Path: uuwest!spies!apple!rutgers!usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!rpi!image.soe.clarkson.edu!news
From: millernw@clutx.clarkson.edu (Neal W. Miller)
Newsgroups: rec.pyrotechnics
Subject: Pyro 3 (Long)
Message-ID: <1990Aug22.030012.7602@sun.soe.clarkson.edu>
Date: 22 Aug 90 03:00:12 GMT
Reply-To: millernw@clutx.clarkson.edu (Neal W. Miller)
Organization: Clarkson University
Lines: 607
Several people have sent me requests for individual copies of the
earlier Pyro files. Unfortunately, due to strict space quotas on student
accounts (C'mon, some of you out there must sympathize!) I cannot keep any
of the files on my account any longer than it takes to post them. I rec-
commend that everyone sends their requests to whoever posted the article right
before this one. I'm sure he/she would be more than happy to send out in-
dividual copies. I'm kidding. Ask somebody who seems to post a lot. If
worse comes to worst, I'm sure that either I or someone else will re-post them
all at a later date.
Now just to piss you all off again, I'm re-iterating my header from
Part I (slightly modified). Enjoy.
- Neal
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is Part III of a series of four files I acquired some time ago.
They seem fairly well-written, and although I admit I've never concocted
anything from these files, local Chem. Engineering majors assure me that
the ideas are more than fiction. If any of you download more than one of
these files, you will notice a fairly long set of safeguards at the beginning
of each file. This list is identical on each file, but I ask that it -not-
be deleted or modified for obvious reasons.
Not really knowing the legal bearing on this, I hereby absolve myself
of all responsibility of the consequences of following the directions on these
files. IMHO, anyone who is capable of using a mainframe system has enough
grey matter to decide what is dangerous and what isn't when using pyrotechnics.
Me, I've nowhere near enough experience in the field, and wouldn't
touch the ingredients with a eighty foot pole. Use these files in good
health, and remember: Always add acid to water! (The one thing I remember
from high school chemistry)
If the author of these files is out there, speak up!
Schpiel ends here...
[----------------------------------------------------------------------------]
PYRO3.TXT Stars, Flares, and Color Mixtures
This is part of a series of files on pyrotechnics and explosives. It's serious
stuff, and can be really dangerous if you don't treat it seriously. For you
kids out there who watch too many cartoons, remember that if a part of your
body gets blown away in the REAL world, it STAYS blown away. If you can't
treat this stuff with respect, don't screw around with it.
Each file will start with a set of safety rules. Don't skip over them. Read
'em and MEMORIZE 'em!! At the beginning, there will be a set of general rules
that always apply. Then there will be some things that you HAVE TO KNOW about
the materials you will be using and making this time. Read it thoroughly
before starting anything.
Pyrotechnic preparations and explosives are, by their very nature, unstable,
and subject to ignition by explosion or heat, shock, or friction. A clear
understanding of their dangerous properties and due care in the handling of
ingredients or finished products is necessary if accidents are to be avoided.
Always observe all possible precautions, particularly the following:
1. Mix only small batches at one time. This means a few grams, or at
most, an ounce or so. Don't go for big mixes -- they only make for
bigger accidents. The power of an explosive cubes itself with
every ounce. (9 Ounces is 729 times as powerful as one ounce.)
2. When weighing chemicals, use a clean piece of paper on the scale
pan for each item. Then discard the used paper into a bucket of
water before weighing the next ingredient.
3. Be a safe worker. Dispose of any chemicals spilled on the
workbench or equipment between weighings. Don't keep open
containers of chemicals on your table, since accidental spillage
or mixing may occur. When finished with a container, close it, and
replace it on the storage shelf. Use only clean equipment.
4. Where chemicals are to be ground, grind them separately, NEVER
TOGETHER. Thoroughly wash and clean equipment before grinding
another ingredient.
5. Mixing of batches should be done outdoors, away from flammable
structures, such as buildings, barns, garages, etc. Mixes should
also be made in NON METALLIC containers to avoid sparks. Glass
also should not be used since it will shatter in case of an
accident. Handy small containers can be made by cutting off the
top of a plastic bottle three or four inches from the bottom. Some
mixes may most conveniently be made by placing the ingredients in
a plastic bottle and rolling around until the mixture is uniform.
In all cases, point the open end of the container away from
yourself. Never hold your body or face over the container. Any
stirring should be done with a wooden paddle or stick to avoid
sparks or static.
Powdered or ground materials may also be mixed by placing them on
a large sheet of paper on a flat surface and then rolling them
across the sheet by lifting the sides and corners one at a time.
6. Never ram or tamp mixes into paper or cardboard tubes. Pour the
material in and gently tap or shake the tube to settle the
contents down.
7. Store ingredients and finished mixes where they will not be a fire
hazard away from heat and flame. Finished preparations may be
stored in plastic bottles which will not shatter in case of an
accident. Since many of the ingredients and mixes are poisonous,
they should be stored out of reach of children or pets, preferably
locked away.
8. Be sure threads of screw top containers and caps are thoroughly
cleaned. This applies also to containers with stoppers of rubber
or cork and to all other types of closures. Traces of mixture
caught between the container and closure may be ignited by the
friction of opening or closing the container. Throughout any
procedure, WORK WITH CLEAN CONDITIONS.
9. ALWAYS WEAR A FACE SHIELD OR AT LEAST SHATTERPROOF SAFETY GLASSES.
Any careful worker does when handling dangerous materials. Be sure
lenses and frames are not flammable.
10. Always wear a dust respirator when handling chemicals in dust
form. These small particles gather in your lungs and stay there.
They may cause serious illnesses later on in life.
11. Always wear gloves when working with chemicals.
12. Always wear a waterproof lab apron.
13. If you must work indoors, have a good ventilation system.
14. Never smoke anywhere near where you are working.
15. Make sure there are NO open flames present, and NO MOTORS (they
produce sparks inside.) No hot water heaters, furnaces, or pilot
lights in stoves!! Sparks have been known to very readily explode
dust floating in the air.
16. ALWAYS work with someone. Two heads are better than one.
17. Have a source of water READILY available. (Fire extinguisher,
hose, etc.)
18. Never, under any circumstances, use any metal to load chemicals or
put chemicals in. Fireworks with metal casings are worse to handle
than a live hand grenade. Never use any metal container or can.
This includes the very dangerous CO2 cartridges. Many people have
been KILLED because of flying fragments from metal casings. Again,
please do not use metal in any circumstance.
19. Always be thoroughly familiar with the chemicals you are using.
Some information will be included in each file, but look for
whatever extra information you can. Materials that were once
thought to be safe can later be found out to be dangerous stuff.
20. Wash your hands and face thoroughly after using chemicals. Don't
forget to wash your EARS AND YOUR NOSE.
21. If any device you've built fails to work, leave it alone. After a
half hour or so, you may try to bury it, but never try to unload
or reuse any dud.
22. If dust particles start to form in the air, stop what you are
doing and leave until it settles.
23. Read the entire file before trying to do anything.
24. NEVER strike any mixture containing Chlorates, Nitrates,
Perchlorates, Permanganates, Bichromates, or powdered metals don't
drop them, or even handle them roughly.
These rules may all look like a lot of silly nonsense, but let's look at one
example. When the move "The Wizard of OZ" was made, the actress who played the
good witch was severely burned when one of the exploding special effects got
out of hand. The actress who played the bad witch got really messed up by the
green coloring used on her face, and the original actor who played the Tin Man
got his lungs destroyed by the aluminum dust used to color his face. The actor
we know of as the tin man was actually a replacement. The point is, these
chemicals were being used under the direction of people a lot more knowlegable
of chemicals than you are, and terrible accidents still happened. Don't take
this stuff lightly.
We will be using the following materials this time. Get familiar with them.
Some can be highly dangerous.
Aluminum Dust (and powder) Al
An element used for brilliancy in the fine powder form. It can be purchased as
a fine silvery or gray powder. All grades from technical to superpure (99.9%)
can be used. It is dangerous to inhale the dust. The dust is also flammable, by
itself. In coarser forms, like powder, it is less dangerous.
Antimony Sulfide Sb S
2 3
Also known as "Black" Antimony Sulfide. (There is also a "Red" form, which is
useless to us.) This is used to sharpen the report of firecrackers, salutes,
etc, or to add color to a fire. The technical, black, powder is suitable. Avoid
contact with the skin. Dermatitis or worse will be the result.
Barium Chlorate Ba(ClO ) * H O
3 2 2
Available as a white powder. It is poisonous, as are all Barium salts. It is
used both as an oxidizer and color imparter. It is as powerful as Potassium
Chlorate and should be handled with the same care. Melting point is 414
degrees.
Barium Nitrate Ba(NO )
3 2
Poisonous. Used as an oxidizer and colorizer. The uses and precautions are the
same as with a mixture containing Potassium Nitrate.
Charcoal C
A form of the element carbon. Used in fireworks and explosives as a reducing
agent. It can be purchased as a dust on up to a coarse powder. Use dust form,
unless otherwise specified. The softwood variety is best, and it should be
black, not brown.
Copper Acetoarsenite (CuO) As O Cu(C H O )
3 2 3 2 3 2 2
The popular name for this is Paris Green. It is also called King's Green or
Vienna Green. It has been used as an insecticide, and is available as a
technical grade, poisonous, emerald green powder. It is used in fireworks to
add color. Careful with this stuff. It contains arsenic.
Copper Chloride CuCl
2
A color imparter. As with all copper salts, this is poisonous.
Copper Sulfate CuSO *5H O
4 2
Known as Blue Vitriol, this poisonous compound is available as blue crystals or
blue powder. Can be purchased in some drugstores and some agricultural supply
stores. Used as a colorizer.
Dextrine
This can be purchased as a white or yellow powder. It is a good cheap glue for
binding cases and stars in fireworks.
Lampblack C
This is another form of the element carbon. It is a very finely powdered black
dust (soot, actually) resulting from the burning of crude oils. It is used for
special effects in fireworks.
Lead Chloride PbCl
3
Available as a white, crystalline, poisonous powder, which melts at 501
degrees. As with all lead salts, it is not only poisonous, but the poison
accumulates in the body, so a lot of small, otherwise harmless doses can be as
bad as one large dose.
Mercurous Chloride HgCl
Also known as calomel or Mercury Monochloride. This powder will brighten an
otherwise dull colored mixture. Sometimes it is replaced by Hexachlorobenzene
for the same purpose. This is non poisonous ONLY if it is 100% pure. Never
confuse this chemical with Mercuric Chloride, which is poisonous in any purity.
Potassium Chlorate KClO
3
This, perhaps, is the most widely used chemical in fireworks. Before it was
known, mixtures were never spectacular in performance. It opened the door to
what fireworks are today. It is a poisonous, white powder that is used as an
oxidizer. Never ram or strike a mixture containing Potassium Chlorate. Do not
store mixtures containing this chemical for any length of time, as they may
explode spontaneously.
Potassium Dichromate K Cr O
2 2 7
Also known as Potassium Bichromate. The commercial grade is used in fireworks
and matches. The bright orange crystals are poisonous.
Potassium Nitrate KNO
3
Commonly called Saltpeter. This chemical is an oxidizer which decomposes at 400
degrees. It is well known as a component of gunpowder and is also used in other
firework pieces. Available as a white powder.
Potassium Perchlorate KClO
4
Much more stable than its chlorate brother, this chemical is a white or
slightly pink powder. It can often substitute for Potassium Chlorate to make
the mixture safer. It will not yield its oxygen as easily, but to make up for
this, it gives off more oxygen. It is also poisonous.
Red Gum
Rosin similar to shellac and can often replace it in many fireworks formulas.
Red Gum is obtained from barks of trees.
Shellac Powder
An organic rosin made from the secretions of insects which live in India. The
exact effect it produces in fireworks is not obtainable from other gums. The
common mixture of shellac and alcohol sold in hardware stores should be
avoided. Purchase the powdered variety, which is orange in color.
Sodium Oxalate Na C O
2 2 4
Used in making yellow fires. Available as a fine dust, which you should avoid
breathing.
Strontium Carbonate SrCO
3
Known in the natural state as Strontianite, this chemical is used for adding a
red color to fires. It comes as a white powder, in a pure, technical, or
natural state.
Strontium Nitrate Sr(NO )
3 2
By far the most common chemical used to produce red in flares, stars and fires.
Available in the technical grade as a white powder. It does double duty as an
oxidizer, but has a disadvantage in that it will absorb some water from the
air.
Strontium Sulfate SrSO
4
Since this chemical does not absorb water as readily as the nitrate, it is
often used when the powder is to be stored. In its natural state it is known as
Celestine, which is comparable to the technical grade used in fireworks.
Sulfur S
A yellow element that acts as a reducing agent. It burns at 250 degrees, giving
off choking fumes. Purchase the yellow, finely powdered form only. Other forms
are useless without a lot of extra and otherwise unnecessary effort to powder
it.
Zinc Dust Zn
Of all the forms of zinc available, only the dust form is in any way suitable.
As a dust, it has the fineness of flour. Should be either of the technical or
high purity grade. Avoid breathing the dust, which can cause lung damage. Used
in certain star mixtures, and with sulfur, as a rocket fuel.
The Chemistry of Pyrotechnics
Most pyrotechnic mixtures follow a very simple set of chemical rules. We'll go
over those now. Most mixtures contain an oxidizing agent, which usually
produces oxygen used to burn the mixture, and a reducing agent, which burns to
produce hot gasses. In addition, there can be coloring agents to impart a color
to the fire, binders, which hold the mixture in a solid lump, and regulators
that speed up or slow down the speed at which the mixture burns. These are not
all the possibilities, but they cover most all cases.
Oxidizing agents, such as nitrates, chlorates, and perchlorates provide the
oxygen. They usually consist of a metal ion and the actual oxidizing radical.
For example, Potassium Nitrate contains a metal ion (Potassium) and the
oxidizing radical (the Nitrate). Instead of potassium, we could instead
substitute other metals, like sodium, barium, or strontium, and the chemical
would still supply oxygen to the burning mixture. But some are less desirable.
Sodium Nitrate, for example, will absorb moisture out of the air, and this will
make it harder to control the speed at which the mixture will burn.
In the following examples, we'll use the letter "X" to show the presence of a
generic metal ion.
Note that Nitrates are stingy with the oxygen that they give up. They only give
one third of what they have.
Some Some
Nitrate Nitrite Oxygen
2XNO ---> 2XN0 + O
3 2 2
Chlorates are very generous, on the other hand. They give up all the oxygen
they have. Furthermore, they give it up more easily. It takes less heat, or
less shock to get that oxygen loose. Mixtures using chlorates burn more
spectacularly, because a smaller volume of the mix needs to be wasted on the
oxidizer, and the ease with which the oxygen is supplied makes it burn faster.
But the mixture is also MUCH more sensitive to shock.
Some Some
Chlorate Chloride Oxygen
2XClO ---> 2XCl + 3O
3 2
Perchlorates round out our usual set of oxidizing tools. Perchlorates contain
even more oxygen than Chlorates, and also give it all up. However, they are not
as sensitive as the Chlorates, so they make mixtures that are "safer". That is,
they're less likely to explode if you drop or strike them.
Some Some
Perchlorate Chloride Oxygen
XClO ---> XCl + 2O
4 2
Reducing agents, like sulfur and charcoal (carbon) simply burn the oxygen to
produce sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide. It's usually best to include a
mixture of the two in a pyrotechnic mixture, as they burn at different speeds
and temperatures, and the proper combination will help control the speed of
combustion. Also, when extra fast burning speed is needed, like in rockets and
firecrackers, metal powder is often added. The finer the powder, the faster the
burning rate. The proportions change the speed, as well. Magnesium powder or
dust is often used for speed. Aluminum dust works, but not as well. Zinc dust
is used in some cases. Powdered metal, (not dust) particularly aluminum or
iron, are often used to produce a mixtire that shoots out sparks as it burns.
In rare cases, it is desirable to slow down the burning speed. In this case,
corn meal is often used. It burns, so acts as a reducing agent, but it doesn't
burn very well.
Coloring agents are very interesting. It's long been known that various metals
produce different colored flames when burned in a fire. The reasons are buried
in the realm of quantum physics, but the results are what matters, and we can
present them here. Note that if we use an oxidizing agent that contains a
colorizing metal, it can do a double job. It can produce oxygen and color.
Barium -Barium salts give a pleasant green color. Barium Nitrate is most
often used.
Strontium -Strontium salts give a strong red color. Strontium Nitrate is a
very convenient material for red.
Sodium -Sodium salts give an intense yellow color. So intense in fact that
any sodium compounds in a mixture will usually wash out other
colorizers. As has been said, Sodium Nitrate absorbs moisture from
the air, and so is not really suitable to impart color. Instead,
Sodium Oxalate is usually used. This does not absorb lots of water,
but has the disadvantage of being very poisonous.
Copper -Copper salts are used to give a blue color. Blue is the most
difficult color to produce, and it's usually not too spectacular.
Usually Copper Acetoarsenite (Paris Green) is used. This compound
contains arsenic, and is very poisonous. Since it still doesn't
produce a very memorable blue, it's often used with mercurous
chloride, which enhances the color, but is also poisonous, and
expensive, to boot.
Potassium -Potassium salts will give a delicate purple color, if they'e very
pure. The cheaper lab grades of potassium nitrate often contain
traces of sodium, which completely obscure the purple color. In
order to get the purple coloring, very pure grades must be used,
and you must be very careful to mix it in very clean vessels, and
scoop it from the supply jar with a very clean scoop. The color is
certainly worth the effort, if you can get it.
Some mixtures that burn in colors also contain binders, that hold the mixture
together in a solid lump. These lumps are usually referred to as stars. The
balls fired from a roman candle or the colorful showers sprayed from aerial
bombs are examples of stars. Depending on the mixture, the binder is either a
starch called dextrine or finely powdered orange shellac. A shellac-like
material called red gum is also used on occasion. In some mixtures, the shellac
powder also helps produce a nice color. Shellac mixtures are moistened with
alcohol to get them to stick together. Dextrine mixtures are moistened with
water.
If the colored mixture is to be used as a flare, it's just packed into a thin
paper tube. If it's to be fired from a roman candle, it's usually extruded from
a heavy tube by pushing it out with a dowel, and the pieces are cut off as the
proper length pops out. Stars fired from an aerial bomb are usually made by
rolling the moist mixture flat, and cutting it with a knife into small cubes.
Stars that are extruded are often called "pumped stars" those that are rolled
out are "cut stars".
The following are formulas for mixtures that burn with various colors. Parts
are by weight.
Red
Potassium Chlorate 9
Sulfur 2
Lampblack 1
Strontium Nitrate 9
bind with shellac
dissolved in alcohol
Blue
Potassium Chlorate 9 This one is inferior
Copper Acetoarsenite 2 Potassium Chlorate 12
Mercurous Chloride 1 Copper Sulfate 6
Sulfur 2 Lead Chloride 1
bind with dextrine Sulfur 4
in water bind with dextrin in water
Green
Barium Chlorate 8 Barium Nitrate 3
Lampblack 1 Potassium Chlorate 4
Shellac Powder 1 Shellac Powder 1
bind with alcohol Dextrine 1/4
Bind with alcohol
Yellow
Potassium Chlorate 8 Potassium Chlorate 8
Sodium Oxalate 3 Sodium Oxalate 4
Lampblack 2 Shellac Powder 2
Bind with shellac in Dextrine 1
alcohol or dextrine Bind with alcohol
in water
White
Potassium Nitrate 6
Sulfur 1
Antimony Sulfide 2
bind with dextrine in
water
Orange
Strontium Nitrate 36
Sodium Oxalate 8
Potassium Chlorate 5
Shellac Powder 5
Sulfur 3
Bind with alcohol
Purple (ingredients must be very pure)
Potassium Chlorate 36 This one has more of a lilac color
Strontium Sulfate 10 Potassium Chlorate 38
Copper Sulfate 5 Strontium Carbonate 18
Lead Chloride 2 Copper Chloride 4
Charcoal 2 Lead Chloride 2
Sulfur 12 Sulfur 14
bind with dextrine in bind with dextrine in water
water
Brilliant White
Potassium Perchlorate 12
Aluminum Dust 4
Dextrine 1
Bind with water
Golden Twinkler Stars - Falls through the air and burns in an on and off
manner. The effect is spectacular. A pumped or cut star.
Potassium Nitrate 18
Sulfur 3
Lampblack 3
Aluminum Powder 3
Antimony Sulfide 3
Sodium Oxalate 4
Dextrine 2
Bind with water
Zinc Spreader Stars - Shoot out pieces of burning zinc and charcoal. These
stars are much heavier than usual, and require larger charges if they're to
be fired from a tube.
Zinc Dust 72
Potassium Chlorate 15
Potassium Dichromate 12
Granular Charcoal 12
Dextrine 2
bind with water
Electric Stars - Stars that contain aluminum powder
Potassium Nitrate 15 Potassium Chlorate 60
Aluminum, fine 2 Barium Nitrate 5
Aluminum, medium 1 Aluminum, fine 9
Black Powder 2 Aluminum, medium 4
Antimony Sulfide 3 Aluminum, coarse 3
Sulfur 4 Charcoal 2
bind with dextrine in Dextrin 5
water bind with red gum in
water
Potassium Perchlorate 6
Barium Nitrate 1 Potassium Perchlorate 4
Aluminum 20 Aluminum, medium 2
Dextrin 1 Dextrin 1
bind with shellac in bind with shellac in alcohol
alcohol
Simpler Zinc Spreaders
Potassium Nitrate 14 Potassium Chlorate 5
Zinc Dust 40 Potassium Dichromate 4
Charcoal 7 Charcoal, medium 4
Sulfur 4 Zinc Dust 24
bind with dextrine in bind with dextrine in water
water
Willow Tree Stars - Use large amounts of lampblack -- too much to burn fully.
Gives a willow tree effect.
Potassium Chlorate 10
Potassium Nitrate 5
Sulfur 1
Lampblack 18
bind with dextrine in water
In future files, we'll look at using these mixtures to produce roman candles,
aerial bombs, and other effects. As always, don't forget that it's just plain
stupid to go buying all these materials from one chemical supply house. When
you buy it all as a group, they know what you plan to do with it, and they keep
records. If anyone goes investigating the source of homemade fireworks and
checks with your supplier, there will be a lead straight to you. Be sure to
cover your tracks.