using potadichromate to increase burn rate

[sparky]

has anyone tried using pot dich to increase burn rate of colored stars are there any incompatabilities with it or any other ideas to speed up the rate of burn any comments would be appreciated

[DeAdFX]

Well most people use geometry to get around the issue of slow burning stars or make the pyro formula slightly more sided towards stoichmetry. I believe the sole exception to this would be Copper (II) oxide, which is used in blue star comps. Making pillbox stars supposedly will help with this issue but possibly make others. I do not know much about pillbox stars so you should research that. You could also pump smaller stars too. They won't burn faster but they most likely won't hit the ground still burning.

 

I think Potassium dichromate might throw off the color slightly. Awhile back I was experimenting with Ferric chromate/Ammonium Perchlorate/Hexamine and noticed a sort of lemon/lime green color. Also most pyros try avoid potassium dichromate because of its toxicity. I would only recommend it as a dire last resort.

[qwezxc12]

I agree...I avoid K-DiChromate at all costs in compounds except where absolutely needed, i.e. coating Mg for use with Ammonium Perchlorate. For that same reason we don't use Red Lead as a whistle catalyst...it might work, but at the cost of toxicity, why would you bother?

 

Is there a specific star comp and usage you're trying to fix? Maybe someone here could suggest and alternative comp or preparation method (like DeAdFX's thought of making a pill-box).

[crazyboy25]

obviously dichromate is sometimes required for coating magnesium for example or in a perchlorate prime i found but more likely is he doesn't even have a particular star in mind but rather has lots of dichromate or easy access to it and wants to use it for something.

[sparky]

obviously dichromate is sometimes required for coating magnesium for example or in a perchlorate prime i found but more likely is he doesn't even have a particular star in mind but rather has lots of dichromate or easy access to it and wants to use it for something.

lets take this blue star for example how would i go about increasing the burn rate

 

pot per 66

black copper oxide 16

parlon 6

red gum 9

dextrin 5

 

I really hate the thought of using the dichromate if i dont need to maybe you guys can help

[DeAdFX]

You could try using chlorate...

You could use sulfur as a fuel instead...

You could try a different chlorine donor. I don't know how much parlon slows down combustion but that could be an issue.

 

Those are the two obvious ones that come to mind

[Mumbles]

Dichromate will indeed speed the burn rate up. It catalyses the decomposition of the perchlorate.

 

To speed it up I would try a few things. First of all, replace the Parlon with saran. Make sure everything is finely powdered. This means airmilled Red Gum, or at least screening it through a fine screen(100mesh or so). You could also try increasing the perchlorate amount, but this may have an undesired effect on the color. Reducing the CuO to 13 parts may help too. Addition of a small amount of MgAl, we're talking less than 5%, will speed it up too.