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Potasium perchlorate old and lost potency?


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Posted

I have had some potassium perchlorate for years at least from 2011 it is.. and it seems it lost its potency.. I was wondering if putting it in a stone pounder normally used for herbs..

 

would the potency come back? or otherwise ball mill it?

 

or should I buy new potassium perchlorate. I asked an expert chemist but he is not into pyrotechnics so he could not answer my question..

 

back in 2011 this stuff was super potent

Posted
I'd blade mill it, wouldn't hurt it.
  • 4 weeks later...
Posted (edited)

Blade milling will help, but to fully restore potency, blend in 0.5% finely crushed sildenafil citrate.

 

Not only should it restore potency, but it should make your perchlorate fuller and longer lasting.

Edited by Elisabeth
  • Like 1
Posted

Blade milling will help, but to fully restore potency, blend in 0.5% finely crushed sildenafil citrate.

 

Not only should it restore potency, but it should make your perchlorate fuller and longer lasting.

 

Ahem... :P

  • Like 1
Posted (edited)

Blade milling will help, but to fully restore potency, blend in 0.5% finely crushed sildenafil citrate.

 

Not only should it restore potency, but it should make your perchlorate fuller and longer lasting.

this one is hilarious :o :D :D :D

 

edit: I don!t think that storage, even when wet, will hurt the molecule. Its just clumped a bit and not as fine as it was beforehand.

 

Edited by PTFE
Posted

Exactly how does a molecule lose "potency"? It would have to react with something in the surrounding environment and change into a different molecule.

 

This happens to aluminum, magnesium, magnalium, red phosphorus, charcoal, iron/steel, and others, but none of the common oxidizers (as far as I know) .

Posted (edited)

Well, my Pot Perch seemed to have lost "potency", too. Drawing on my vast knowledge of pyro chemistry, I arrived at the conclusion that my perc had, over the course of several weeks of neglect (I ignored it while I was making BP stuff), degenerated into the typically harmless salt substitute KCl. Genius, right? I know. So I acted accordingly, lest it go to waste, and promptly added it to all of my kitchen salt shakers. You know...KCl and hypertension control vs NaCl. But I was very surprised when I was grilling some heavily "salted" ribeye steaks a few months back, and they immediately burst into flames and shot approximately 4 feet (a little over a meter, Euro People) straight up off the grill, did a perfect flip, landed back on the grill on the opposite side, sizzled for a little while, and then blew up again just like the first time. I was stunned any mystified. But no more explosions and after 6 more minutes I had the tastiest steak ever known to man! The seasoning seemed a little off, though, but it was still super yummy!

 

Now it's been a few months later and I have developed this huge goiter, which I'm sure is unrelated to anything pyro. I mean, of course perc hinders iodine uptake at the thyroid gland, but I stay safe with that stuff, and stick with KCl in the kitchen.

 

So, although anecdotal, this serves as an example of how KClO4 can indeed degrade to a very useful kitchen seasoning!

 

Disclaimer: <<Newbies. This is sarcasm. KClO4 does not degrade without the assistance of a blowtorch. It is mildly toxic. Do not eat it, ever, please. >>

Edited by SharkWhisperer
  • 1 month later...
Posted (edited)

I still have a pound of dark Al from Star Lake Enterprises*. It is as good as new. I store my AL in large ammo cans with desiccant. I store my oxidizers like this too. They last forever.

 

*Anyone remember Star Lake Enterprises?

Edited by Pyro55
  • 1 month later...
Posted
Can someone tell me is this an australian pyro forum?
Posted
It is based in the US, but we have members from so over the globe. There's a decent contingent from Australia.
Posted

It's possible that it's absorbed moisture; mine did when the dehumidifier in the bomb shelter bit it during a muggy June. It's got a very low solubility, but it's not insoluble, 9 years is probably enough time to absorb at least a little moisture. You could try drying it in a drying box. And echoing what others said, mill it to get finer particles before drying.

 

Hey Mumbles, sent you a PM a while back. I'm sure your inbox is worse than my work inbox, though.

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