-100 mesh kclo4, good mesh size?

[asdercks]

Hi guys i recently bought some kclo4 from hobby chemicals,which is -100 mesh, so i was wondering if this is a good mesh size to use in star compositions...veline stars, rubby red star,emerald green star etc

[LambentPyro]

i've never had a problem with My BP being hygroscopic, but that seems to be the only conclusion i can come up with also if it fits tight in the mortar and your BP is fast, maybe a bit of moisture in the bottom of the mortar that got your Bp slightly damp ?

 

~Steven

 

I use the same size, works wonderfully, is it anti cake? If so, is it the just the normal or does it have cabosil, I don't like chemicals with cabosil, they didn't work well for me.

 

Another tip, don't put anti cake in coloring agents, it ruins the color definitely.

 

Anyways, I use the Veline comps most of the time, and that KClO4 works good, especially the Chinese, the domestic is much more expensive, and I get the same results!!

 

Good luck, have fun, but most of all be safe!!!!!!

Edited July 28, 2013 by LambentPyrotechnics

[Arthur]

Big items(stars etc) will take bigger grain powder than small stars. The really small stars will need finer powder than 100#.

[asdercks]

I use the same size, works wonderfully, is it anti cake? If so, is it the just the normal or does it have cabosil, I don't like chemicals with cabosil, they didn't work well for me.

 

Another tip, don't put anti cake in coloring agents, it ruins the color definitely.

 

Anyways, I use the Veline comps most of the time, and that KClO4 works good, especially the Chinese, the domestic is much more expensive, and I get the same results!!

 

Good luck, have fun, but most of all be safe!!!!!!

Hey Lambent thanks for your reply, i did not know that the anti cake would ruin the color of my stars i will keep that in mind next time i order more kclo4, for the mean time i gotta use the stuff i have already almost 20 lb of it...damn it

[asdercks]

Big items(stars etc) will take bigger grain powder than small stars. The really small stars will need finer powder than 100#.

I will be making some 1/4" & 3/8" stars do you think i should mill my powder before i use it for these size of stars

[Mumbles]

I use the same material, unmilled, and it works fine in stars of that size. I actually only mill perchlorate for one application, and it has nothing to do with colors. The perchlorate is listed as passing a 100 mesh screen, though the actual particle size is likely much smaller on average.

 

It really depends on which anti-cake is used as to if it would affect the color.

[asdercks]

Hey Mumbles thanks for your reply

I use the same material, unmilled, and it works fine in stars of that size. I actually only mill perchlorate for one application, and it has nothing to do with colors. The perchlorate is listed as passing a 100 mesh screen, though the actual particle size is likely much smaller on average.

 

It really depends on which anti-cake is used as to if it would affect the color.

Mr Mumbles what an honor to have your opinion, good to know i won't be spending time milling all of my kclo4, as for the anticake stuff what anticake do you think can affect the color; pcp or cab-o-sil, I guess it would also depend on how much of the stuff is mixed with the kclo4

[mabuse00]

The stuff that hurts Your colour is tricalcium phosphate. Calcium ions will give an orange flame.

Red and maybe yellow stars won't be affected very much. But greens will be shifted towards yellow, and blues very much ruined. Orange is somewhere around the complementary colour to blue -> the result will be white in the worst case, or at least "washed out".

 

Cab-o-sil is based on silicon dioxide, and silicon does not produce much visible light. If You have the choice, rather use cab-o-sil.

 

 

A found that I have different mesh perchlorates here and I just bought an extra plastic jar and steelballs for my ballmill to deal with this to get consistent results. Now I have allways superfine stuff. HDPE jar and balls cost ~15¤...

Edited August 1, 2013 by mabuse00

[Mumbles]

The amount will definitely matter. Any anti-cake derived from sodium or calcium has the possibility to denature or harm the flame color. On principle I tend to avoid these. Cab-o-sil is made from silica and really hasn't had any impact on color in my experience. Some others have encountered other issues with it however. If possible I try to purchase chemicals without any anti-cakes personally. They're really more of a convenience than a necessity.

[asdercks]

Wow guys I've really learned something today, from now on I will keep away from any product containing pcp. thank you all for your advices