a_bab Posted July 9, 2009 Posted July 9, 2009 1. Antimony metal - couldn't find any use but some old "white fire" comps2. Manganese metal (powder)3. Barium phosphate4. Strontium chromate
deadman Posted July 9, 2009 Posted July 9, 2009 exssdru: I have no idea why you would ask that here. a_bab: I don't know about for conventional pyro, but there are uses. The antimony metal is poison. It's supposed to make a really good bright white, but has been replaced by more modern safer metals. The rule of thumb for this hobby is find a desired effect and work towards that, not find a chemical and figure out what can be done with it. If you've already got those I'd test out some older comps with proper precautions down the road once you figure out what's going on.
a_bab Posted July 9, 2009 Author Posted July 9, 2009 Thank you for your answer; antimony metal is not THAT toxic unless inhaled. Working with antimony sulphide is far more dangerous. It looks like it can be used for very hot burning ccompositions, so maybe as a primer instead of silicon/boron I've been after for so long. Still, I guess it'll give the blinding white light (not good for a primer). I have the opportunity to get these and naturally I wondered if anyone knows a good pyro use, cause I'm not gonna eat'em
Seymour Posted July 10, 2009 Posted July 10, 2009 (edited) Antimony metal is used in white stars. I believe, like Antimony sulfide ones, they are Potassium nitrate based. Because Chromium catalyses the decomposition of (per)chlorates, and reds are often slow burning, Barium chromate could be very good for reds, though you would have to try to see. Edited July 10, 2009 by Seymour
Mumbles Posted July 10, 2009 Posted July 10, 2009 I'll look tomorrow, but I think I have a formula using strontium chromate. A gasless delay I think, like the kind used in some grenades. Manganese metal can be used as a temperature increaser, just like any metal really. It produces some weird lime-green flames and sparks I do believe. There is a row of pictures of metals being sprayed into a bunsen burner in the Chem building on campus. Sb makes a bright white flame, few sparks. Mn makes the previously described effect. I bet if the Antimony was fine enough it could be suspended in methanol, and used to make bright white lampares or fireballs. Maybe CMC would gel it up enough to hold a suspension better. I think it's alcohol soluble(CMC).
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