Uses for coarse 50mesh aluminium powder

[dangerousamateur]

Hi guys,

 

I have an offer for some aluminium granulate, rather coarse, around 50-60mesh.

The price is right, but I just asked myself if I really need this stuff

 

Are there any uses in pyro you can think of? Besides glitters?

I wonder if this makes good thermite...

Edited August 5, 2021 by dangerousamateur

[myfriendtheenemy]

The coarser the thermite, the harder it is to ignite. If you have a bit of fine thermite and used that as a prime/starter for the coarser stuff, it might work.

[loopdee]

Can you sell chems and fine metals without a type 20?

[Mumbles]

I've used fairly coarse granular aluminum of around that mesh. It was sold as -50+150 I believe. It does mostly what you'd expect. Glitters, streamers, some fountains, etc. Mostly spark based effects. I would use it more as an additive of a couple parts in glitters instead of all of the metal component though. Larger amounts of coarse materials can give a strange, but often kind of beautiful, extremely long hanging effect. Bigger particles help to agglomerate larger spritzels. These can appear as a long delayed effect, or go too long and just end up as hot glowing fallout. Coarse charcoal, coarse nitrate, coarse metals, etc all can instigate this phenomenon with slightly different effects and appearances. A little bit can go a long way.

 

One of the more interesting effects though is "breaking glass" comets. These use a coarser aluminum as part of the base. There's a very neat dripping, glittery type of effect.

[dangerousamateur]

Thanks Mumbles.

Well, Im going to try it. I love long burning stuff.

 

 

The coarser the thermite, the harder it is to ignite. If you have a bit of fine thermite and used that as a prime/starter for the coarser stuff, it might work.

Yes, it would of course be combined with fine stuff or some hot primer mix. But apart from that I wonder if this even burns with useful speed and stable/reliable enough to be useful.

[Arthur]

Bigger granules usually benefit by being fired further up! A half inch cake insert with fat metal may reach the ground burning, in a 6" shell it's less likely.