Flash Powder Safety Questions

[Joopert]

I dont understand the chemistry behind it but if you lightly torch the foil before milling it it will be significantly more reactive then if you didn't.

 

I would suggest adding boric acid as a just in case safety measure.

I have seen people adding boric acid but also people not using it. I get it is an extra safety precaution. But is it dangerous to store flash powder without boric acid? I am talking about a 10g batch rn

[Arthur]

I have a simple rule that flash powder isn't "safe", even as safe as the rest of pyro. Yes you will want some, some of that may be essential. Make only as much as is essential.

[SharkWhisperer]

I have a simple rule that flash powder isn't "safe", even as safe as the rest of pyro. Yes you will want some, some of that may be essential. Make only as much as is essential.

That said, flash in various forms is a mainstay of tons of Chicom and local pyro devices that are stored in various environments (and generally retains effectiveness) for YEARS in both commercial 1.3 and 1.4 comps, and hobbyist devices, with few-to-nonexistent news reports of an overly-long stored pyro device unexpectedly burning down a house after years of storage due to over-kept flash that spontaneously ignited or some nonsense. Most hobbyists make the news because they either 1) screwed up on safety big time, or just had to try their new-fangled permanganate-Mg batch (uhhh, 100 g? why not?) often INDOORS, like the morons they are. Darwin Award recipients, and well deserved. Unfortunately, it taints us all, and draws evil stares from the general public and from the regulatory agencies that pay attention to these things.

 

Correct me if I'm mistaken, please.

 

Sure, standard 70/30 deserves respect, but it's stable for years in my experience, alone or built into devices, with standard precautions. More esoteric comps, or ones with added S, etc., maybe not so much. But the Chicoms go for max bang for buck, while trying to stay alive and keep not too many factories from exploding each year. Which is why we import from them.

 

Reminder for the newbies--never, and I mean NEVER, store or mix FP of any variety in containers that can turn to shrapnel (glass bottles lead the list). Idiocy.

 

Respect FP, and I do mean respect it (I'm not the only one with scars on this forum), but do not inordinately fear it or you'll get tunnel vision, shaky hands, and make a potentially dangerous mistake.

[Joopert]

That said, flash in various forms is a mainstay of tons of Chicom and local pyro devices that are stored in various environments (and generally retains effectiveness) for YEARS in both commercial 1.3 and 1.4 comps, and hobbyist devices, with few-to-nonexistent news reports of an overly-long stored pyro device unexpectedly burning down a house after years of storage due to over-kept flash that spontaneously ignited or some nonsense. Most hobbyists make the news because they either 1) screwed up on safety big time, or just had to try their new-fangled permanganate-Mg batch (uhhh, 100 g? why not?) often INDOORS, like the morons they are. Darwin Award recipients, and well deserved. Unfortunately, it taints us all, and draws evil stares from the general public and from the regulatory agencies that pay attention to these things.

 

Correct me if I'm mistaken, please.

 

Sure, standard 70/30 deserves respect, but it's stable for years in my experience, alone or built into devices, with standard precautions. More esoteric comps, or ones with added S, etc., maybe not so much. But the Chicoms go for max bang for buck, while trying to stay alive and keep not too many factories from exploding each year. Which is why we import from them.

 

Reminder for the newbies--never, and I mean NEVER, store or mix FP of any variety in containers that can turn to shrapnel (glass bottles lead the list). Idiocy.

 

Respect FP, and I do mean respect it (I'm not the only one with scars on this forum), but do not inordinately fear it or you'll get tunnel vision, shaky hands, and make a potentially dangerous mistake.

I dont know what compositions and chemicals commercial fireworks use for flash. But I read somewhere that aluminium can react with potassium nitrate overtime which could lead to spontaneous combustion.

[SharkWhisperer]

I dont know what compositions and chemicals commercial fireworks use for flash. But I read somewhere that aluminium can react with potassium nitrate overtime which could lead to spontaneous combustion.

This is typically only an issue with KNO₃ + Al comps that are meant to get dampened for pressing/cutting, like some star comps. In that case, some add boric acid (0.5%-2% is accommon range) to prevent unwanted reactions. I used to add BA to wetting mixture, but have never had an issue and no longer do. Less of an issue with barium and strontium nitrates.

 

Also, don't forget that uncoated Al develops a layer of aluminum oxide, which affords some measure of protection, too.

 

Search the forum for "boric acid" and you'll find info on the specific reactions, and, more importantly, why you do NOT use BA as a "protectant/buffer" for nitrate mixtures with MgAl or Mg.