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.

.

