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problem lighting star charcoal


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Posted

hi all

sorry for my bad english.

I post here because I have a problem.

I carried out stars containing coal.

Potassium Nitrate 60

Sulphur 6

Charcoal 39

Dextrin 5

the problem it is that it does not ignite.

I humidified the mixture with water and L alcoal then I pressed in a syringe. I have well let dry but does not go. I specify that it is the first time that I try to make stars. Would somebody have an idea?

Posted

This is odd. Charcoal based stars usually light very easily. I'm not familiar with that formula, but it looks to be fairly standard. There are a few problems that could be had here.

 

1. They're not dry

2. You over wet the stars and they got messed up

3. Materials wern't mixed well

4. They are driven in

 

Do they not light at all, or do they kind of sizzle, or don't stay lit? Depending on the size, charcoal based stars can take up to 2 weeks to dry. If you dried them in the sun, or with external heat too early, they may have become driven in. This is when the outside dries, but seals the moisture on the inside.

Posted

Good points mumbles. I would think its likely a bad mixing, and/or the stars are not really dry.

 

How did you mix the chemicals? How fine were the Potassium nitrate and charcoal?

Posted
hi all

sorry for my bad english.

I post here because I have a problem.

I carried out stars containing coal.

Potassium Nitrate 60

Sulphur 6

Charcoal 39

Dextrin 5

the problem it is that it does not ignite.

I humidified the mixture with water and L alcoal then I pressed in a syringe. I have well let dry but does not go. I specify that it is the first time that I try to make stars. Would somebody have an idea?

are you sure they are charcoal stars you say you carried out stars containing coal but your formula calls for charcoal. it looks like a pretty standard formula assuming you are using charcoal not coal. is it possible you got the two confused?

Posted
I explain exactly my procedure since the beginning. I put in my ballmill 60 gram of potassium nitrate, 39 G of charcoal (very fine) 6g of sulphur and 5g of dextrin. I have let turn 5 hours. Then 'J have to humidify the mixture with a mixture of water and alcoal. I put this mixture in a syringe and I have press. I obtained roller which is dry now (4 days). I light them with a lighter, Ca sparks some but the star is not entirely consumed. as soon as I withdraw the flame dies out
Posted
Sounds to me like they are not yet dry. A smouldering core and inability to stay lit is indicative of wet composition.
Posted
I have forget to say I have also to try to light the powder at the exit of the ball mill when I L did not have to humidify yet. It produced some spark with the flame of the lighter but consummer not. However J produced L excellent B p by using the same products in different proportions.
Posted
Do I have make an error in the procedure? Does the powder dryness have to quickly burn with 39g coal 6g of sulphur and potassium nitrate 60g?
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