pyrosailor99 Posted October 13, 2012 Posted October 13, 2012 Anyone ever experienced (or know abouyt / can document about) flash powder (70/30) self-ignition for any shock ? Also, is there some video of flash powder self-igniting for shock on the container or some experiment about ? I made a search and i only found stories of pyro accidents that involve tooling (ball mill, rocket tooling, etc)...Have anyone ever tried to ram 0,1g of flahs powder on a rock just to see if it can ignite for the shock? I think that safety is never enough but i think also that if all that has been said about flash powder would be really true (i mean about the extreme sensitivity) any aerial bomb/salute containing flash powder should explode in the cannon for the shock of the launch... thanks.
Potassiumchlorate Posted October 14, 2012 Posted October 14, 2012 I have put 70:30 on an anvil and made it explode by hitting it with a hammer. You have to hit relatively hard. The greatest sensitivity is almost certainly from static electricity. 1
pyrosailor99 Posted October 14, 2012 Author Posted October 14, 2012 if the Anvil was metallic... could it be the explosion was due to some spark between the hammer and the anvil?
Potassiumchlorate Posted October 15, 2012 Posted October 15, 2012 if the Anvil was metallic... could it be the explosion was due to some spark between the hammer and the anvil? Maybe, but I think the impact itself would be strong enough. It's still relatively insensitive. It will not go off from the impact at launching it in an aerial salute, for instance.
Shadowcat1969 Posted November 9, 2012 Posted November 9, 2012 Even if it was the shock between the hammer and anvil, that is far more energy transfer in a much shorter amount of time than with the launch of an aerial shell. Kind of like the difference between getting punched on the shoulder and pushed hard on the shoulder.
pyrosailor99 Posted November 20, 2012 Author Posted November 20, 2012 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zv7i5A45zio, Download with AllDebridSome week ago i've seen a video where a guy shown how flash powder was self-igniting by frictioning some powder on the ground with hiss shoe... i can't just remember where i've seen that video but i remember i was reading/searching about blue aluminum. I'm just wondering what kind of mix it could be... is the standard 70/30 (german alu) mix so friction sensitive? I've seen also a video where various test show how the Nano3/Mg mix is a lot less friction/shock sensitive... (but also more powerful)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zv7i5A45zio I know that Nano3 is just like Kno3 and i wondering if Kno3+Mg could produce a good (and a bit safer) flash for flash-beginner. yes, i know flash is not safe in any way. i just would like to introduce some report in my whistles/rockets.
pyroshell Posted November 20, 2012 Posted November 20, 2012 , Download with AllDebrid Some week ago i've seen a video where a guy shown how flash powder was self-igniting by frictioning some powder on the ground with hiss shoe... i can't just remember where i've seen that video but i remember i was reading/searching about blue aluminum. I'm just wondering what kind of mix it could be... is the standard 70/30 (german alu) mix so friction sensitive? I've seen also a video where various test show how the Nano3/Mg mix is a lot less friction/shock sensitive... (but also more powerful) I know that Nano3 is just like Kno3 and i wondering if Kno3+Mg could produce a good (and a bit safer) flash for flash-beginner. yes, i know flash is not safe in any way. i just would like to introduce some report in my whistles/rockets. No not kno3 it has a tendency to self ignite. Also there is a thread where this flash has already been discussed(on this forum). If you do not already know Mg is the main ingredient in MRE heating pack that is activated with water. Nano3 is hygroscopic so by now you most likely get the conflict. Also this does self confine very easily so if you did manage ignite it it would not take much even in the open to really F**k UP the rest of your day/life. I hope by now you caught my drift. This flash powder is rather fun and extremely interesting, but is not to be used as standard flash. If any one decides to make some only make the amount you are going to use( so a few mg). Only confine using extreme safety precautions and never store any of it. I would say that the safest flash is most likely slow flash with boric acid, the most power full is most likely a chlorate based death mix, and the one most in your Goldilocks zone is 7:3 Kclo4:dark Al.
flying fish Posted November 21, 2012 Posted November 21, 2012 (edited) As far a impact sensitivity of standard flash, I've gotten it to go off hitting (a very tiny amount) with a hammer against concrete. I've also been able to get most color star comps to do the same. I can't remember how hard I hit these comps, but it didn't take too much! Edited November 21, 2012 by flying fish
AirCowPeacock Posted November 21, 2012 Posted November 21, 2012 Chlorate color comps? Metallic color comps? I cant see most organic perc color comps igniting from impact.
flying fish Posted November 21, 2012 Posted November 21, 2012 I confess I've only tried this with magnalium KClO4 color stars and organic AP stars. I haven't tried this with organic KClO4 stars. I do suspect they would be less sensitive, but by how much I couldn't say.
AirCowPeacock Posted November 21, 2012 Posted November 21, 2012 Want me to go try to smash a KP Pihko blue to see If I can get it to light? Or a Sodium benzoate KP yellow star?
AirCowPeacock Posted November 21, 2012 Posted November 21, 2012 To no surprise, KP Pihko Blue did not light.
pyroshell Posted November 21, 2012 Posted November 21, 2012 I have some blue star comp don't remember what the name for the comp is. Anyways it is mostly Kclo4 and lactose with some copper carbonate, parlon , and redgum. It can be set off by impact more easily the flash , as far as friction and static i have not conducted any test. FYI star comps are loud when hammered even a very small amount it will make your ears ring.
AirCowPeacock Posted November 21, 2012 Posted November 21, 2012 Of course if your pile of star comp lit it wouldn't take off hands, or worse--unlike flash.
flying fish Posted November 21, 2012 Posted November 21, 2012 If you're packing a big shell it's nice to have a feel for how sensitive your pyrotechnic materials are whether they are stars, report mixtures, burst, booster, filler, etc. I think you'd be surprised what mixtures other than flash will go off with a hammer strike. My impact test were from years ago and I didn't really document them, but I used an 8 lb sledge against concrete, just let it fall at various heights the comp went off. Next time I'm using earmuffs...haha...
pyroshell Posted November 21, 2012 Posted November 21, 2012 If you're packing a big shell it's nice to have a feel for how sensitive your pyrotechnic materials are whether they are stars, report mixtures, burst, booster, filler, etc. I think you'd be surprised what mixtures other than flash will go off with a hammer strike. My impact test were from years ago and I didn't really document them, but I used an 8 lb sledge against concrete, just let it fall at various heights the comp went off. Next time I'm using earmuffs...haha... Yeah i did extensive testing on various pyrotechnic compounds (mostly on impact). It is quite surprising. One thing you have to do is clean your steal (or in my case Ti) plate between tests. I was testing matches (just for fun) afterwards I tested Kp it went of with practically nothing. There was no visual residue from the chlorate based matches. That was my first time testing Kp, so i got out some Bp and pulled the bar up to the highest notch and pulled the pin.... BOOM so I was like okay wtf. Then I put the the bar to the lowest setting pulled the pin...nothing. So I tried that a few times nothing. I slowly stepped it up and it would ignite still,so I took my ti and sanded it down.Then tested to Bp again from the very top and nothing over and over again. So morels of the story keep your testing equipment clean, and make sure that you do not get incompatibilities mixed even if it is the way that is not commonly stated. Like if you make chlorate stars people will say don't let those near sulfur. I say also don't let chlorate comps near bp of other comps containing incompatibilities because not only will the chlorates become unstable even the seemingly stable bp (or other comp) will become unstable.
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