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Posted

WOW!!!! OK, whats the comp? Sign me up for 100#!! ;)

 

-dag

Posted
They're NC and titanium or zirconium.
Posted

They're NC and titanium or zirconium.

 

That's very pretty, I had a commercial one from Skylighter a few years ago, cant find them locally. :glare:

 

-dag

Posted

They're NC and titanium or zirconium.

 

That is about what I thought on the indoor 1.

The outdoor 1, I am not sure about.

 

For outdoors, would AP & Ti work as well?

I ask because AP is far cheaper than NC in bulk.

Posted

NC, is that nitrocellulose?

What is AP?

those were pretty nice videos.

 

Posted

AP, in fireworks anyway, means Ammonium perchlorate, NH4ClO4.

 

Yep, NC means Nitrocellulose.

 

You should be able to get a somewhat similar fountain by adding AP to a fuel, and then adding Ti to that. Unlike Nitrocellulose, Ammonium perchlorate is not a propellant on it's own, just a very nice gasious oxidiser.

 

There will be differences between AP mixes and NC. There may be smoke: AP mixes are only "smokeless" in low humidity. In high humidity the HCl in the exhaust seeds rolling clouds of water vapor (with that sweet HCl smell!).

Posted
You can tune AP compositions (carefully of course) to avoid producing HCl.
Posted

Thanks, I'm lost in all those abbreviations etc.

I've learned to make decent BP however and that is the first step in learning to write in the sky.

Posted

You can tune AP compositions (carefully of course) to avoid producing HCl.

 

I never heard about this, could you elaborate?

 

I recently tried an AP/hexamine/Ti flake gerb which worked rather well, very similar effect to the indoor NC ones.

Posted

After some tinkering AP - Stearine - Ti has the same effect.

Burns so cool, you can (quickly) wave your hand through the sparks 1 ft above the gerb.

Posted (edited)

After some tinkering AP - Stearine - Ti has the same effect.

Burns so cool, you can (quickly) wave your hand through the sparks 1 ft above the gerb.

 

Forgive my chemical ignorance but what is Stearine? Is it the same as Stearic Acid? Like what is used in candle making?

 

-dag

Edited by dagabu
Posted

Yes, stearin = stearic acid as far as terms go. I haven't an idea why they're used interchangeably. In the most critical definitions, stearin is a triglyceride of stearic acid. I get the impression the free fatty acid or the triglyceride behave pretty similarly for what we're doing.

 

I guess the balancing act with ammonium perchlorate is more critical with colored stars to be used indoors, specifically where chlorine donors are present. Something like a sparking fountain should be pretty easy. Essentially you have to make sure the emitting species is getting enough Cl, without making a caustic smoke/gas. It's really just adjusting fuel ratios until you find a balancing point. A roughly stoichiometric mix of AP and hexamine should work fine, but will probably make a little bit of smoke, though probably not an issue. I'd use a little excess hexamine. Hexamine tends to be a good scavenger of free HCl.

Posted

I would like to see the recipe... please good sirs? :rolleyes:

 

-dag

Posted

Recipe for what exactly?

 

 

[edit]

Ah, the smokeless gerbs. The following is just where I'd start. It's stoichiometric, with 1 part AP swapped for 1 part hexamine.

 

Ammonium Perchlorate - 78.5

Hexamine - 11.5

Titanium - 10

Posted

Recipe for what exactly?

 

 

[edit]

Ah, the smokeless gerbs. The following is just where I'd start. It's stoichiometric, with 1 part AP swapped for 1 part hexamine.

 

Ammonium Perchlorate - 78.5

Hexamine - 11.5

Titanium - 10

 

 

That is almost exactly recipe I used, that burned off just like the #1 video.

Except, I used Stearin (Stearic Acid) instead of Hexamine.

Ti used was -40+300 mesh spherical from skylighter.

Posted (edited)

Anything based on the blue steel gerb would probably work well too:

 

Ammonium perchlorate 65

Hexamine 10

Stearic acid 7

Copper carbonate 6

Steel, fine powder 12

 

I've found a Ti version of this a great use for my <325mesh Ti sponge.

Edited by optimus
Posted

Thanks guys! This is a real find for me.

 

-dag

Posted
Burns so cool, you can (quickly) wave your hand through the sparks 1 ft above the gerb.

 

You can do that with most spark effects, though maybe I'm just ruthless. Just stay away from the glitter spritzels!

 

I've got a formula based loosely on the blue steel gerbe that I'm quite fond of at present. It burns faster, hotter and brighter, though still with the fantastic blue and crackling titanium sparks. I've greatly enjoyed making morning glory style sparklers with it, and plan to use it in pillbox stars once I'm less busy.

 

Ammonium perchlorate 63

Copper benzoate 19

Titanium 10

Copper (II) oxide 4

Nitrocellulose 4

 

The NC is not really needed, it's just a convenient binder (and it does increase the flame size). Titanium size depends on the application. In sparkers I'd have it quite fine, a bit more coarse for fountains, and perhaps coarser yet in stars.

  • 7 years later...
Posted (edited)

AP, in fireworks anyway, means Ammonium perchlorate, NH4ClO4.

 

Yep, NC means Nitrocellulose.

 

You should be able to get a somewhat similar fountain by adding AP to a fuel, and then adding Ti to that. Unlike Nitrocellulose, Ammonium perchlorate is not a propellant on it's own, just a very nice gasious oxidiser.

 

There will be differences between AP mixes and NC. There may be smoke: AP mixes are only "smokeless" in low humidity. In high humidity the HCl in the exhaust seeds rolling clouds of water vapor (with that sweet HCl smell!).

Hi... Great to be in the forum. May I ask you the replacement for AP. It is not available for me here . Can you help? I tried Stabilised Granulated NC with KNO3 ..but the smell and smoke is unavoidable.. Need your help.

Edited by vasanthsac
Posted

Hi , Happy to be in the Forum. Is there a formula to make Indoor Smokeless Gerb . Is there a replacement for Amonium nitrate to add with NC?

Posted (edited)

Anything based on the blue steel gerb would probably work well too:

 

Ammonium perchlorate 65

Hexamine 10

Stearic acid 7

Copper carbonate 6

Steel, fine powder 12

 

I've found a Ti version of this a great use for my <325mesh Ti sponge.

Hi Optimus, Is there a replacement for Ammonium perchlorate ?? with NC combo.. kindly suggest.

Edited by vasanthsac
  • 5 months later...
Posted
Which of these chemicals must be granulated and how?i want to know the whole process.
  • 1 month later...
Posted

Hi
I want to make an indoor fountain by NC
have you any idea to how should i powder NC and what percent of Ti and NC
can I use Iron instead

  • 2 years later...
Posted (edited)

Hi again!!!
I made my indoor fountain but its not make enough pressure
Then i buy a chinese one
There is somthing granol in there that burn just like NC
could it be cordite ?!?!?
There is no AP in there
https://ibb.co/LnjDM6J
https://ibb.co/hFyKVL0

Edited by Arw
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