13 replies to this topic

[CCH Concepts]

from what i have read this is i very good oxidizer and has 5 oxygen that makes sense. has anyone used it in pyro?

[Arthur Brown]

At that price!
Everything in pyro is done down to a price.

[CCH Concepts]

yer i saw the stuff on inoxia but i didn't see the price at £71.80 /kg not including tax and postage. I'm guessing 5 oxygen in there doesn't justify 4 times the price.

[Mumbles]

I believe just heating only cause it to give up 1 oxygen molecule forming Vanadium (IV) Oxide, VO2, which is a nice blue color. It might be useful as a whistle catalyst, but nothing more.

[CCH Concepts]

that was a question i was going to ask, what color vanadium would produce. I'm assuming it would be no better than copper oxide. what Vanadium(IV) Oxide have any advantages in pyro to justify its price. i wikipedia'd it and it looks like it have uses in industry for manufacturing sulphuric acid and plastics, no mention of pyro.

[Potassium chlorate]

I actually have some of it but haven't tested it. I just have a few grams.

[CCH Concepts]

well if you do id be interested to know what it does. would it work like BrClO3 being a oxidizer and colorant. so simply mixing with a fuel to produce a good blue.

[Potassium chlorate]

What sort of composition do you suggest that I mix it with?

[CCH Concepts]

As you have so little im not the best to ask. I would have thought metal fuel and chlorine donor or maybe an organic fuel like shellac. What do some of the experienced members think.

[Mumbles]

I think you misunderstood. Vanadium (IV) Oxide is physically blue, like sulfur is physically yellow. I don't think it's very helpful, but the characteristic vanadium spectral line used for concentration and identification is at 312nm, which is on the purple/UV threshold. It wont be very visible if it can be created. I am trying to find a more complete spectra.

You also have to consider the toxicity of vanadium smoke. It is readily absorbed through the lungs.

[Alexander]

....would it work like BrClO3 being a oxidizer and colorant.

BaClO3 I assume, BrClO3 might be a little more active.

....at 312nm, which is on the purple/UV threshold. It wont be very visible if it can be created. I am trying to find a more complete spectra.

Very minor point, UV-B.

A good source of atomic spectra is the NIST database.
http://physics.nist..../ASD/index.html

There is a high intensity indigo/violet emission at 438nm. The intensity values aren't adjusted for human eye response and it's difficult to guess what the overall colour would be with so many other lines.

V2O5 is probably a poor oxidiser unless the fuel is aluminium or magnesium.

[BrightStar]

You also have to consider the toxicity of vanadium smoke

Vanadium pentoxide itself seems fairly nasty... from the MSDS:

Extremely toxic. May be fatal if swallowed, inhaled or absorbed through skin. Note low LD50s below. May cause reproductive defects. May cause severe irritation or burns on contact. Typical TLV/TWA 0.05 mg/m3

ORL-RAT LD50 10 mg kg-1
ORL-MUS LD50 5 mg kg-1
SKN-RBT LD50 50 mg kg-1

[CCH Concepts]

this stuff is sounding less and less useful

[Potassium chlorate]

I had forgotten about this thread.

My vanadium pentoxide isn't blue but brownish-yellow in apperance. Still haven't tested it.

Btw, vanadium was discovered by a Swede and named after Vanadis, which was another name for the godess Freja.