MisterSteve Posted May 15, 2007 Posted May 15, 2007 Can you buy dextrin at like the grocery store? or do you have to make it?
mormanman Posted May 15, 2007 Posted May 15, 2007 I don't think so, look on ebay.com or some place like that. Why not make your own though its easy.
styropyro Posted May 16, 2007 Posted May 16, 2007 Here's a site on making dextrin> http://www.wichitabuggywhip.com/fireworks/dextrin.html I use that method for my dextrin and it works great.
crazyboy25 Posted May 16, 2007 Posted May 16, 2007 i agree i did see some dextrin on ebay but it wasnt cheap firefox sells it for $3.00 a pound although the shipping probably costs more than that. i have made my own in a couple of hours i havent actually tested it in a comp but i will soon. just make it yourself. also search before you post old dextrin post
deadman Posted May 16, 2007 Posted May 16, 2007 I do believe some parts of the world DO sell a product called dextrin, but it is white. So not what many of us are used to but supposedly works.
DeAdFX Posted May 16, 2007 Posted May 16, 2007 I do believe some parts of the world DO sell a product called dextrin, but it is white. So not what many of us are used to but supposedly works. Stupid question but are malodextrin and dextrin the same thing or interchangable? On wikipedias entry of dextrin they mention malodextrin... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dextrin
crazyboy25 Posted May 16, 2007 Posted May 16, 2007 really huh i thought malodextrin was different and was used exclusivly for food or industrial uses.
deadman Posted May 17, 2007 Posted May 17, 2007 It's main purpose may be for the food industry, but many pyro items are just piggy backing off other industries for their own uses. I may be wrong, but I don't see any particular problems arising from it's use.
pudidotdk Posted May 17, 2007 Posted May 17, 2007 I've heard maltodextrin is not the same. Also LadyKate's homebaked dextrin looks a lot darker, than my is. When I made it that dark, the dextrin did not bind very well.
optimus Posted May 17, 2007 Posted May 17, 2007 Commercial dextrin isn't the same as homemade: "Mike Swisher There are many commercial grades of dextrine - I once had a product list fromAmaizo and was "amaized" at the variety available. Generally speaking these fall into three types: white dextrine, yellow dextrine,and "waxy" yellow dextrine. They differ in solubility, adhesivity, etc. Yellowdextrine is more soluble than white because its molecular chains are shorter. Onthe other hand, the solution lacks viscosity/adhesivity as compared to asolution of white dextrine, which has longer molecular chains. I believe yellow dextrine is the binder of choice for firework stars mainlybecause of its solubility. It is added dry to the star composition and when thecomposition is dampened with water, the dextrine must "compete" for theavailable solvent with a variety of other solutes present in the composition. Ifit isn't capable of dissolving in a limited amount of cold water, it won't be aneffective binder. Some years ago a person I knew got a supply of white dextrineand found it next to useless for binding stars. On the other hand, whitedextrine is supposed to be a better binder for sparkler slurry (which is mademuch wetter than star composition) because its greater viscosity in solution isbetter at keeping the other ingredients of the slurry in suspension. Cooking starch to make dextrine smells indeed like baking bread. That's becausemuch the same breakdown of starch (from the flour) into dextrine is takingplace. You also break down the starch chains into shorter molecules when youmake boiled wheat paste. Commercial wheat paste is pre-cooked, so, unlike flour,it can be mixed with cold water to make a useable paste. " I've use both commercial white dextrin and homemade yellow dextrin. I much prefer the homemade stuff - seems to work better.
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