How to make very fast KP.

[MinamotoKobayashi]

Hello forum!

Here is another nice pyro-tutorial .

This time I will explain how to prepare a very performant KP granulated powder.

The same procedure can be applied also to make classical BP powder.

Until the mix is wetted, there is no danger of deflagration, but when the mix is granulated and well dried

it become extremely reactive and dangerous, so do not try to manage the dried powders at home or inside

closed rooms!

Please avoid synthetic clothes or other yarns that can spark, always use brass or lead medias,

silicon spoons, wear gloves and filtering masks.

If possible maintain the naked feet on the floor or use a antistatic bracelet connected to the ground.

Some big moistened rags near the working area are suggested to limit damages or injiuries in the worst

scenario.

KP powder is similar to the BP powder but much more reactive because the Potassium Nitrate is replaced

with Potassium Perchlorate.

The percentage of each chem is slightly different form the BP formula.

You need Potassium Perchlorate (KCLO4), Sulfur, fast Charcoal and Dextrin:

Placing 100x1cm diameter brass balls in the bottom of a rock thumbler cylinder:

Filling the barrell with 70% KCLO4, 18% Charcoal, 12% Sulfur.

Add 2 grams of dextrin every 100 parts of the mix: this allow to create solid grains when they are dried,

otherwise the grains will be weak and friable.

The amount of the total weight powders involved is proportionally to the barrell size.

Usually the best choice is to fill the media with powders just a little bit over them:

Adding enough denhatured alcohol to create a slurry mix. The mix must be quite liquid.

If You do not hear the medias hit one against another during the mill process, the mix is too dense

and You need to add more alcohol:

Starting to mill the slurry mix. I had to open the device box and put a fan to cool the motor because

the brass balls are heavy and the motor will be stressed out.

Usually with 100 brass balls, the barrell correctly filled and the right rotation speed,

1-2 hours is the right choice:

After the milling, stop the device, extract the barrell, put it in vertical position, and wait at least 1 hour

to allow the decantation of the mix on the bottom.

In that way You can save some alcohol useful for another milling process:

If You want You can tilt the barrell to facilitate the alcohol recovery:

Separating the slurry mix from the media balls with the aid of a kitchen strainer and spreading it over a waxed paper:

After some hours most of the alcohol is evaporated and the mix tends to break:

Breaking all the plaques with the hands to create a raw mix:

Wet the powder with enough demineralized water:

Make solid balls pressing the wetted mix with the hands.

If You are unable to make compact rounded balls because the mix is friable You need to add other demineralized water.

If the balls are too wetted they will not hold their form and sit down like a molten blob, so You need to add some dry mix.

This is a foolproof try-and-error method:

Break the balls in two parts like an apple, then press and crawl at the same time one half by time with the hands along

8 mesh woven wire.

If You make correctly this passage, You will obtain much 8 mesh grains and very few 20+ mesh powder (also called meal).

Under the 8 mesh woven wire there will be a 20 mesh one.

The 8 mesh grains will be captured and will rests over the surface, while the 20+ mesh grains will cross the 20 mesh

voven wire and will be caught in the drawer at the lowest point of the device:

And finally the dried powders:

It is very important to make perfectly dried powders to obtain a maximum burst performance.

Usually, after the first passage with my drying device (only suction fans, no heat), I use a semi-professional

dehydratator at 122 °F for one hour to be sure that no water or alcohol is trapped inside the grains.

After cooling the powders it is a good idea to place them inside hermetic boxes with some drying bags.

That's all!

Richard.

Edited September 30, 2018 by MinamotoKobayashi

[Edd]

This is all fine and dandy, but what's the point of granulating KP? Using anything pressure sensitive as lift is dangerous, and it's hard to dial in as burst. Even wet with alcohol, milling KP still seems like a shitty idea.

[MinamotoKobayashi]

Hello.

I use some grams of KP confined into a little paper bag placed at the center of the 2", 3" and 4" shells to enhance a lot the shell burst.

Or, I use KP only inside my 2",3" and 4" shells together 2% of titanium sponge to create very loud bangs with a nice brilliant effect.

 

The european denatured alcohol is made with 90% alcohol and 10% water/other chems. Milling KP with this kind of alcohol is

safe.

The slurry do not want to ignite also if I insist a lot with a blow torch, because the alcohol+water must completely evaporate

before to have a powder ignition.

 

Also, I tried to ignite some dried grains putting them over an anvil and hitting them with a big metal hammer: nothing happened.

Tried and tried again: nothing.

 

If You use the same precautions of the normal fast BP I do not see anything more dangerous ...

Edited September 30, 2018 by MinamotoKobayashi

[kaotch]

Hi Richard,

Very good article but cannot see the pictures?

[MinamotoKobayashi]

Hello.

You mean that You cannot see the pics in the article? Strange issue, I can see all the pics ...

[NeighborJ]

They all show for me.

[Plasmaniax]

Your way of explaining, and with the pictures (which i can see), is really efficient as you get your point across whilst being really easy to follow. Thank you, you contribute greatly to this forum. I have tried this method and it works nicely.

[Nitrotitanite]

In fact granular flash powder has its advantages grains are more manageable fine powder often inevitably ends up on the workbench KB grains allow a cleaner job as for granulated BP.In plus has the advantage of being faster faster work.

[TomasBrod]

I put the pics into this zip so they remain archived in this forum even if Flicker decides to delete them. Too many guides with pictures liked from imgur are now without their pictures.

pics.zip

[dagabu]

HOLY over reaction, Edd! Milling wet comps is very safe. A leaking jar onto an electric motor, well that is gonna get you in trouble for sure but the premise is sound.

 

This is all fine and dandy, but what's the point of granulating KP? Using anything pressure sensitive as lift is dangerous, and it's hard to dial in as burst. Even wet with alcohol, milling KP still seems like a shitty idea.

[fr3dopyrox]

Hello.

I use some grams of KP confined into a little paper bag placed at the center of the 2", 3" and 4" shells to enhance a lot the shell burst.

Or, I use KP only inside my 2",3" and 4" shells together 2% of titanium sponge to create very loud bangs with a nice brilliant effect.

 

The european denatured alcohol is made with 90% alcohol and 10% water/other chems. Milling KP with this kind of alcohol is

safe.

The slurry do not want to ignite also if I insist a lot with a blow torch, because the alcohol+water must completely evaporate

before to have a powder ignition.

 

Also, I tried to ignite some dried grains putting them over an anvil and hitting them with a big metal hammer: nothing happened.

Tried and tried again: nothing.

 

If You use the same precautions of the normal fast BP I do not see anything more dangerous ...

hello , when you use a 2,3 or 4 inch ball shell full of KP burst , it is for make salutes ball shell? it is very loud? by way nice job of sharing, thanks....

[MinamotoKobayashi]

Yes, with 4" shell (about 250 grams of KP) You can hear a terrific bang for kilometers if KP was heavy confined with many turns of gummed tape!

Edited January 26, 2019 by MinamotoKobayashi

[WillowPineAndBoom]

Can this method work with Norman bp ? And if it works i will see difrence in quality and power than normal method?

[MinamotoKobayashi]

Sorry, I have seen Your question only now!

Yes of course, this method will work for every comp.

The difference between milling the chems dry and milling the chems wetted is only a safe question.

The performance at the end of both the methods will be the same.

Of course You have to spent some extra moneys due to the alcohol cost, and You have to dry the

mush before to wet it with water and finally granulate them.