Potassium Chlorate Uses

[xBangergoosEx]

What are the uses of Potassium Chlorate? Ive only found it useful for colored smoke comps, and not much else.

[dagabu]

Chlorate was used widely for making stars and most would say that the colors made by chlorate are truer and more brilliant then perchlorate. Chlorate is also used to make e-matches. I dont use it because I like to use chemicals that dont play well with it so I keep it out of my shop.

[Ralph]

as Dagabu said the colours it makes are better than perchlorate colours (this may have something to do with its ability to decompose easily at nearly all flame temps or that it more readily releases chlorine) is also used in friction ignigtors and can but shouldn't be used in whistle and flash

[Richtee]

What are the uses of Potassium Chlorate? Ive only found it useful for colored smoke comps, and not much else.

That's probably a good thing.

 

Chlorate oxidizers historically were used for most forms of pyro- but are inherently sensitive/touchy. See the uses mentioned in other posts. God Bless Perc!

[50AE]

In the right hands, potassium chlorate is a great chemical. Should not be used by the beginners though. One must have read about all its hazards and must be very experienced.

It has to be kept away from the following chemicals AT ALL COSTS:

 

-Ammonium perchlorate (and other ammonium salts)

-Red phosphorus

-Soluble copper salts which decompose chlorates (CuSO4, CuCl2)

-Zirconium

-Acidity - acidic chemicals (fertilizer sulfur, sour gum arabic solution, acids)

 

Chlorates have been the reason for many accidents in the past, and this is why today many people don't look at it with good eye, and others exaggerate much about its hazards. Back then, chemicals weren't so pure as today - acidic sulfur was used in chlorate compositions. Also, I think the chlorates weren't made by electrolisys and weren't much pure.

 

Make sure you make a dedicated equipment for chlorate only. The worst contamination that you must avoid at all costs is chlorate to BP mechanical dedicated parts (ball mills, rammers), where shock and friction is applied.

[TheSidewinder]

Chlorate is one of the three ingredients in the "Dark Break" mix for breaking crossettes without any added light. It works perfectly for the job, but the stuff is even more sensitive than regular flash.

 

Still... the purists swear by it for breaking them. "JF" used that comp exclusively to break his.

[petroleum]

I use H3 (KClO3/charcoal mix) to break my spherical 4 inchers. I also like chlorate star comps with lampblack. Whistle mixes with chlorate work well. It must be considered, that KClO3 is relatively dangerous material to use. I had some incidents with it. One fine day I prepare a bach of blue stars: KClO3/cooper oxychloride/sugar/parlon/dextrine+5% of Cooper carbonate. I use it well (good color), but after 1 year of storage in my garage with high humidity it began to smelt with chlorine and I had to utilize it. Stars were not hermeticaly sealed, but I will not use such type of compositions in the future.

 

 

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Edited December 28, 2010 by petroleum

[Arthur]

Pot Chlorate works and is good for great colours, HOWEVER there are many sensitivities and incompatibilities that make it very challenging to work with. Most of the terrible firework factory accidents of the formative years (19th and early 20th cent ) were blamed on chlorate mixtures. With today's chemical knowledge you can work safely with chlorates but it will be difficult, even if you study the incompatibilities thoroughly. Even changing humidity is sufficient to detonate some chlorate mixes.

[xBangergoosEx]

A well-respected member of the community said that he uses perchlorate based flash powder to break his crosettes, and his dont have much of a visible break as far as flash goes. The only thing ive ever used it for is for smoke comp (30grams Chlorate - 20grams lactose) Edited December 29, 2010 by xBangergoosEx
redacted name

[dagabu]

XXXXXXXXXXX said that he uses perchlorate based flash powder to break his crosettes, and his dont have much of a visible break as far as flash goes. The only thing ive ever used it for is for smoke comp (30grams Chlorate - 20grams lactose)

 

Mind if I publish your name? No? Then please extend the courtesy to others that wish to remain off the forums.

Edited December 28, 2010 by dagabu

[Ralph]

___________ said that he uses perchlorate based flash powder to break his crosettes, and his dont have much of a visible break as far as flash goes. The only thing ive ever used it for is for smoke comp (30grams Chlorate - 20grams lactose)

 

whats with everyone name dropping him these days with his full name he has gone to alot of effort to stay anonymous mentioning his name in a post doesn't make you look like any less of a noob

 

and it may interest you to know that he uses chlorate based dark flash also

[TheSidewinder]

Fixed.

 

Unless the person's name has been published along with a relevant work from which it's quoted, please don't reveal what might be information the person wants kept private.

 

Upon reflection, I changed my post, too.

 

Thank you.

[xBangergoosEx]

Sorry about that im kind of new to this website.

[xBangergoosEx]

But Chlorate cant be used as a break charge unless the stars dont contain sulfur right? I dont understand why you wouldnt just use Perchlorate, its cheaper and safer.

[Mumbles]

You can use chlorate burst charges with stars containing sulfur, just as you can use BP or KP bursts with stars containing chlorates. Some do view this as an unnecessary risk, and choose not to of course. The real danger generally comes when they are intimately mixed with substantial portions of each. Incidental contact, while raising the risk level somewhat, is not as dangerous as some may think. The danger of chlorate/sulfur is real, but often over exaggerated.

[xBangergoosEx]

So can H3 be used as a burst charge in, say, a 3" shell?

[Dr Boom]

I use KClO3 extensively in charcoal base formulas. And while I agree that it is not a beginner chemical, I would not down-play its usefulness in pyrotechnics.

 

I even use a modified KClO3 and airfloat in my 37mm launcher.

[50AE]

Many look at chlorate and sulfur as no no. It is a sensitive and challenging combination, but it doesn't mean it cannot be handled safely. Let's not forget that safety match heads contain both.

 

When possible, it's wise to avoid it. Some of us do exceptions. I personally, I'm very impressed ot the sulfur flame purity in colored star comps, especially blue. Burns cool, inorganic, no inburnt carbon do disturb the color, and it leeches chlorine from the chlorate. I have a cheap and nice blue chlorate sulfur formula, which I balanced and it works great.

 

The stuff chlorates really should not come in contact with are listed above in my previous post. With them, you may be careful as hell and still have an accident.

[frosty90]

You can use chlorate burst charges with stars containing sulfur, just as you can use BP or KP bursts with stars containing chlorates.

 

75 chlorate, 25 charcoal makes a really great burst for 2 3 and 4" shells, you dont need a booster with this! You should use a reactive charcoal, and mill the charcoal to very very fine. The particle size of the chlorate should be fine too, but the charcoal has more effect. You can then screen these together.

 

If you are worried about chlorate touching sulfur stars, put your burst in a paper bag, and cover the end of the fuse (which contains sulfur) with a paper bag full of loose gun powder.

[NightmareNeighbour]

You can torture gummy bears with it =) Edited December 29, 2010 by NightmareNeighbour

[petroleum]

75 chlorate, 25 charcoal makes a really great burst for 2 3 and 4" shells, you dont need a booster with this! You should use a reactive charcoal, and mill the charcoal to very very fine. The particle size of the chlorate should be fine too, but the charcoal has more effect. You can then screen these together.

 

If you are worried about chlorate touching sulfur stars, put your burst in a paper bag, and cover the end of the fuse (which contains sulfur) with a paper bag full of loose gun powder.

It is very difficult in practice to prepare well mixed H3 comp by the hand mixing technique. I prepare it in this way: I mill KClO3 in a ball mill about 3 hours using stainless steel media. Homemade buckthorn charcoal and dextrine I also mill about 3 hours with steel media. After that I mix ingridients in the PE barrel and put it in the ball mill with wood media and mix it about 40-60 min. In this way I got the best results.

[Mumbles]

Screening has always worked fine for integrating the mix for me. I'd rather not take undue risks by ball milling the finished composition.

[frosty90]

It is very difficult in practice to prepare well mixed H3 comp by the hand mixing technique

 

Ive not found that to be so: It seems really important to ball mill the charcoal alone for a long time though. Just plain fine doesnt seem to cut it. Also, I put the comp in a bowl and mix it by rubing between fingers, it helps if it slightly damp, it gets the density up. The good mixing must coat the chlorate particles with charcoal or something, because the results are much better