black smoke or chalk

[leedrill]

can some one with a bit more knowledge on some maltese shells be able to tell me what they us {along the lines of for the black smoke salutes in this vid } the beraq shell at 17 secs is a really cool effect and am wondering what the use to achieve it ive seen vids before and just assumed a different comp but am not sure

hope someone can enlighten me

[AirCowPeacock]

Where's the formula for those briliant red stars with a thick black smoke tail?

[pyrojig]

I would assume that it is a dark comp , and may be laced with a teraphthalic acid or anthrancene to achieve that black smoke.

[AirCowPeacock]

No, the stars that are bright red AND have a black smoke tail.

 

0:10 and a better example at 1:40.

[Mumbles]

I think the red color you're seeing is just the prime burning off or the smoke stars themselves burning. Even "dark flash" produces some light. Smoke compositions definitely produce some light when flying through the air when there is no smoke to obscure it. Bright red is still very bright in the daylight. Much more so than those stars.

[FlaMtnBkr]

Terephthalic acid produces white smoke. I wish it made black smoke since it is cheap and easy to work with and there are plenty of white smoke formulas and not many black.

 

There are some yellow dyes that when mixed with white produces a dingy yellow creamy color similar to the still image before playing the video. But what I made was more yellow and still burned like a normal smoke. I have found if you mix some colors with a white it makes more of a pastel color smoke. But that doesn't really have anything to do with what was seen in that video.

 

I would imagine a fast burning formula would make sparks that appear reddish against that black smoke. Probably just the black formula with maybe some charcoal added to speed the burn and enough detail in the video to see the sparks. The red shells I have seen in the day time were still a brilliant red; moreso than those stars. I wonder if colored microstars could be added to a smoke star?

 

You would think just making smoke would be easy but it is harder than it would seem. Especially in a star where it needs to be fast burning. I'm still trying to make a smoke that burns really fast and doesn't catch fire and consume the smoke. It seems like they almost have to burn slow, especially colors. Producing white fast seems possible but not very efficient (amount of smoke vs amount of comp). At least from what I have accomplished in the bit of experimenting I've done.

[JFeve81]

I agree with Mumbles. What your seeing is the smoke star burning itself. Not a red star with black smoke. If you look at the smoke stars in this video you can see the same thing. It also shows how bright red stars are even in the daytime.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sJcKYm2nac

Edited August 6, 2013 by JFeve81

[GalFisk]

I'd guess the stars have anthracene in them. I've made thick black smoke with naphthalene, to which it is related (KClO4+S as oxidizer+fuel, will test C, and KNO3+S or KNO3+C to see if they can be made cheaper). The stuff burns with a reddish, extremely sooty flame.

I wish I could get anthracene, since naphthalene sublimates readily and smells awful.

Edited August 15, 2013 by GalFisk

[Mumbles]

Anthracene also sublimes fairly readily and smells very similar.

[Shizznt]

Naphthalene Black Smoke I

Potassium Chlorate 44 Naphthalene 26 Antimony Trisulfide 24 SGRS 6 or dextrin. The red stars might be red rubber stars.

[Shizznt]

Naphthalene Black Smoke I

Potassium Chlorate 44 Naphthalene 26 Antimony Trisulfide 24 SGRS 6 or dextrin. The red stars might be red rubber stars.

Naphthalene Black Smoke

Potassium Chlorate 44 Naphthalene 26 antimony trisulfide 24 24 sgrs or dextrin. The red stars might be red rubber stars.

[pyrogeorge]

Can i use potassium perchlorate ?

[nater]

No. A few have tried, with poor results. In fact that comp seems to be tricky anyway. The stars do not store well. I made a shell a few weeks ago with some of those stars that had been stored for a year. They burned very fast in the ground and only left wisps of grey smoke in the air.

[Mumbles]

The naphthalene tends to sublime out over time, even if bound with things like NC. They're really best when used freshly. Especially since after the naphthalene is gone, you're basically left with bound dark flash.

[GalFisk]

You can use potassium perchlorate+sulfur to make black smoke:

 

Potassium perchlorate 56
Anthracene or naphthalene 33
Sulfur 11

 

Crush the naphthalene if necessary, mix dry powders, burn loose in container with suitable holes. Ignites easily with visco. Don't inhale smoke.

It'd be interesting to know if it works as well with KNO3+S, KNO3+C, or KNO3+sugar. This is one smoke formula where we do want the "dye" to decompose, so keeping the temperature low is not a priority. The original formula makes a metal can glow red hot.

Edited December 11, 2014 by GalFisk

[FlaMtnBkr]

Also, black copper oxide and aluminum thermite acts about like flash and gives off a brown smoke.

 

It is a bit slower so needs good confinement.

[Arthur]

The black smokes form my local supplier come in aluminium screw to cans, this makes them last a couple of years before too much naphthalene has sublimed. I've got one in the wardrobe to keep the moths dead!