Potassiumchlorate Posted February 23, 2012 Posted February 23, 2012 (edited) Although I have come to manage using SGRS pretty well when making stars, I'm not sure that it's my thing. It's a very good binder when coating rice hulls etc, but I think that dextrin will be my preferred binder for star compositions that don't require parlon or resins as binders. But where can I find brown dextrin in Europe? I have 50 grams left, that I bought from another pyro many years ago, but the only commercial dextrin I can find is yellow. I have a kilo of yellow too, but it's inferior to the brown. And of course I know that I could make it myself in the oven, but I don't feel for it. There must be commercial brown dextrin available somewhere. Edited February 23, 2012 by Potassiumchlorate
Peret Posted February 24, 2012 Posted February 24, 2012 I was going to say "your own oven", but you covered that. All the commercial dextrin I've ever seen is yellow. Try roasting a little of your kilo and see if it improves.
Potassiumchlorate Posted February 24, 2012 Author Posted February 24, 2012 (edited) I guess I'm a bit lazy. I have synthezised lots of stuff, so "baking" some dextrin shouldn't be too hard. The brown is very superior to the yellow. Edited February 24, 2012 by Potassiumchlorate
Mumbles Posted February 24, 2012 Posted February 24, 2012 If you're making that statement, you clearly have never gotten the right dextrin. Homemade dextrin will always pale in comparison to a good acid catalyzed commercial product.
Potassiumchlorate Posted February 24, 2012 Author Posted February 24, 2012 If you're making that statement, you clearly have never gotten the right dextrin. Homemade dextrin will always pale in comparison to a good acid catalyzed commercial product. I don't know whether he made it himself or not, but that light brown dextrin is very superior to the yellow commercial that I have. I tried heating it in the oven. Too hot. 100 grams turned into a big black bun. Well, it just cost €3.50/kilo.
warthog Posted February 24, 2012 Posted February 24, 2012 May I enquire, as a person who favors dextrin as a binder in general, what makes the brown better? I have been using the yellow stuff all along without any sort of trouble. My BP granules are nice and strong and my stars don't crumble or disintegrate in the burst of the shell. In fact I was under the impression that the yellow dextrin was what you were supposed to look for when buying it...
Potassiumchlorate Posted February 24, 2012 Author Posted February 24, 2012 May I enquire, as a person who favors dextrin as a binder in general, what makes the brown better? I have been using the yellow stuff all along without any sort of trouble. My BP granules are nice and strong and my stars don't crumble or disintegrate in the burst of the shell. In fact I was under the impression that the yellow dextrin was what you were supposed to look for when buying it... Well, if I'm correct that brown in general is better than yellow, it is that all the starch has turned to dextrin. Though it might be that my brown is unusually good and/or that my yellow is unusually weak. Both will do, but my brown is better.
FREAKYDUTCHMEN Posted February 24, 2012 Posted February 24, 2012 There are many types of (yellow)dextrin, perhaps your "yellow" dextrin is from a bad type. The yellow dextrin I am using is very very sticky and is used by almost all fireworks factories I know. Where did you get that yellow dextrin from?
Algenco Posted February 24, 2012 Posted February 24, 2012 I've never seen "brown" dextrin offer for sale, only White and Yellow
allrocketspsl Posted February 24, 2012 Posted February 24, 2012 If you're making that statement, you clearly have never gotten the right dextrin. Homemade dextrin will always pale in comparison to a good acid catalyzed commercial product. I dont know mate you mean the stuff people buy from chems sites.I make mine seems very sticky but I have been wrong many times
Potassiumchlorate Posted February 24, 2012 Author Posted February 24, 2012 I've never seen "brown" dextrin offer for sale, only White and Yellow Brownish is a better word for it. I know they call it yellow, though.
dagabu Posted February 24, 2012 Posted February 24, 2012 I just got off the phone with Wasco Foods, Montreal, Canada, a world wide maker of Dextrine (actually it is an Indian company but it's not advertised), I was told that the Brown Dextrin is a product of heating tapioca starch for a longer amount of time then yellow dextrin. That said, the lighter the color, the better adhesive it is but the less soluble it is in water. The darker it is is the more soluble it is but the less adhesive it is. Barry (rep for wasco USA) told me that their yellow is available in either a mix of white and brown or straight yellow dextrin. Straight yellow is not as adhesive but is cheaper and the mix is more expensive but holds better. Typically, the yellow they sell to taxidermists is the 50/50 mix of white and brown dextrines. Oh, and I am getting a free sample too! -dag
Peret Posted February 24, 2012 Posted February 24, 2012 I baked my own dextrin last year from Argo corn starch, and tested it by dissolving a spoonful in water. It congealed instantly into a brown gelatinous lump that stuck very tenaciously to the spoon. I broke it up by vigorous shaking and stirring and left it to stand overnight, which resulted in a slightly cloudy brown syrup with a very thin layer of unconverted corn starch on the bottom of the jar. My (entirely objective and unbiased) opinion is that it's pretty good.
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