composition super bright white flare

[AirCowPeacock]

If you can get your componants finer you should be able to lose the firedust.

[AirsoftSmokeScreen]

Disturbing you again with my aluminum flare

I've found a " very bright" formula or that's what they say

 

Extra bright torch

Source: rec.pyrotechnics

Comments: According to the original text: "An aluminum torch of heretofore unheard of brilliance and giving an illumination, in the 2.54cm size, of what is said to be 100000 candlepower". Testing with paint grade aluminum revealed that it burns very bright indeed at a steady slow burnrate and with little residue. It is easily pressed in tubes.

Preparation: Rub the Vaseline into the barium nitrate. Mix the sulfur and the aluminum separately. Then mix it with the barium nitrate/vaseline mixture. A starting fire mixture is required for ignition. The 'starting fire #1' composition can be used for that purpose.

 

Barium nitrate....................................38

Mixed Aluminum....................................9

Sulfur............................................2

Vaseline..........................................1

 

My question is can I use Potassium Nitrate instead of Barium Nitrate?

If yes, should I only replace the barium nitrate with my kno3 and keep the same proportions?

I Know barium nitrate give much brighter flare but I'm ok with less Brightness because I have only kno3

Thanks

[AirCowPeacock]

Sure, it won't be the same though. Stoichiometrixly adjusted thats 29.4 parts KNO3. Making it 71% KNO3, 21.7% Al, 4.8% sulfur, 2.4% vaseline. Problem is with such coarse Al you may not get the stuff to burn well (or atall) with such a low sulfur content.

[AirsoftSmokeScreen]

That won't be a problem, I'll put more sulfur maybe 7-8 %.

Any kind of vaseline works?

And if I add some baking soda to increase the length I will ruin it?

Edited February 15, 2013 by AirsoftSmokeScreen

[AirCowPeacock]

I would leave out the baking soda.

[Seymour]

Ideally you'd use Sodium nitrate or some other less endothermic Sodium donor, but I'd be tempted to keep it in personally. Sodium just loves to emit light, it pumps it out. However it might not be wise to add much if the unstable burning issue is not sorted out, it would be a shame to make that worse.

 

All Vaseline is very similar and can be used interchangeably. Really Vaseline is just one brand of Petroleum jelly I believe. Any other petroleum jelly should be good too.

 

Sure, it won't be the same though. Stoichiometrixly adjusted thats 29.4 parts KNO3. Making it 71% KNO3, 21.7% Al, 4.8% sulfur, 2.4% vaseline. Problem is with such coarse Al you may not get the stuff to burn well (or atall) with such a low sulfur content.

 

Considering that he had his Aluminium burning in the other mix I'd say it will be ok, if hard to light. Otherwise, good post.

 

AirsoftSmokeScreen, take note from "Sure, it won't be the same though.". Considering your Aluminium is orders of magnitude larger than bright flake this will have quite a large effect, not only to the sparks and the irregular burning, but possibly incomplete burnining. You might be able to mitigate it somewhat by adding a higher percentage of Aluminium, but finer Aluminium, especially something like bright flake would make a world of difference. However that is not to say your Aluminium, for certain spark effects, and thermite it is ideal, and when you have no alternatives it's certainly better than nothing. I advise buying finer Aluminium, it's widely available.

 

As AirCowPeacock said with the firedust issue, increasing fineness can be really important for getting ideal performance from a lot of compositions. For flares, especially with Potassium nitrate, incorporation makes so much of a difference. Another way to get a cleaner flame on your Orange flare would be to replace the Charcoal with an organic fuel. Sodium benzoate would be perfect, and would replace the need for Sodium bicarbonate. Resinox is another personal favorite, though other phenolic resins will be as good or better, and many other fuels will also be suitable. Getting the powders fine and mixed well is really important with these Potassium nitrate and resin/organic fuel. If you don't ball mill them together or similarly process you just won't get a big flame, and you won't get a clean flame without sparks.

 

I guess availability will be a deciding factor in the really short term. Sucrose will work ok, but unless you live somewhere arid it won't be storable, it will absorb so much water with the Sodium bicarb in there.

 

Sodium benzoate is widely available as a bulk ingredient in foodstuffs and such, and it's cheap. You want that and a Ball mill (if you don't have one).

 

Barium nitrate too is just so much superior than the Potassium nitrate here, it 's pumping so much whitish light out, while for luminosity, Potassium is not really that far from invisible, and you are relying nearly entirely on the Aluminium for light. You want it too.

[AirsoftSmokeScreen]

Hey Seymour,

 

I have found Sodium Benzoate

Can you tell me please for the yellow flare what proportions of kno3, sulfur and sodium benzoate to use?

Thanks

 

From the pyro stoichiometric calculator it gives me something like this:

 

KNO3: sodium benzoate 64:36

Kno3:sulfur 72:28

 

From my calculations it should be something like this:

KNO3:Sodium Benzoate: Sulfur: 68:18:14

 

Am i right?

Edited February 19, 2013 by AirsoftSmokeScreen

[AirCowPeacock]

KNO3 with sulfur generally acts (well, more or less effectively) as an oxidizer. Try 60:30:10, lets see how that goes.

[AirsoftSmokeScreen]

Finally made it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and I'm so happy

Hope you'll enjoy it

It lasted more than I expected ( about 2:30 minutes) probably because the exces of vaseline

http://youtu.be/Av2MkJrFq4M

[AirCowPeacock]

What comp is that? I wouldn't want to hold it...

[AirsoftSmokeScreen]

KNO3 72% Al 18% S 10% with vaseline added till no dust remain about 10 grams I think

 

Why you said that?

I think It burned very well ( beside the little drops) and was very bright

Edited February 22, 2013 by AirsoftSmokeScreen

[AirsoftSmokeScreen]

Ok, now that you know my limited chemicals ( kno3, al powder, sulfur, charcoal, sodium benzoate) and I have made the flares I want you to lett me know if I can make bengal lights and fountains with those.

Can you suggest me please what composition can I make to obtain a bengal fire or a fountain with my chemicals?

I see that almost all the compositions contains barium nitrate and I don't have it.

So all I want is a white/yellow bengal light and a white/yellow fountain

 

Thanks

[val77]

Finally made it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and I'm so happy

Hope you'll enjoy it

It lasted more than I expected ( about 2:30 minutes) probably because the exces of vaseline

http://youtu.be/Av2MkJrFq4M

 

nice work my padawan

[AirsoftSmokeScreen]

Looking to make an yellow/orange one I recorded a video yesterday, this is the best I could get...

http://youtu.be/iF7nTT-q8C8

 

But, as Seymour said, nothing compares to a metallic fueled flare in terms of brightness and sound....