Milling 700 grams of potassium perchlorate and 300 grams of charcoal+sulfur (separately)

[Potassiumchlorate]

How long should I mill? Potassium perchlorate and sulfur are -325 mesh. Charcoal is coarser, maybe -120 mesh.

[a_bab]

This is like asking "guess how long does it take to make a good batch of BP in MY mill".

 

I'd say 3 hours is plenty enough for charcoal. No need to mill the KP - but I don't know what you need this BP kind of compo for.

 

I'm sure you know that milling this "pyrodex" components together would be a reckless thing to say the least.

[Potassiumchlorate]

I will mill the potassium perchlorate separately from the sulfur and charcoal - I even stress that in the topic title. It's not wrong to read the post thoroughly before responding.

 

To give an idea of the performance of my ballmill: I mill my BP for three hours, though in that case I mill all the three components together. It is above average in performance but not really "top" performing.

 

I intend to use this for KP burst for big shells, where H3 is too powerful and/or where I use AP stars.

Edited December 6, 2012 by Potassiumchlorate

[psyco_1322]

Mill the charcoal, an hour should be good. Leave everything else as is, it's just fine. It's not wrong to learn how to use your own mill thoroughly before responding.

[Potassiumchlorate]

[a_bab]

I noticed you knew how dangerous milling the full deal would be, hence "I'm sure you know...", but now that I read my post it does sound ironic - which wasn't my intention. I also know you better then you'd think, so no worries

 

On this note, there was a member on the uk forum called aapua who was very keen about AP stars - this is all he used for his shells. He also used an interesting and powerfull combination for breaking an AP stars shell based on Potassium ferricyanide (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potassium_ferricyanide) and KP. This is an excerpt from one of his postings:

 

"Few words about covering the stars.

There is an interesting chemical I use. K3[Fe(CN)6] or red blood salt (this is direct translation from both estonian and russian. I have no idea, how you might call it in english). Anyway, it is very common and cheap chemical.

 

KClO4 - 50

K3[Fe(CN)6] - 20-25

C dust - 20-25

Dextrine - 5-10

I cover the stars 3 times.

1. Take 2-3 parts of star mixture and 1 part of primer.

2. Take 1 part of star mixtur and 2 parts of primer.

3. Use only primer (I often decrease the amount of dextrine for the last covering).

The stars ignite very well and easy, the main color would be seen immediately and there is a very nice tale of golden sparks behind the flying star.

And the last but not least. I said urotropine stars give big, brigth flame and burn slowly. The star (without primer, just the main mixture) of about 5x5x5mm burns up to 7 seconds. Now make pump or cut stars, covering only one side with the primer (there are many ways to do that). For the cylindrycal 75mm shell I use up to 300 gr of small, longlasting stars (maybe 500-1000 pcs). Can you imagine the picture in the sky?!?!

My logic and reasons: similar ignites the similar. As a bursting charge (I'm sorry if I used wrong word. I mean the charge that works there, up in the sky inside the shell to throw the stars all over) I use mixture

KClO4 - 50

K3[Fe(CN)6] - 20 - 25

C dust - 25

Al powder - 0 - 5

This mixture is FAR more powerful than BP, but ignites easyly than KClO4/Al mixture.

Second, there will be no effect like washed-away colors.

Third, especially good is that mixture for chrysanthemum-effect. For peony, when no tail behind the star is wanted, it's no good."

[Potassiumchlorate]

That salt is called "red blood lye salt" in both English and my own language, a.k.a. Prussian Red. I have a few hundred grams of it. The Germans make powerful flash with potassium chlorate and potassium ferricyanide. However I think that burst is as strong or stronger than H3.

 

Urotropine is hexamine. I'm actually very interested in AP with hexamine, but I have problems with drying the hexamine. I don't have a dessicator.

 

My AP blue "dream" composition would probably be something like this:

 

Ammonium perchlorate 75

Paris Green 15

Hexamine 8

Phenolic resin or PVB 2

[Potassiumchlorate]

I made a compromise: I milled the potassium perchlorate for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes it was pretty much airfloat. Now I'm milling the sulfur and willow charcoal for 1 hour

[Algenco]

That salt is called "red blood lye salt" in both English and my own language, a.k.a. Prussian Red. I have a few hundred grams of it. The Germans make powerful flash with potassium chlorate and potassium ferricyanide. However I think that burst is as strong or stronger than H3.

 

Urotropine is hexamine. I'm actually very interested in AP with hexamine, but I have problems with drying the hexamine. I don't have a dessicator.

 

My AP blue "dream" composition would probably be something like this:

 

Ammonium perchlorate 75

Paris Green 15

Hexamine 8

Phenolic resin or PVB 2

 

hmm, I may have to try that, I have all the ingredients

[Potassiumchlorate]

I tested my KP: one teaspoon of unconfined powder burns with a 30-40cm long flame

[Mumbles]

The ferricyanide burst would worry me. I don't actually have numerical data on it and perchlorate, but I do on it and chlorate. For impact, it falls about halfway between potassium chlorate/sulfur and potassium chlorate/antimony trisulfide. Generally the perchlorate analogues are somewhat less sensitive than the chlorates, but I'd still be worried using such a mix in bulk for something like breaking shells. I'm more familiar with Perchlorate/ferricyanide mixtures being used for applications such as electric match heads and breaking crossettes to put things into perspective.

 

There is a patent, US 3,793,100 about their use in electric matches, and it's subsequent preparation and some properties.

[FlaMtnBkr]

a_bab, do you have a formula for that other members 'urotropine' stars? I would be interested in a star that is that small and burns for so long and with a "big, bright" flame.

 

Thanks

[MDH]

Urotropine is another name for hexamine.