Any alternatives to paraffin wax for smoke bombs?

[MachineX]

Currently I am using KNO3+Sugar+Paraffin.

 

This works great, but paraffin is rather expensive. Any thoughts on other substitutes?

 

If you leave the paraffin out, you still get smoke, just not as much and it burns really quick.

 

Wondering if I could do something like coat the insider of the tube with a coating of some sort (laquer, wax, paint, etc.) then use some other form of fuel that would have a similar effect. Slow down the burn and produce lots of smoke.

 

Any thoughts? I am certainly not a chemist, but my understanding is paraffin is an oil byproduct in solid form. Does it need to be. Could I use something like baby oil to wet the dry ingredients to form more of a paste, then use 50/50 KNO3+Sugar as a higher heat source to start the burn added just before setting it off so it doesn't get "wet"?

 

I have no problem with using paraffin for making a bunch of smaller smoke devices, but say I wanted to make a really big one (think 1 gallon paint can, maybe larger). Paraffin would not be cost effective in this case.

 

Not something I want to do all the time, just maybe every so often at a party or something to make some crazy smoke.

 

Thanks,

B

[msantosh1989]

You can use castor oil. Add some NaHCO₃ to reduce the burn rate.

[Arthur]

Things that matter for smokes.

1 the compound exactly -usually they burn rich with little oxidiser

2 the shape of the container. usually any fire must stay in the container and only smoke come out. If the flame comes out the smoke burns up and is lost.

[Richtee]

I’d imagine any oil. Perhaps even the “insect fogger” stuff for that particular use. You may need to adjust formulas slightly, but it’s not QUITE rocket science.

 

On Edit..Dang that might be quite handy..the insect ones. It’s still firepit season and still mosquito season here. Hmm.. gonna be at a pit fire tomorrow night.

Edited September 16, 2022 by Richtee

[cmjlab]

Perhaps coating the inside of the container with waterglass would slowdown any burn through on a larger smoke device, and to Arthur's point, help contain the flames?

 

Charles

[WRAITH]

Currently I am using KNO3+Sugar+Paraffin.

 

This works great, but paraffin is rather expensive. Any thoughts on other substitutes?

 

If you leave the paraffin out, you still get smoke, just not as much and it burns really quick.

 

Wondering if I could do something like coat the insider of the tube with a coating of some sort (laquer, wax, paint, etc.) then use some other form of fuel that would have a similar effect. Slow down the burn and produce lots of smoke.

 

Any thoughts? I am certainly not a chemist, but my understanding is paraffin is an oil byproduct in solid form. Does it need to be. Could I use something like baby oil to wet the dry ingredients to form more of a paste, then use 50/50 KNO3+Sugar as a higher heat source to start the burn added just before setting it off so it doesn't get "wet"?

 

I have no problem with using paraffin for making a bunch of smaller smoke devices, but say I wanted to make a really big one (think 1 gallon paint can, maybe larger). Paraffin would not be cost effective in this case.

 

Not something I want to do all the time, just maybe every so often at a party or something to make some crazy smoke.

 

Thanks,

B