73 replies to this topic

[Creepin_pyro]

I've tried the Degn violet flash before and it's a waste of chems and time IMO. Still not convinced that any blue/purple flash containing Mg is ever going to look any better than 'slightly off white'!

I think if blue/purple flashes were this simple and easy, they would be available commercially, which as far as I'm aware they're not.

[MDH]

Then obviously we're stuck.

Nobody has tried black copper oxide formulas, have they? Perhaps copper oxychloride being both a copper compound and a chlorine donor.

Remember people, this is of course all science--- experimentation and development.

We might get somewhere someday.

I'd be experimenting like a nutbar if I had the resources any of you did - as I have to "pioneer" for most of my ingredients, being in Canada.

[MMMMMM Pyro]

I have half a kilo of CuOCl coming. If anyone can give a starting point Im more than happy to have a go! Unconfined that is.... the last thing I want is annoyed neighbors!

Regards,

Mike

[MDH]

If it burns as fast as satisfactory black powder and emits blue (IE a fast burning, as formerly mentioned, blue composition that could be integrated into a shell in small granules) then it could be made into a report.

[BigBang]

I tried the purple comp as well (unconfined), and altho there was a hint of colour, at best, i'd describe it as just OK. Gives slightly more colour with Al. I cant try any of the comps containing paris green cos i cant get any anywhere. Probably cos its sooo poisonous

Ive had commercial aerial salutes, which are fairly loud AND have really vivid colours, so these comps must exist. I didnt think this was going to be so difficult...but im enjoying the experimentation

As for annoyed neighbours, just clocked up my 2nd complaint!

Edited by BigBang, 15 September 2007 - 03:18 PM.

[Arthur Brown]

My neighbours moved after I thought that a pound of commercial flash shouldnt be sitting in my wardrobe. I built a fine trail round the garden and fired it with a long fuse. that was BRIGHT not too loud as it was unconfined!


I can buy coloured flash in white red green and amber, but only transformation fire powder in red blue green amber

Edited by Arthur Brown, 15 September 2007 - 05:33 PM.

[MDH]

My neighbours do not complain because a lot of people are very spiteful that consumer fireworks were recently banned by noteably quite inconsiderate city council.

Additionally we have constant construction, a train track not more than a few hundred feet away, and about ten dogs living next door, and a ton of people seem to be importing fireworks from the states.

So.

What can I say, it's not anything too big if I light a few bangers... Here and there.

Today I tried adding magnesium to a red Chlorate / Strontium Nitrate / Strontium Carbonate composition which a friend made for me and the bang was very weak but the flash was nicely coloured.

I think measures such as making a thick container, leaving it half full for expansion of gasses, etc. would do better to make a report than just using a powerful composition in this case scenario.

[al93535]

How about barium chlorate/magnesium flash? Has anyone tried this? I wonder how dangerous it is / sensitive to the shell break. Perhaps some Barium carbonate as a neutralizer as well..

Well I tested the comp I made up and WOW it has a VERY nice deep color, I will see how it does as a report comp tommorow with video hopefully.

Edited by al93535, 16 September 2007 - 04:56 AM.

[BigBang]

OK, i tested the Mg+BaNO3 & Mg+SrNO3 comps in a couple of aerial salutes. The report was quite loud, but the colour was virtually non existent. So i would definitely forget these comps, completely useless as colour comps. I also tried them with Al instead of Mg, with the same results.

Back to the drawing board!

[BrightStar]

Back to the drawing board!

Bad luck... The whole point of using Mg is supposedly so that it doesn't wash out the colours. Did you include +10% PVC or were they raw 50/50 mixes?

It's interesting there are good results reported on adding extra carbonates - not sure I fully understand that quite yet...

Edited by BrightStar, 21 September 2007 - 04:48 PM.

[Arthur Brown]

If you contain the compound to increase the noise, will the flash have already happened before the shell bursts.

Theatrical flashes are contained under a paper layer like thick copier paper say 100gsm. Theatrical maroons have the same compound in a heavy card tube with sealed end plugs. The small maroon and the stage flashpot have the same amount of the same powder one bangs loudly (150dB) one flashes brightly but quietly.

A device with flash and bang will need a carefully chosen confinement to optimise both. OR will need to be two different devices at the same time.

[BigBang]

Bad luck... The whole point of using Mg is supposedly so that it doesn't wash out the colours. Did you include +10% PVC or were they raw 50/50 mixes?

It's interesting there are good results reported on adding extra carbonates - not sure I fully understand that quite yet...

I always thought that the high burn temp of Mg would have the opposite effect, and actually wash out the colours, but whichever is correct, these comps did not work at all. The exact formulas i tried are

Mg 45
parlon 5
BaNO3 50

I also tried reducing the Mg to 40 parts, and increasing the parlon to 10 parts, but this slowed the reaction down too much.

I can see that this isnt going to be as easy as i thought!

Edited by BigBang, 21 September 2007 - 11:06 PM.

[pudi.dk]

What magnesium are you using?
Mesh, shape...

Edited by pudi.dk, 22 September 2007 - 01:21 AM.

[cplmac]

There is a blesser blue flash formula out there I think that is AP oxychloride based. I'm gonna try it tomorrow. The red flash formula I posted is a real nice red, not the loudest report, but a nice red flash.

[MDH]

First off, It's obvious we need a lower magnesium content, a higher chlorine amount, and a better oxidizer.

Secondly, the oxidizer might not be doing the job of a colourant very well. Can I have a list of all the different [per]chlorates we fellows have present here?

Thirdly, I can still garuntee you that a finely powdered, highly oxidized star composition with a very small percentage of magnesium (10% of the weight) will accomplish quite a sound.

And From what I have seen here most of the basis has been on trying to balance noise and colour, which I think is a great goal but is one that needs to be worked on in the end in favour of colour.

What you need to do is create a casing that will assist in creating a report, rather than trying to use a faster flash. In the longrun you may STILL achieve an absofriggenlutely amazing report with an equally nice amount of colour.

There are several options which we have demonstrated with black powder
-Granulate the composition
-Use rice hulls as a percentage of the composition present to accelerate the propogation
-Allow up to 75% expandable room for the composition to combust
-A THICKER SHELL
-And finally, make sure it's set off in the right place! Ground salutes don't create that much sound versus the sound of a well placed aerial salute (30+ meters)

Lastly, I would LOVE me some aquamarine coloured flash bangs.

Edited by MDH, 23 September 2007 - 06:50 PM.