Chlorate Stars without Parlon

[Pyro09]

Hi,

 

I really, really need some advice.. I currently run out of Parlon and I won't get some until NYE!

So I'm searching for a red and green chlorate Star comp without Parlon (but I've got plenty of PVC). Does anybody know a bright, well-colored comp?

I won't have time for testing, I'll have to make the two batches for NYE untested - so please post only tested compositions

 

Kind regards,

 

Pyro09

Edited December 17, 2009 by Pyro09

[firetech]

If it holds true that chlorate and perchlorate can be subbed with each other without drastic difference then you might want to try Hardt #4

Hardt Green Star #4

 

Barium nitrate 30

Potassium perchlorate 44

Red Gum 13

Charcoal, airfloat 4

PVC 5

Dextrin 4

 

Reds are pretty easy too. You can throw in some Sr salts and pretty much get something along the lines of red but I used Shimizu's organic red. I don't have the formula with me but it's on pyroguide . com .

It's very similar to Lancaster's organic red except it has the added PVC which in my opinion deepens the saturation and gives a bit more light output.

 

Yeah, I know, these aren't tested with chlorate...but there are plenty of guys on here that read this post and tell me if I'm right or wrong. Either way check out pyroguide. They have some comps on there dealing with chlorate. I recommend only the comps that are listed under famous names (Shimizu, Lancaster, Bleser etc...)

Edited December 17, 2009 by firetech

[Mumbles]

You need to read this thread:

 

http://www.apcforum.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=40

 

Notice the part about it being for tried and true compositions, and not requests.

 

For what it's worth, most of the red and green chlorate color stars I've seen don't have any chlorine donor besides the chlorate.

[PyroMan LTU]

Hello,

 

I advise this comp:

 

PyroMan red chlorate:

KClO3 - 58

Sugar - 18

SrCO3 - 13

Parlon/PVC - 5

Red gum - 2

Dextrine - 4

 

Damp with alcohol and cut, roll or press - very comfortable comp.

video with these stars -

 

I also have a green composition, but it is not as pure and deep as red, it's quite pale actually. For blue replace strontiom with copper salt (ex: CuO)

 

Best Regards

 

PyroMan

[Pyro09]

Looks pretty nice! But isn't this comp hygroscopic due to the sugar?

 

Greetz

[PyroMan LTU]

No idea, Once I rolled them on cores using alcohol and no problems... I dont think that it's potentially dangerous.

 

PyroMan*

[Karlos]

Potassium chlorate with shellac is not good choice. Not for stars to shells.

[Bonny]

Potassium chlorate with shellac is not good choice. Not for stars to shells.

 

 

Why??

 

The only issue I had when making chlorate/shellac stars (that I used just fine in shells) was the excessive drying time.

[50AE]

Kalros, please develop your idea, why shellac is not good with chlorates? I doubt that and I plan to make some shellac/chlorate red for the NYE, which has a very nice color. The only thing I fear is the drying time, I heard that shellac binded stars dry very slowly.

[Bonny]

Kalros, please develop your idea, why shellac is not good with chlorates? I doubt that and I plan to make some shellac/chlorate red for the NYE, which has a very nice color. The only thing I fear is the drying time, I heard that shellac binded stars dry very slowly.

 

If you are going to make those stars, make them today.The shellac can form a skin over the star and it can take weeks for the solvent to get out.

[Pyro09]

The most beautiful blue star that I personally ever made was a chlorate comp that used shellac. Dextrin was the binder.

 

I would try using dextrin for your red as well, but that said, I've not had problems w/drying time or driving in the solvent using alcohol and shellac. YMMV.

 

 

 

Xetap, could you post that comp? Tomorrow I'm going to make blue stars, and haven't made a decision which comp to use yet

[Pyro09]

Thanks Xetap, but you're right: I am a bit dissapointet since I haven't got any Paris Green (actually I don't even know what it is). I guess it's really hard to find , isn't it?

[Arthur]

Paris Green is copper aceto arsenite! Very poisonous, difficult to find because of that.

 

 

My limited experience with stars is that if you have access to acetone and if you have 10% ish of PVC or saran in the mix, using acetone as solvent will cause the chlorine donor to also be the binder. Acetone dries in hours whereas water takes days. I used to make Veline stars with acetone, and they were ready for firing in 12 hours.

[Karlos]

Chlorate stars with shellac have long burning rate, bad ignitability. When is formla containing 15 shellac, is impossible to use him as binder. Shellac can be use as binder only in 6% (max 7%), because more percentage cause production of gummy mas with very long drying duration. When are you use dextrine in this type, will red composition work, but long burning predetermine this to small stars. Colour is good in red, perfect in green, but green type must be perfect treatet with priming, not with sulfur. I am happy than can use perchlorate and magnalium.....

Good result give shellac in blue formula because contain Cu in Cu salts! You can try many formulas but shellac is only evil in the efect pyrotechnics!

Edited December 18, 2009 by Karlos

[firetech]

xetap, how does to PG stars compare to modern formulations? If you're using it, there must be a darn good reason for it considering it's harzards.

[firetech]

Do you know any more of the chemistry involved that makes it better than other blue colorants? Even the more sophisticated ones like copper benzoate?

[firetech]

Well if it works it works right?

 

I would like to know more about his old fashioned blue colorant though.....................

[Arthur]

All the "old fashioned" colours were tints compared to today's colours!

[firetech]

Is that why they made pillbox stars? For a larger and brighter flame envelope?