Question regarding Glitters and Spritzel "Delay"

[stix]

As a suggested learning experience in another thread, over the last few days I've been doing some reading from "GLITTER Chemistry & Techniques by Lloyd Scott Oglesby".

 

I have to say chemistry is certainly not my strong point, but I've managed to learn a few things. After reading and re-reading the statement below, it's still puzzling to me what is exactly meant by "delay" and/or what beneficial function it serves in glitters. What I do know is that Sodium Bicarbonate (slows down the burn rate) and also Antimony Sulfide (to a lesser extent) and also other chems are used as delay agents.

 

On page 12, Lloyd describes:

Spritzel burn time, from the formation of the dross and separation from the star to the spritz reaction, is called delay.

 

Does that mean:

• The delay agent alters the burn time, therefore each individual spritzel exists/lasts longer
• Delay means the spritzels are formed later, therefore further from the star, meaning a "wider" spread
• Something else

It doesn't matter how many times I read that statement - it still hasn't sunk in.

 

Why and what are the benefits?

Edited February 25, 2018 by stix

[NeighborJ]

I'm no expert understanding the chemistry side of glitters so I can't help a whole lot there but what I understand goes as follows.

The star ignites and starts to burn, the sulfides and bicarbonate form a layer of dross which periodically gets ejected from the main body and falls seperately. The bead of hot dross is then exposed to more air from the atmosphere which causes a secondary reaction, the (flash, glitter or spritzel). The main body of the star continues to burn away dropping dross and the spritzels flash behind it.

 

A spritzels is a fast flash of light, almost instantaneous. The glitter delay refers to how long the dross droplet will fall before it flashes. The delay agent does not refer to the burn speed of the star itself but im certain it has an effect.

 

The goal of a glitter is not to drop glowing embers of aluminum but to drop the dark droplets of dross which react away from the main body.

 

As far as speed of burn, I find the best glitters to be fast burning stars because they spread the spritzels out farther. I find the slow burning stars to act more like strobes with a short tail. The bicarbonate does slow the burn speed but it is necessary for the reaction to happen.

Edited February 25, 2018 by NeighborJ

[OldMarine]

Dr Winokur wrote an extensive article in Pyrotechnica (2?)that explained glitters very well and also offers formulas and performance reviews.

[Seymour]

"Spritzel burn time, from the formation of the dross and separation from the star to the spritz reaction, is called delay."



To me, this says that the time that it takes for a ball of glitter dross to flash, measured from the time it comes off the star to the time of the flash, is called delay.

Different delay agents, manufacturing methods, and formulas have a wide range of delays, giving different tail lengths. Each star produces a range of delays too. I know this but not how the chemical reactions work in glitter.

[kingkama]

I agree with neighbour and Seymour, the delay is the time between the the spritzel formation and the flashing time, I tryed the difference using sodium bicarbonate, strontium carbonate and barium carbonate, this different type of substance not only affect the delay but also the color of the flash (pink for strontium white for barium orange-gold for sodium) but also the timing ie. the distance from the burning star and the glittering tail. It's fine changing magnalium and alluminium and observe the difference in burning, delay and sound of the burning star. It's usefull try also to substitute the antimony trisulfate whit tap sulfur adding more of the other metal to compensate, i learned really much from Oglesby! Edited February 25, 2018 by kingkama

[stix]

Thank you all so much.

 

Now that I've re-read the statement it all becomes completely clear

 

I think it was a case of doing a lot of reading and trying to stuff too much info into my depleted brain cells to the point that there were no more available. The more times I read that statement, the more ambiguous it became. Nice to have that cleared up.

 

Cheers.

[kingkama]

In order to try something new I suggest this formula for Pink glitter born from a variation on Winokur 2.

As I told to stix i published and after removed it, but at the end I decided to make it know in the forum, to discover if the results are replicabile.

 

Angy Pink Glitter

 

Potassium Nitrate 56

Charcoal 10

Sulphur 22

MgAl 14 - 325 mesh 50/50

SrCO3 5

Dextrine 5

 

Must be made in comet 6-10% moisture added 30% acetone 70% wather