Use of KMnO4 in Pyrotechnics

[jacob]

KMno4 and Al

How do you know that?

[psyco_1322]

Maybe because thats what he used to make it?

[jacob]

He didn't make it, Bigbang on UK pyro forums made it, as seen here.

[WarezWally]

I asked the member

[oskarchem]

The only thing I use my KMnO4 for is to put it in the school sinks it makes the water go Purple, and watch others freak out seeing it.

[crazyboy25]

The only thing I use my KMnO4 for is to put it in the school sinks it makes the water go Purple, and watch others freak out seeing it.

that is really stupid and dangerous as you would know if you ever bothered to look at safety sheets or read MSDS info

 

Health Rating: 3 - Severe (Life)

Flammability Rating: 0 - None

Reactivity Rating: 3 - Severe (Oxidizer)

Contact Rating: 3 - Severe (Corrosive)

 

 

not something i want to wash my hands with

[oskarchem]

Well, Stupid yes, that's why I didn't do it more than twice but unsafe? Putting it in the sink (1 or 2g is enough to color the whole thing)And I don't put it in the taps only in the sink... So all you have to do is rince it out...

[WarezWally]

Unsafe, yes

 

Just because you only used a small amount doesn't mean it cannot cause any harm.

[oskarchem]

True; true but people didn't touch it just rinsed it but any way it's getting away of the subject.

[psyco_1322]

If let set to long it will stain the hell out of sinks and toilets.

[DeAdFX]

The only thing I use my KMnO4 for is to put it in the school sinks it makes the water go Purple, and watch others freak out seeing it.

that is really stupid and dangerous as you would know if you ever bothered to look at safety sheets or read MSDS info

 

Health Rating: 3 - Severe (Life)

Flammability Rating: 0 - None

Reactivity Rating: 3 - Severe (Oxidizer)

Contact Rating: 3 - Severe (Corrosive)

 

 

not something i want to wash my hands with

Honestly I think you way over playing the dangers of KMnO4. It is used as a disinfectant(food stuff, topical and oral) and to improve water quality(drinking and aquatic.). As long as the guy isn't dumping pound quantities down a storm drain their shouldn't be a concern. Anywho only a small amount of permangante is required to color water. I doubt a few miligrams is of any issue.

 

If he was tossing barium, lead, arsenic, mercury and cadmium down a drain I would probably be much more concerned.

[50AE]

From my attempts, this flash it's not so sensitive than AP. AP is very sensitive, and should not be compaired with KMnO4 flash.

 

I've been using this flash, with KMnO4, pure sulfur and aluminium. It is very powerful, but also dangerous if not handled properly. From my point of view, its best if you don't store the mixture. I do it for 2 weeks max. (already confined). With time, it becomes more and more sensitive.

 

Also, the mixture should not be in contact with any organic substances, like glycerin or dextrin especially. Many accidents have happened beacause of newbs mixing this flash with dextrin.

 

But I live in a country were KClO4 is hard to find, not beacause it's illegal, but not avaible in chem. shops. But KMnO4 and KNO3 are very easy to get. That's why I use the permanganate.

 

But it is ok if you are careful with it, and don't store it. I don't think 3g of just new mixed permanganate flash will ignite spontaneously somehow.

[PyroMan LTU]

hello, when I was green in this stuff I bought 2kg of KMnO4 and didn't know about it's danger... what can I do with It now? thanks for awnser

[oskarchem]

Well, you could do some normal chemistry with it, synthetise O2, oxidise KI to make iodine, make spontanious combustions with glycerin, have some fun by putting it in water (for the nice color). But 2kgs..

[Yankie]

MOD EDIT:

 

Sorry, FredBert, that was a little too much information. But I realize you were trying to be helpful and impart a warning.

 

I will paraphrase what you said, with emphasis mine:

 

 

"THERE IS NO GOOD USE IN PYROTECHNICS FOR POTASSIUM PERMANGANATE!!"

 

 

 

And I agree, there isn't.

 

PyroMan, I suggest donating it to an educational institution like a local College.

 

Places like that are ALWAYS strapped for cash to buy research materials and supplies.

 

TheSidewinder

Edited April 26, 2008 by TheSidewinder

[Niter]

KMnO4.. Here in Holland there was a locally famous pyrochemistry book that recommended use of it as a flash powder. I was a teenager (now 20 years ago) back in the day, KMnO4 was cheap so yes, I used it.

 

I made an aluminium-lean mixture of deleted, always in batches under 10 grams that burned startlingly fast and I must say I had nothing but fun with it. I didn't confine it with anything serious though, I mostly used it to make bright flashes, and used 2.5 gram charges of the stuff to make 1kg of soil hop a good 6ft out of a 1 qt tin can. (a test I developed to test the lift force of compositions without noise or too much smoke)

 

But really: you shouldn't use KMnO4 in pyrotechnics. Its unstable and prone to react with either your compositions components, with moisture or even the glue you may use to make shells.

 

If you make fireworks with it, those fireworks may go off at any time or lose their zest on storage. This is simply unacceptable.

 

 

What KMnO4 is good for though is small chemistry demonstrations.

 

 

A nice classroom experiment would be to take 7 grams of KMnO4, gently mix it with 1 gram of powdered sugar, put it in a heap and put a drop of glycerin on top. After a few moments but usually well within a minuteit starts hissing, and then the mixture burns with a calm flame.

 

The experiment ofcourse should not be done on a larger scale and the mixed powders can't be stored, as sugar is much the same stuff (polyalcohol) as the igniting glycerin.

 

 

Potassium permanganate - it is WAY too dangerous for use in pyrotechnics, if it is to be used at all, it should be used as a reagent in actual chemistry. (that means a lab)

Edited July 13, 2008 by Mumbles

[50AE]

Now I use KMnO4 only to ignite devices, but I do it rarely. For example, I put some in a piece of paper and I close it. If I want to ignite something with it, i spray the paper with some glycerine and I put it on the device. Seconds later, it ignites.

[Niter]

A mixture of KMnO4 and iron filings called Ignite has been used historically to light Thermite, which is very hard to get going.

[Ralph]

in my opinion it has 4 uses

 

making pretty solutions (i love the colour)

 

as an oxidiser in titration (for all you non chemistry people IN A SOLUTION (just to make my self clear ITS DISSOLVED IN WATER)

 

for farmacutical uses (it kills most things it comes in contact with making it a good fungicide and antiseptic)

 

and as a binary fire stater (as found in survival kits though we have matches and lighters these days )

 

there would be more uses most of them are obscure but i agree it should never be used in pyro

[Mumbles]

Way to bring a thread back from the dead to add absolutely nothing to the conversation.

[TrueBluePyro]

wow, way to be a dick mumbles, and you have nothing nice to say so dont say anything at all. The whole meaning of a "forum" is to have the comunity involved, and I think the some other post's didnt have much meaning either, so your just talking shit to ralph........um mate, get over it (what ever you and ralph are bitching about).

[Mumbles]

If he is going to act, and spell, like a little kid, I am going to treat him as one.