Dense smoke bombs

[zZz]

So , i've been trying different smoke compositions for awhile ,

with kclo3 or kno3 , with Paraffin without Paraffin , with melting sug/KnO3 together without melting them together etc.

so far the ones i added some paraffin worked best for me , the ones i melted sug/KnO3 together were the worst , they burned so vigorously

 

So i took a look to the military type smoke grenades and i realized they are much more denser than the ones i tried , after the ignition the smoke floats on the floor instead of getting into the air i searched to see the differences but couldn't found any.

 

Is there any way to increase the density of the smoke?

[Mumbles]

Military smoke formulas are going to be much different. Ellern and Hardt are good sources for some formulas used. They tend to be zinc and HCE based. I don't know if they're still used currently any more, but it's be a good place to start.

[greenlight]

For cheap smoke, the best is the KNO3/sugar/paraffin formula. I found the best ratio was 60% KNO3 40% sugar and then the same mass of paraffin that was used for the sugar. Melt the paraffin, and then mix the fuel into it and load casings while hot.

The problem with this mixture is the low density hot gases evolved (N2, K2CO3,CO2, H2O) which is why the smoke easily dissipates and moves upward.

 

The HC smoke formula is still used as far as I know by the military but experimentation to replace it with non-toxic, greener formulations is currently being done as is the case with most military explosives and pyrotechnics nowadays.

It consists of zinc oxide, hexachloroethane and a small amount of aluminium and produces a grey dense cloud of smoke that is heavier and harder to dissipate. It requires a starter composition though to get it going.

The gases produced are dense (Al2O3, ZnCl2) and C which is responsible for the grey colour I think. In addition, the zinc chloride vapour cools and condenses and absorbs water from the surrounding air, further scattering light and adding to the obscurant properties.

Please be aware that the HC smoke is toxic if you choose to experiment with it.

[Piccaso]

When i was in the army I always wondered why they put warnings on the smoke grenades not to breathe . Because without wearing a gas mask it is kind of unavoidable. If you have enough smoke to obscure movement or targets that is. I know it was because of the HC but I wondered just how the heck they thought we would accomplish the task of not breathing it.