Red flash - beautiful but how sensitive?

[Potassiumchlorate]

The composition is:

 

Strontium carbonate 38

Potassium chlorate 12

Magnesium 50

 

The strontium carbonate is pretty inert - it couldn't be an oxidizer at all without the magnesium, but how dangerous are the 12% potassium chlorate?

 

The alternative is to use about 50:50 strontium nitrate/magnesium and +10% parlon or so, but then I have a hygroscopic salt in contact with magnesium, while strontium carbonate and potassium chlorate are non-hygroscopic

Edited December 10, 2012 by Potassiumchlorate

[AlexPyro66]

It is as dangerous as all the other flash powders(i believe)as for the strontium nitrate and magnesium it would be better to replace the mg with mg/al or aluminium powder.I dont see a reason to use parlon i think it will only slow it down

[Potassiumchlorate]

Without parlon it won't be very red. I have tested. The strontium carbonate/potassium chlorate/Mg flash is non-hygroscopic and the chlorine from the potassium chlorate (3.5% in the composition as a whole) is sufficient to make the flash very red.

[AlexPyro66]

I thought that the parlon must be wetted with acetone to be useful.The potassium chlorate can be substitiude with Kperchlorate?

[Potassiumchlorate]

I thought that the parlon must be wetted with acetone to be useful.The potassium chlorate can be substitiude with Kperchlorate?

 

No, no. Parlon is just a chlorine donor here. You just wet it when you use it as a binder in stars.

 

Yes, perchlorate is an option, though the colour will probably suffer.

[Mumbles]

I doubt the color would be affected too much with perchlorate instead. Let's be honest here. Colored flash powders give shitty colors to begin with. Organic perchlorate stars usually aren't that spectacular, though in metallic compositions they really come into their own. I suspect this composition will burn hot enough that the effect will be relatively similar, but with somewhat reduced sensitivity.

[Potassiumchlorate]

Well, for red flash they usually use strontium nitrate/Mg 50:50 and that colour isn't much to "hang in the Christmas tree" as we say here, but this composition is surprisingly red. I will try it with perchlorate too, though.

[mabuse00]

The strontium carbonate is pretty inert - it couldn't be an oxidizer at all without the magnesium

Yes it can.

 

Normally not, but with sufficient heat it decomposes into Strontium oxide and CO2.

A strong reducer like Mg will take some O and leave carbon monoxide.

 

I will try it with perchlorate too, though.

If you get some results, please post them. Unfortunately testing salutes is not so recommendable theese days at my location.

[Potassiumchlorate]

Of course I'll tell you

 

Look here, and you'll understand why it is so much better to be a pyro hobbyist in northern Europe

[AirCowPeacock]

Population density?

[Potassiumchlorate]

Yep

[taiwanluthiers]

But I've heard that Northern European countries have some of the world's toughest restrictions on firework. Poland is probably better because they don't really care much... but a lot of Americans overseas are amazed at the selection of fireworks available... the ATF/CPSC are simply too tough on fireworks.

 

Taiwan has really high population density but there are almost no enforcement of firework regs, you can probably set off a giant ground salute in a city and no one would care.

[Potassiumchlorate]

But I've heard that Northern European countries have some of the world's toughest restrictions on firework. Poland is probably better because they don't really care much... but a lot of Americans overseas are amazed at the selection of fireworks available... the ATF/CPSC are simply too tough on fireworks.

 

Taiwan has really high population density but there are almost no enforcement of firework regs, you can probably set off a giant ground salute in a city and no one would care.

 

Most European countries have tough firework laws by the letter of the law, but in many parts of Europe there is in reality almost no enforcement, given that you don't hurt people or damage property. Norway has probably the toughest firework law in Scandinavia, with a total ban on rockets. Sweden's firework law is unexpectledly liberal and was even more so a couple of years ago. Until 2008 4" mortar shells were totally license free with just an age limit of 18.

 

Then we have countries like Germany, where the cops will show up for nothing, and I think the same goes for the UK.

Edited December 12, 2012 by Potassiumchlorate

[taiwanluthiers]

I guess America (and probably Germany) is really the only country that have consistently tough enforcement on their firework law...

 

I have a feeling that enforcement of firework law isn't really a priority for many governments, even if the letter of the law is very tough. It's probably just there in case you do cause property damage, or if someone complained about you because you did it too close to someone at 3am.

[Potassiumchlorate]

The big guys in most countries only bother if you threaten their power or commit a really serious crime.

[MrB]

Sweden's firework law is unexpectledly liberal and was even more so a couple of years ago. Until 2008 4" mortar shells were totally license free with just an age limit of 18.

However, getting convicted for storing home made firework, or mixed compositions for use to make fireworks, lands you the sentence of "reckless / public endangerment" (allmänfarlig verksamhet) and the cops will call in the bomb-squad to dispose of the chems / items. Should the bomb-squad manage to mess up, and anyone or anything gets hurt, it's of course, your fault. I should know, as i'm convicted for blowing the bomb-squad up... Lucky as i was, there was only material damages, and the bomb-tech was at my court hearing, and pretty much testified in my favor, taking the blame on him self, miss-handling the chems.

 

Cops were at my flat for completely different reasons when they found my storage, and threw the book at me. I can't read that lingo anyway, so i didn't learn much.

 

For some reason when i applied for a tourist VISA to the US i never even got a response... I think it might be related.

B!

[AirCowPeacock]

Thats awful!

[taiwanluthiers]

US is kinda paranoid when it comes to visa. The general procedure seems to be the person is a potential terrorist until proven otherwise.

 

Also you can be denied a tourist visa just because the officer doesn't like you. Even police troubles that doesn't result in a conviction can work against you. All they need is "a reason to believe" you committed a crime in the past to bar you from the USA forever. Even countries like the UK needs an actual conviction to bar you, and if it's more than 10 years old then they can't do anything to you about it.

[MrB]

Also you can be denied a tourist visa just because the officer doesn't like you.

It's hard to get "unliked" (is that a facebook term? If i ever saw one, that has to be it. Dunno, don't have facebook.) when your mailing in your tourist visa applications in advance. I sort of knew there could be an issue, so i tried to avoid having paid, and getting booted out on my rear end, or even worse, getting a prolonged stay on a all expenses paid military facility. The US scares me in some aspects. And it's well past 10 years, but somehow i doubt the equivalent of actual terrorist activity goes away after 10 years. Regardless of what the sentence was when convicted, i mean.

B!

[taiwanluthiers]

You have to get interviewed with tourist visa applications, and you can be denied simply because you fail to demonstrate willingness to return. The burden of proof is on you and the agent has every right to refute your claim, no matter how valid it is. They can even simply say "well we think you're likely to become illegal so we can't give you a visa". You can apply again and hopefully find an agent in a better mood however. Even in Taiwan some visa agents will consistently reject EVERY visa application that comes his way. I doubt you'll get a trip to a military facility unless you somehow deserved it (and that definition could change, isn't that scary?)

 

With the US time does not mean anything. If you were convicted of stealing 20 dollars 200 years ago, it still counts the same as though you were convicted of it yesterday. Unfortunately it seems in the view of the US Federal Government, due process is a formality, your guilt was already determined long before you're in the courtroom.

Edited December 13, 2012 by taiwanluthiers

[Potassiumchlorate]

In Sweden not even murder stays in you record more than 10 years after having done your time...

 

The weird thing with the US is that even petty crimes are looked upon that seriously, like it was in Europe 100 years ago.

[taiwanluthiers]

In Taiwan (I just found out) that criminal records only stays with you for 5 years, after that its gone. That's in the absence of stuff like parole/probation though.

 

100 years ago Europe was on the brink of World War I, the 100 year of peace caused complacency and thus everyone wanted war, all it took was an excuse.

Edited December 13, 2012 by taiwanluthiers

[Arthur]

I'm aware of flash comps being coloured using Oxalates Even sodium oxalate is not hygroscopic.

[Potassiumchlorate]

Hm, interesting. I can get hold of strontium oxalate. Yellow doesn't interest me very much.

[Mumbles]

Yellow flash is not difficult. I've seen some colored formulas that utilize potassium chlorate, fine magnesium, an oxalate, and sulfur that are alleged to be of maltese origin, or at least an example of the type used. Now, if they are, they're probably not currently used formulas. I doubt the good stuff would ever be that disseminated.