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Making Green Stars


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Posted
All of the formulas I've found for green stars either use barium chlorate, or barium nitrate. I haven't been able to find a source for either of these chemicals that will ship then. Does anyone know either a source for these chemicals (preferably the nitrate) or a formula that uses barium sulfate or barium chloride instead?
Posted

Skylighter archives have an article on barium cabonate greens, they are called radiant greens. Barium Sulfate is usaully for strobes but I have a formula you can try, as im interested in seeing if its any good.

 

Barium Sulfate - 35

Potassium Perchlorate - 30

Magnalium, 325mesh(200 will probably be ok) - 10

Parlon - 20

Red Gum - 5

Posted
Can you acheive a green from copper sulfate?
Posted

Radiant Green Star

 

 

40% Potassium perchlorate

30% Barium carbonate

15% Dark pyro aluminum (400 mesh or finer) (any flash or –400 or smaller flake aluminum)

15% Parlon or saran

If one wants to rock and roll add an extra 5% dextrin to comp and bind with water and 25% alcohol.

 

....with added notes from someone...

Posted

I've never tried this formula from Skylighter's site, but it may be OK, and uses no Barium.

 

Green

Potassium nitrate 15

Sulfur 2

Airfloat charcoal 1

Copper powder 4

Red gum 1

Dextrin 1

Posted
I just got some from www.jumpinjackflashpyrosupplies.com give them a try
Posted

Hmm... Here's a Shimizu AP Brilliant Comp

Ammonium perchlorate..............................41

Magnesium, 60 mesh................................33.3

Red gum...........................................9.5

Barium carbonate..................................9.5

Potassium bichromate..............................1.9

Soluble glutinous rice starch.....................4.8

 

bi\dichromate are the same if you didn't know

K2Cr2O7... bi and di both mean two

(sorry for the teaching if you didn't know, but I am asked this question a lot).

 

I really doubt that you have AP if you don't have BaNO3 though...

 

Granite stars produce a decent Green-ish color... Do you have Zinc dust\powder?

Posted
Although granite or Zn spreader stars do make a slight green I have found it very pale and more tealish than straight green. there is deffinitely a huge difference in the quality and brightness of green between barium greens and zinc stars although zinc is a lot easier to obtain and still makes a decent although heavy star.
Posted
Yah and it usually has to be fresh, very fine zinc dust. Otherwise you get a bad effect.
Posted
Well I have only ever used 625mesh Zinc dust as I bought 10lbs for like 25 bucks like 5 years back and still have a bunch left. I should have said that earlier
Posted
Idk, some say the zinc goes bad and quites working for the effect. I personally had not experienced it.
Posted

The bichromate terminology came from mistaken thinking, and not actually the "two" chromates. "Bi" traditionally was applied to poly valent ions with at least 1 hydrogen remaining. Bicarbonate, bisulfate, bisulfite, bitartrate, etc. Well it probably has something to do with "two", but I am not sure on specifics.

 

Dichromate is formed by treating chromate with acid. It changes color. There are 2 potassiums for every 2 chromiums, instead of 2 K : 1Cr. It takes two equivalents of acid to convert 2 chromates into 1 dichromate. If you were doing chemistry back when this was discovered, you'd have thought it was a hydrogen ion getting in there too.

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