Colored smoke bomb

[Diorakal]

Is there any alternatives for organic dye for making a colored smoke bomb?

[Mumbles]

Unless you like black, there aren't a lot of other choices. There are some inorganic based colored smoke dyes listed in Ellern, but they're not the most environmentally friendly things. Lead, iodine, manganese, that sort of thing. There might be an orange or yellow one based on iron though.

[Diorakal]

Thank you for your reply mumbles, is there any alternative for lactose on 50 30 20 mix?

[Mumbles]

As far as I know, lactose is just a convenient cool burning fuel. I'd try another simple sugar if I couldn't get or didn't have lactose on hand. The temperature just has to slay low enough not to burn the dye.

[dave321]

sucrose works fine

[Mumbles]

Dave, have you encountered any issues with the mixture being hygroscopic when using sucrose? This issue is one of the reasons lactose is generally the preferred sugar choice.

[Diorakal]

@Mumbles the sugar did you grind it?

sucrose works fine

sucrose works fine

i think the sucrose is harder to find than lactose.

[OldMarine]

Sucrose is table sugar.

[Diorakal]

oh! i didn't know that it was table sugar

[OldMarine]

As Mumbles said it's pretty hygroscopic. I use lactose in my smokes now so I can store them. Sucrose turns to a useless brick if not in an aluminum can sealed with foil tape. Lactose doesn't give as much smoke as sucrose but it's a trade off I reckon.

I just realized you are working with colored smokes so you'll need to use the lactose to keep the burn temps down. I tried blue smoke one time and I looked like a Smurf for a week afterward. No more for me!

Edited October 24, 2017 by OldMarine

[davidh]

I recall that ammonium chloride will work in place of a dye to make a dense white smoke.