Swede Posted April 3, 2009 Posted April 3, 2009 We take Sulfur for granted... it is such a ubiquitous element, and is so often part of a comp, that we don't think too much about it. The problem is that there are so many varieties and allotropes of powdered sulfur, and they all look basically the same - a yellow powder, the more it stinks, the less pure it is. Over the last couple of years, I've accumulated sulfur from a variety of sources; an initial Skylighter order (the "BP kit"), a garden shop, and one or two other sources that I don't remember. Couple of questions - which "forms" (dusting, flour, flowers, rubbermaker's, wettable) of Sulfur are better than others? Which tend to acidify when compounded? I am a bit concerned that a big bag of garden-shop sulfur (the stuff in the yellow bag - "Hi Yield") is unsuitable for pyrotechnics. And most importantly, any good thoughts on cheap sources of sulfur that can be considered premium for pyrotechnics in general?
Miech Posted April 3, 2009 Posted April 3, 2009 I don't really see any problems in having slightly acidic sulfur, unless you are using it with chlorates. I believe I have it in flour form, completely odourless and as static as it can get. From what I've heard rubbermakers sulfur is good stuff too, but no experience on that. Garden shop sulfur contains 20% of dirt, at least where I live, and isn't pure at all as there is no need for it.
shagaKahn Posted April 3, 2009 Posted April 3, 2009 http://www.ihaveadotcom.com/cart/index.php...products_id=274 Best sulfur I've ever used for pyro. And his prices are sweet. (Just bought 4lb for 17 bux!). Phil's a kool guy.
al93535 Posted April 3, 2009 Posted April 3, 2009 Rubbermakers sulfur is going to be damn near the best you can get. I use it all the time at/from work, it has almost no smell is a bright almost exotic yellow. We won't use anything that is even slightly impure or inadequate. The top guy will only order and use the best chemicals soo...
FrankRizzo Posted April 4, 2009 Posted April 4, 2009 One of the guys on Passfire posted a link, the other day, to a site which shows photos of men harvesting sulfur from volcanic vents on Kawah Ijen in Indonesia. ...And you though your job sucked. http://www.stormchaser.ca/Volcanoes/Kawah_...Kawah_Ijen.html
Mumbles Posted April 4, 2009 Posted April 4, 2009 I agree. Rubber makers is the best I've used, ever. It has very little if any smell, even after sitting in a humid environment for year. I've used a high purity grade, 99.95%, and it actually showed more acidity and odor than the rubber maker stuff. It wasn't ground to a find powder first either. I believe rubber makers is the stuff Phil sells (the link). I've luckily never had to resort to garden grade sulfur, but I've heard it works fine. You gotta figure, in BP, it only contributes 1% crap to the mix, and BP ratios are not critical at all.
Swede Posted April 4, 2009 Author Posted April 4, 2009 Thanks guys, rubbermaker's sulfur it is. I think even the lowest grades of sulfur would be OK in BP, but the potential for acidity in some other comps may be an issue.
Arthur Posted April 5, 2009 Posted April 5, 2009 I was in the licenced factory of a UK firework maker a while ago and the sulphur in the stores was labelled as "Refinery Sulphur" Now as a guess this is a by-product of low sulphur petrol and diesel. BUT I didn't find out where it came from. It was packed in paper sacks of possible 20kilos and there were pallets of it.
patsroom Posted August 1, 2010 Posted August 1, 2010 It has been awhile since I have contributed to the form, but now I have a question that I would like to find a answer to. What I would like to know is how to test sulfur for acid and find the percentage of acid of the test sample? Any help would be much appreciated.
shagaKahn Posted August 1, 2010 Posted August 1, 2010 Apparently one of the most acid-free sulfur comes from oil refineries--and ironically it's considered a nuisance as it's produced in such mass quantities. Buddy at a refinery said there was an absolute mountain of it out back and that you were welcome to bring your pickup truck and take away as much as you could haul--for free. Of course from the dialectic, even a mad-dog pyro- would have trouble consuming more than one or two truckloads of sulfur in a year.
Algenco Posted August 1, 2010 Posted August 1, 2010 (edited) Get it before it's gone Rubber makers Sulfur 10lb $15 http://www.hobbychem...0-pounds/Detail Edited August 1, 2010 by Algenco
spitfire Posted September 8, 2010 Posted September 8, 2010 shagaKhan is right, i have worked at a refinery where natural gas is purified into butane, propane, etc. Impurities they removed where water, mercury, and... loads of sulfur. The refinery collected it in a hot molten form, and poured it into small pipes, 2'' across. There it cooled and solidified. They considered it as a waste product.... there was a 10 feet container completely filled, hundreds of pieces where laying all over the place. As a pyro, i asked if could get something, they too said ''take all you can carry.'' I didn't need it as a source for my sulfur, as i get my rubber maker's sulfur in 20kg bags (lucky me) also for free. But, i took some as a collector's item for my personal ''pyro museum.'' I gave most of it as a present to some pyro-friends, but one curious piece is still with me. Here's a picture:
Recommended Posts