2017 Posted January 26, 2017 KClO4 - 42%Magnalium- 20%SrCO3 - 20%PVC - 8%Phenolic resin - 10%
ExplosiveCoek Posted January 26, 2017 Posted January 26, 2017 Pirotex, now I know who to call when I'm out of stargun tubes! You just toss 'm out of your hands?
OldMarine Posted January 26, 2017 Posted January 26, 2017 EC, take a welding glove, place the star with a bit of black match tucked under it in your palm and light. As soon as the star lights toss it in the air! It gives you a sense of the star's performance in flight and it is FUN!
dynomike1 Posted January 28, 2017 Posted January 28, 2017 (edited) What about this one?Home » Red Star, Hardt #2, Table 15-9Red Star, Hardt #2, Table 15-9Printer-friendly versionPrinter-friendly versionCATEGORIES: StarChemical Percent/Parts AmountPotassium chlorate 0.630 63Strontium Carbonate 0.180 18Red gum 0.140 14Dextrin 0.050 5Total 100 Edited January 28, 2017 by dynomike1
thepyrotextbook Posted February 11, 2017 Posted February 11, 2017 I definitely agree with bobd, replacing the KClO3 with more Sr(NO3)2 would result in better color, but there is one minor downside to that. Strontium Nitrate can be quite hygroscopic (absorbs moisture) if not worked with correctly, but I personally haven't had any problems with my Sr(NO3)2 yet, so I wouldn't to be worried about that. Plus, you weren't binding with something water soluble like Dextrin or SGRS, so the stars should be fine. My personal favorite Strontium Nitrate red is one of the Independence Reds that Mumbles had mentioned, although you used Magnesium, not Magnalium (used here) : Strontium Nitrate 53%Magnalium 19%Parlon 17%Red Gum 11% NOTE: This is a modified version by Ned Gorski.
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