White

[yellowcard]

Hi folks,

 

I'm looking for a good composition to make very bright white stars. Here are some metal powders which, i think, could be used. Maybe you guys can help me ? I have all the other normal chems.

 

Mg, 60-100 mesh

MgAl, 100mesh

MgAl, 350mesh

Al, 24-100mesh

Al, 250 mesh

Al, german dark

 

Thanks, yellowcard

[Mumbles]

Not the right section. Moved.

[tentacles]

Try 50/50 perc and magnalium, bind with something. The 100 or 350 mesh should both work, but I'd try both and see how it goes. I'd suggest binding with a dash of dextrin, or use red gum/alcohol to wet, or water/gum arabic. Should be both bright, and white. You could try 60/40 perc/mgal but I think the 50/50 is going to be great.

[Richtee]

Try 50/50 perc and magnalium, bind with something. The 100 or 350 mesh should both work, but I'd try both and see how it goes. I'd suggest binding with a dash of dextrin, or use red gum/alcohol to wet, or water/gum arabic. Should be both bright, and white. You could try 60/40 perc/mgal but I think the 50/50 is going to be great.

 

The poly glue/acetone works well for this stuff too!

[Seymour]

I assume you do not want a tail on these stars?

 

I would lean towards a Barium nitrate Aluminium stars, as without Chlorine, Barium just loves to give off white light, and as we know so does Aluminium. I would suggest adding some charcoal ad sulfur too, so as to improve burnrate and ignition. For the same reason some KP could be added. I am thinking of something like...

 

Barium nitrate 50

Aluminium 17

Potassium perchlorate 12

Sulfur 8

Charcoal 8

Binder 5

 

I would suggest something like bright flake in this comp, but as you have none, maybe 5% German dark and 12% 250 mesh. Although the additives will make ignition easier, they will still need a hot prime.

 

50% barium nitrate, 45% aluminium, 5% binder makes an even brighter star, but ignition of them is close to the "not worth it" line.

 

Barium nitrate Aluminium compositions have a habit of turning night into day!

Edited September 19, 2008 by Seymour

[Miech]

I wouldn't recommend using the 50/50 perc/MgAl mixture, as it burns way to violently. I use it as an brilliant core composition, and even when rolled on lead shot it tends to fly away when lit. When replacing the magnalium with dark aluminium you should get something more useful, although it tends to burn slowly on some occasions.

[FREAKYDUTCHMEN]

I've made some of these:

 

Dave Buell electric white:

68 Barium Nitrate

23 Aluminum, flake, dark, American dark. -325 mesh

4.5 Sulfur

4.5 Dextrin

 

They need a very hot prime.

[optimus]

Never made white stars, but I imagine this David Blesser formula would be rather bright:

 

Barium Nitrate 53

Magnesium, atomized, 100-325 mesh 28

Potassium Nitrate 12

Parlon 7

 

WARNING:

Magnesium is very reactive with water. There are too many hazards to cover here, so don't attempt these stars until reading more about working with magnesium.

 

I would assume that these would be bound with MEK/Acetone, obviously making very sure that there's no water involved.

[mormanman]

White star #6

Source: rec.pyrotechnics

Comments:

Preparation:

 

Potassium nitrate.................................59

Sulfur............................................30

Meal powder.......................................11

 

Found on cannonfuse. It works great.

[Mumbles]

You might want to read it more carefully. You're not going to get "very bright white stars" with that composition.

 

 

Hi folks,

 

I'm looking for a good composition to make very bright white stars. Here are some metal powders which, i think, could be used. Maybe you guys can help me ? I have all the other normal chems.

 

Mg, 60-100 mesh

MgAl, 100mesh

MgAl, 350mesh

Al, 24-100mesh

Al, 250 mesh

Al, german dark

 

Thanks, yellowcard

[oskarchem]

I've made some of these:

 

Dave Buell electric white:

68 Barium Nitrate

23 Aluminum, flake, dark, American dark. -325 mesh

4.5 Sulfur

4.5 Dextrin

 

They need a very hot prime.

 

I made some of those stars, with bright flake aluminium (250 mesh), and needed no prime, maybe it's because I changed the Al...

[FREAKYDUTCHMEN]

Ok thanks oskarchem, I've used a dark and very fine type aluminium.

[yellowcard]

Thanks alot guys. Seems like i have to order some additional Bariumnitrate .

I someone has any more comps, i'd like to know because you can't have enough of them.

 

I suppose this prime will work fine ?

 

73 KClO4

12 Red Gum

05 Charcoal

04 German Dark

04 Dextrin

02 CuO

[FrKoNaLeaSh1010]

This is the white i always used. It is very very bright and without a tail. If you want a tail you and switch 1/4 or 1/2 of the dark flake aluminum with -325mesh spherical. It is simple and works very good. I would definitely prime these because if you dont they dont light evenly and are quite propulsive and they swim around a little bit but priming them makes them ignite evenly and not do that. Simple green mix or meal prime is good enough.

 

Brilliant white star

Source: "The Pyroguide" (a document found on internet)

Comments: Bind with dextrin in water

Preparation:

 

Potassium perchlorate.............................4

Aluminum dust.....................................4 (I always used indian blackhead

Dextrin...........................................1

Edited September 23, 2008 by FrKoNaLeaSh1010

[mormanman]

You might want to read it more carefully. You're not going to get "very bright white stars" with that composition.

They are bright. I don't know what your talking about. The may not be the brightest but the are bright.

Are you looking for the very brightest?

[Mumbles]

Have you ever seen those stars against something metallic fueled? Anything but organic colored stars and charcoal type comps/glitters/etc make them look almost grey in comparison. Everything white will seem brighter than it actually is.

 

If I wanted brightest, I'd make a hafnium or zirconium based composition.