stars expiration date

[Givat]

Hi guys,

I thought on making stars/BP and othet mixtures in the kilo's and save them in a safe closet in my yard, away from the house and lab.

Making stars and BP in the kilo's is much easier then making each time I need the exact proportion of mixture.

 

I had about 1 kilo of zinc\BP stars sitting in my closet for a year I think, and today I just can't light them. I guess the zinc reacted with the KNO3. (the closet isn't humidity free at all)

 

Is there any "expiration date" for some mixtures? especially BP and colored stars based on Mg/Al and potassium chlorate\perchlorate.

And I don't talk about the safety issue of saving alot of flammable mixtures, Just the time you can save them with out lossing there effect.

[Mumbles]

Theres not really an expiration date to speak of. I've heard of people using stars that were over a decade old and having them work fine. I make stuff as I need it but always end up with some excess. If I only have a bit left I'll make a "garbage" or "floor sweeping" shell or mine. If I have a lot, like I do right now, I save them until next time. Never sits around for more than a few months.

 

Obviously storage will play a signifigant role here. Temp changes, and explosure to humidity will reduce any of the numbers.

 

Here's how I think about certain comps.

 

BP/charcoal streamers - indefinite shelf life if sealed up from humidity

 

organically fueled color stars - indefinite shelf life if sealed

 

Aluminum with nitrates - I'd give it a year or two if properly containing Boric acid

 

Aluminum with nitrates (no boric) - if you can get them to dry without reaction, maybe a month for flake, 3-4 months for granular/atomised

 

Al fueled color stars - 6 months

 

MgAl fueled color stars - a year or two

 

Mg fueled color stars w/o coating - 2 weeks

 

Mg fueled color stars w/ coating - 1-2 years

 

Zinc - 2-3 months

 

NC bound stars - a few years if kept out of sunlight

[DeAdFX]

Mumbles is your definition of mg w/ coating K2Cr2O7 treatment or any sort of treatment like mg/linseed oil?

[Mumbles]

I was just generalizing a coating. It could be either linseed or dichromate, as long as it isn't AP based stars. If it is, it has to be dichromate.