53 replies to this topic

[willd]

i recently saw a video of some flash powder and saw how superior it is to the stuff i use for burst charges and so i thought i would give it a go but i dont know where to get pottasium perchlorate iwas just wondering if someone could tell me where to look, other names for it and other chemicals that are good in flash
thanks

[PanMaster]

you can't get it, you have to manufacture it.
GEt hold of the following:
Nitric acid
Lead
Graphite electrodes
A load of salt or NACLO3 weedkiller
KNO3 or other potassium salt such as KCL, KNO3 is best.
12V, >= 5A HEAVY DUTY power supply

Dissolve the lead in the acid and heat it to produce lead nitrate.
Put the lead nitrate in electrolysis tub and put in a graphite electrod as the positive or ANODE and use a conductive rod such as copper for negative or CATHODE.
The graphite anode will have lead dioxide coated onto it to allow perchlorate protection.

Coat 2 rods by electroplating and then use them to electrolyse salt or weedkiller to several hours to produce less soluble perchlorate salts. Use fractional crystallization to purify.

Mixing them with potassium salts will remove the sodium.

[willd]

thanks might give it a try sometime id never even considered making it i have never seen anyone mention making it so i assumed it could be bought

[failedguitarist]

Just wondering - where's the best place to get hold of HNO3?

[PanMaster]

easy, LabPakChemicals.co.uk

[failedguitarist]

I did call them up once.... but they said you needed some sort of membership and on their site the minimum order is 50 quid

[Jerronimo]

50 quid is that all?

I think I will order some chemicals from them in the near future,they are pretty cheap .
I see they also ship to european mainland.

Some potasiumchlorate, zink powder, ammoniumnitrate and steel fillings would be nice .

Has anyone allready tried their soluble starch?is it good as an alternative binder(dextrin)?

[maxman]

I ordered zinc powder, magnesium powder and KN03 from Labpak. Order came very fast at ?7.50 delivery and no min order by phone. Also go a nice thick catalogue off them with all sorts of goodies in.

Be prepared to answer the dreaded "WHAT DO YOU WANT IT FOR?" questions.

Pyrotechnics is not the answer that they're looking for!

[failedguitarist]

Lol yeh. What's the best excuse? "home experiment" ?

[PanMaster]

the zinc powder is very fine, i bet the granulated stuff is even finer
they sell elemental calcium, that would make a great fuel

[nickpatts]

.

Edited by nickpatts, 13 September 2015 - 06:28 PM.

[Stuart]

What did you order?

[phildunford]

Don't know if this will help, but if you look at the bottom right of lab paks frontpage there is a section that lists 'common uses of chemicals'. It's almost like they are telling you the answers to th questions they are going to ask...

They are a commercial firm, they will sell you things if they can!

[Jerronimo]

I ordered zinc powder, magnesium powder and KN03 from Labpak.

Strange I can't seem to find magnesium powder on the online catalogue .

But I will certainly order from them when my bank account allows me to!

[maxman]

Yeah its only the most popular chems listed online, just ask or get a catalogues. It's about ?3.50 100g. Nice when mixed 50/50 with kn03