Blackthumb Posted January 21, 2014 Posted January 21, 2014 Next time you mill a batch of BP....run the results thru an 80 - 100 mesh screen...you might be surprised at your 'leftovers'.I was surprised at the amount of KNO3 that was left on the screen...
pyrokid Posted January 21, 2014 Posted January 21, 2014 I get bits of charcoal from time to time but never KNO3. I suppose I use granular material and not prilled. That may make a difference.
Coulterbart Posted January 21, 2014 Posted January 21, 2014 BlackThumb, I use prilled and and a coffee grinder for KNO3. Pour it out of the grinder onto a screen and get rid of the stuff that won't pass thru or grind it again. Then mill the BP. I think you will find it to be a better mix with almost NO leftovers.
Bobosan Posted January 21, 2014 Posted January 21, 2014 The prilled KNO3 has small pieces of rock or concrete mixed in so it's best to premill the stuff then screen it before using. I've picked out a small dish worth of unknown stuff from every 10lb box. I read or heard somewhere on the Skylighter site that prilled KNO3 can be put straight into the mill jar for a BP mill run but I sure wouldn't do it without premilling and screening it first.
Coulterbart Posted January 21, 2014 Posted January 21, 2014 I agree Bobosan, if your tried to mill BP with prilled you would have a lot of 'unmixed' PN through out the BP mix, making your percentages off and having an uneven burn at best. I still have pieces that won't screen after a second grind and that goes right in the trash. Since most all of it is not KNO3 anyway.
FlaMtnBkr Posted January 22, 2014 Posted January 22, 2014 I don't think all prilled KNO3 has such contaminants. I think it is mainly Skylighters stuff because it was stored in a concrete silo and is second (actually third, maybe even more) hand product. If y'all new how much that $40, 10 lb 'deal' cost Harry you would be flabbergasted. But that's business and he bought in quantity.
Bobosan Posted January 22, 2014 Posted January 22, 2014 (edited) I don't think all prilled KNO3 has such contaminants. I think it is mainly Skylighters stuff because it was stored in a concrete silo and is second (actually third, maybe even more) hand product. If y'all new how much that $40, 10 lb 'deal' cost Harry you would be flabbergasted. But that's business and he bought in quantity. Agreed. It's my understanding that chems in prilled form is easier to handle, weigh, ship and disperse. It's all that "handling" in chutes & hopper cars before Harry got it that probably introduced the crap. Fortunately, I haven't paid full price for a box of it. The plus side is once cleaned and processed, it makes great BP. Edited January 22, 2014 by Bobosan
Nessalco Posted January 22, 2014 Posted January 22, 2014 Not all prilled KNO3 is equal. I haven't tried Harry's product, but I have used, with excellent results, prills from Brian Duda. They dissolve completely, with no residual crap. COA says 99.3%+ purity. http://www.ebay.com/itm/10-lb-Potassium-Nitrate-Gold-Refining-Pyro-99-Pure-/230494201763?pt=Fertilizer_Soil_Amendments&hash=item35aa8667a3 When buying ~50 pounds, the cost comes out to about $2.50/pound including shipping. I never bothered breaking these up before I put them in the mill, and the resulting BP took no longer to make than when using granulated KNO3. Kevin O
Nessalco Posted January 22, 2014 Posted January 22, 2014 I just noticed Duda's COA has been updated. Now claiming 99.8% purity. KO
Mumbles Posted January 22, 2014 Posted January 22, 2014 The Champion brand prills I used were also pretty clean. Upon dissolving about a pound, there was only a light dusting of a tan colored solid that didn't dissolve. I figured this was just some dust or dirt that slowly settled into the bag either at the plant or in the years I had been storing it. Even if I tried, I doubt I could have gotten enough to even measure how much was in there. It is a pain to mill though. There is definitely a minimum size of media you need to crush them, and I didn't have that. I was using a smaller than most lead media, and I had to grind the material to -24 mesh for it to be reliably milled.
pyrokid Posted January 22, 2014 Posted January 22, 2014 Would dissolving and recrystallizing prills be a viable means of reducing the particle size for milling?
Blackthumb Posted January 22, 2014 Author Posted January 22, 2014 Good conversation.....Thanks for the input....
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