The best non AP Blue star

[Potassiumchlorate]

i don't know where you're getting chemicals, but my red gum and parlon are definitely more expensive than perchlorate...

 

Here In Europe it seems to be the other way around but it also depends on the dealer.

 

I bought my parlon and red gum in a bundle from a fellow pyro quitting the hobby, so I got a lower-than-usual price.

Edited October 23, 2011 by Potassiumchlorate

[Potassiumchlorate]

Now I'm almost getting annoying, but I adjusted that composition once again:

 

Potassium perchlorate 60

Copper(II)oxide 15

Hexamine 15

Parlon 10

 

Now it's down to 4 different chemicals; parlon is the binder.

 

As a loose powder this burns even quicker and with a bigger and bright (but not too bright) blue flame.

 

I think this is one of the simplest and nicest potassium perchlorate based blue you can make without Paris Green. Someone more skilled in chemistry might adjust it concerning fuel balance etc, though I think it's pretty optimal.

[Mumbles]

Let us know what it looks like bound as a star in the air. That's the real test. A lot of the best colored blues up close are too dim up in the sky.

[Potassiumchlorate]

Let us know what it looks like bound as a star in the air. That's the real test. A lot of the best colored blues up close are too dim up in the sky.

 

I know.

 

Those two with 3% Mg were good in colour at least 15-20 meters up or so, shot from a star gun. The potassium chlorate based was deep and pretty bright.

 

Bleser Aqua is blue 150-200 meters up in the sky, but that composition contains 53% barium chlorate, which might also be hard to get in many places. It's more deep than bright.

 

3½ hours later they are rock hard. Trying one unprimed in the star gun failed, though. Will try with some silicon prime tomorrow.

 

If it doesn't work in stars it will work in blue Bengal fires, anyway. At a distance of 10-15 meters it's a very beautiful blue.

 

One more thing: I think that 50AE is right when he says that copper(II)oxide is best suited for perchlorate while copper oxychloride is best suited for chlorate with the exception for "electric blue" stars. Those seem to work at their best with potassium chlorate and copper(II)oxide, but just 3% Mg or they will be washed out.

Edited October 26, 2011 by Potassiumchlorate

[Potassiumchlorate]

It's daytime here now, but the day is pretty gloomy. I tested the SGRS bound star, i.e.:

 

Potassium perchlorate 60

Copper(II)oxide 10

Hexamine 16

Parlon 10

SGRS 4

 

in a star gun. It burns a bit slowly but with a clear blue flame even 20-25 meters up in the sky. The colour is somewhere between Lancaster Blue Pillbox#2 and Bleser Aqua, I'd say, though this one contains neither ammonium perchlorate nor barium chlorate.

 

I don't know if the star was 100% dry. It felt rock hard, but the hexamine is hygroscopic, so it's hard to say.

 

Cheaper than ammonium perchlorate and barium chlorate, given that you can get hold of hexamine. Every chemical but the hexamine non-hygroscopic. Also more stable than chlorate stars. More expensive than chlorate stars and harder to ignite, though. I used KP/Red gum/silicon 70:20:10.

 

 

EDIT:

 

Now it's dark here and I have tested both in the star gun. The one with 20% hexamine and parlon as the binder seems to be a little bit brighter but burns pretty slowly. Both are bright enough about 20 meters up in the air, though.

 

I found this composition in another thread. That might be the optimal one using parlon as a binder:

 

KClO₄ 62

Parlon 15

CuO 13

Hexamine 10

 

But I'll still promote my own

 

KClO₃/KClO₄ 58

Copper(II)oxide 15

Parlon 15

Red gum 9

Magnesium 3

 

Despite the magnesium it's actually a bit deeper in colour than the hexamine stars!

Edited October 26, 2011 by Potassiumchlorate

[PyroAce]

Best blue in my opinion:

 

 

It's Pihko KP Blue #2.

[Timm]

Back when i was tearin up the internet for the bast blue, i found this:

 

 

Before I went to CuBenz blues I was using:

 

KClO4: 62

Parlon: 15

CuO: 13

Hexamine: 10

Total: 100

 

Not sure I remember whos this was or if it was a spin off but it had good saturation, burn speed and needed slight BP priming when hand pressed (body weight) into 1/2" pellets.

 

Out of a post by Dr. Boom, on this very site... Used to call it "some guy's blue", then "No Cu Benz blue", which looks funny in sharpie shorthand on my shells, cause the cu benz part is crossed out, idk nevermind.. Its my favorite no crazy stuff blue.

 

 

 

http://www.amateurpy...-conkling-blue/

 

post #12

Edited February 11, 2012 by Timm

[Potassiumchlorate]

I was promoting a blue with a small amount of magnesium back in October, but I have changed my mind since then. I never filmed the hexamine fueled KP blues, but they were pretty nice. The hexamine is a bit hygroscopic. When really dry, you could bind it all with the parlon. Right now my favourites are Bleser Aqua and 50AE's bright blue, though.

[Potassiumchlorate]

This Skylighter page seems interesting.

 

"B7" seems to be a promising potassium chlorate blue, except for the difficulties of getting hold of HCB. I Still think that HCE could do as a substitute, though, if it doesn't evaporate before the stars are used.

[dave321]

Best blue in my opinion:

 

 

It's Pihko KP Blue #2.

 

i agree, its a great blue, just made some.

 

just because a composition gives a good colour, doesnt necessarily mean its a "good" composition,

particularly from a commercial point of view.

 

i'd be interested to hear if hexamine appears in any comercial / chinese blue star compositions.

similarly, i doubt you will find hcb or hce in any commercial comps.

 

a bit like using calomel.........those days are gone

 

dave

[Potassiumchlorate]

It seems like they use 4% hexamine in commercial KP blues in Spain.

 

I prefer potassium chlorate for non AP blues, though.

 

The Chinese use HCB in their fireworks they sell to Europe, although the EU has forbidden it. They found it in Denmark as late as last year.

[dave321]

It seems like they use 4% hexamine in commercial KP blues in Spain.

 

I prefer potassium chlorate for non AP blues, though.

 

The Chinese use HCB in their fireworks they sell to Europe, although the EU has forbidden it. They found it in Denmark as late as last year.

 

do you have the spanish blue formula for perusal ?

 

dave

[Potassiumchlorate]

Yup. It was posted here some time ago, but I can re-post it, of course.

 

There are two, actually:

 

1.

 

Potassium perchlorate 48

Copper(II)oxide 18

Red gum 8

Parlon 12

Hexamine 4

MgAl <63µm 4

Dextrin 4

 

Total: 98

 

2.

 

Potassium perchlorate 55

Copper(II)oxide 7

Copper powder 7

Red gum 9

Parlon 9

Hexamine 4

MgAl <63µm 4

Dextrin 4

 

Total: 99

[Potassiumchlorate]

Update: I made a few 8mm and 10mm pumped stars with this composition (Hardt Blue #6 according to Pyroguide):

 

Potassium perchlorate 62

Copper oxychloride 12

Sulfur 18

Dechlorane 4

Dextrin 4

 

I don't have dechlorane, so I used parlon.

 

I didn't make stars of all of the composition. I burned a few grams on the ground. Despite being wet it burned fiercefully with a bright blue flame. Very little residue.

[mabuse00]

Despite being wet it burned fiercefully with a bright blue flame

IMHO you have to be careful when judging wet stars, especially blue ones.

The blue colour benefits from the additional watercooling, once the water is gone they might suck.

 

Thank you for posting your 3% Mg formula, it was among the best blues I achieved. I only tried KClO3, with KClO4 most blues don't work for me. Burns a little to fast, a rather "explosive" performance

[Potassiumchlorate]

Thank you. A bit ironic that myself I'm abandoning metal fuels in blue compositions more or less. Maybe I'll take that one up again, though.

 

I have some 40µm Mg. maybe with that I can use only 2% Mg.

 

I tried an almost dry 8mm Hardt Blue #6 on the ground today (yes, I am impatient). Still very bright blue and almost no ashes. Lovely smell of sulfur. I wonder if it's alright to use H3 burst for these stars, if I prime them with non-sulfur KP prime.

 

Too bad copper perchlorate is so unstable. It gives a really good colour even with 30% metal fuel!

 

This was posted on the UKPS board:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rds_KhCR19Q

Edited April 18, 2012 by Potassiumchlorate

[Potassiumchlorate]

By the way: have you noticed that the oxidizer also contributes much to the colour? Potassium chlorate gives a deep blue, almost indigo with Paris Green, potassium perchlorate gives a bit brighter colour and ammonium perchlorate gives the brightest.

 

I simplify a bit, of course.

 

Uppdate: I tested an almost dry 10mm Hardt Blue #6 in a star gun. It's rather bright blue in the air too.

Edited April 18, 2012 by Potassiumchlorate