131 replies to this topic

[pyrotechnist]

anychance of a vid of these stars in action?

[Potassium chlorate]

anychance of a vid of these stars in action?

Yes, sure.

[pyrotechnist]

thank you, will look forward to seeing that .

[Mumbles]

It's not all that surprising, formaldehyde and it's polymers, are pretty decent fuels. They're being investigated as alternatives to gasoline as they can be produced from CO2 feed stock. I wonder if it's the formaldehyde fraction of hexamine that acts as the fuel, but the ammonia portion that helps to cool the flame and broaden the flame envelope.

[Potassium chlorate]

Bad news: the stars won't get blue but white. Though small "crumbles" of composition have a pretty nice blue colour, so I guess that the temperature is too hot like someone already mentioned.

[pyrotrev]

It might also be because of the volatility of the HCE - it could be boiled out of the flame.

[Potassium chlorate]

Yes, it's indeed very volatile. Although I "sealed" the stars with NC-laquer, I can clearly feel the smell of HCE.

[Potassium chlorate]

Good and bad news. The good news is that my modified Chinese Blue#1 works well in the air. The bad news is that I didn't catch it on film.

I went to a pyro friend, and we tested it in his stargun. He explained to me that when the stars are being propelled through the air, the air cools them, so that the balance between carbon monoxide and dioxide makes them "bluer" than on the ground. They also take oxygen from the air, since they have too less oxygen of their own.

[a_bab]

Neah, this is not true.

The air can't "cool" a burning composition; it's like saying the air cools the a burning coal. It does cool the burning products though. Why the humans at least will perceive a the darker blue and green from a certain distance it is well explained by Shimitzu. This is why a star should always be tested from a stargun rather then burning it on the ground, and also a compo should be made into a star before just burning a pile of it on the ground and be dismissed due to the "poor colour". With blue compos especially, once made into a star and watched burning in the air a very nice shade of aqua/magenta can be discovered.

On the other hand it is true the air will supply the needed oxigen to oxigen deficiently compos.

[Potassium chlorate]

Yes, you're right; it's the products being cooled.

But anyway, the composition works, even when substituting HCE for HCB and using homemade (brown) copper(II)oxide.

[a_bab]

I've been long planning on making this particular nice star; it surely burns like a TT on the ground (chocked by the massive amount of the *volatile chlorine donor).

*volatile is the key here, so it doesn't leave slag behind.

[Mumbles]

Are you thinking of something like hexachloroethane? It's about as volatile as you get without being a liquid.

[a_bab]

Yes, something like HCE that was proved to work by Pyroswede. Maybe even PDB (moth repellent) would work. Lots of chlorine and sublimating properties.

[Potassium chlorate]

Are you thinking of something like hexachloroethane? It's about as volatile as you get without being a liquid.

Agreed, but it worked. Though I only made a few stars, so I have to make a new batch before I can make new tests and catch them on video. And I'm extremely careful with testing anything in the summer except after heavy raining.

But anyone can try it out for themselves and see that I am right.

[CCH Concepts]

Ive seen hce in a few comps including smoke comps, never found anywhere to buy it though, where do you get yours?

Edited by CCH Concepts, 25 July 2010 - 04:18 PM.