Quick Black Powder Question
#1
Posted 08 September 2010 - 05:48 PM
I made a batch of black powder today using this ratio: 74.64% Potassium nitrate, 13.51% charcoal, and 11.85% sulfur by weight.
I placed in my ball mill anbd milled it for 4 hours, I took it out and I placed a small amount on the ground. The powder was extremely fine, anyway I lit it and it burned quite slowly, like 2 seconds for like 2 grams
Anyway I though it would better once I granulated it so I mix a very small amount of dextrin in, like 2% and then I added a small amount of 25/25 water/alcohol mix to it and mixed it until it was just forming into a ball.
I pushed it through a screen and got very nice sized particles.
Anyway i let it dry for about an hour and there was no difference in burn time
All the chemicals where sourced from friends and very pure.
What could be wrong here?
Let me know if you can,
Thanks
Rob
P.s Is there any use for the very fine powder left over when I screen the dried granulated BP?
#2
Posted 08 September 2010 - 06:17 PM
charcoal type?
#3
Posted 08 September 2010 - 06:18 PM
It is a slight grey colour?
Can someone upload some pics of their BP? straight from mill and then when it has been granulated?
Thanks
Rob
#4
Posted 08 September 2010 - 06:20 PM
try letting it dry for longer, an hour is not a long time in pyro , whats wrong with 75-15-10?
charcoal type?
The charcoal is just pine airfloat. Also is that a nice ratio? 75-15-10?
Does it work well?
Also I would have thought that it would have burnt quicker than it did even straight from the mill?
#5
Posted 08 September 2010 - 06:37 PM
how efficient is your mill? is it rotating at the correct rpm for the jar size, have you got the correct amount and type of media?
#6
Posted 08 September 2010 - 06:43 PM
yep its grey from the mill, 75 15 10 is the standard for hundreds of years now.
how efficient is your mill? is it rotating at the correct rpm for the jar size, have you got the correct amount and type of media?
I od not know what RPM my mill is doing but at a guess i would say 80RPM...if the mill is inefficient will it be ok to run it for longer to counteract this?
Thanks
#7
Posted 08 September 2010 - 06:45 PM
#8
Posted 08 September 2010 - 07:23 PM
Edited by chris m, 08 September 2010 - 07:23 PM.
#9
Posted 08 September 2010 - 08:15 PM
and your media is?..
Ceramic balls x 20 1/2"
#10
Posted 08 September 2010 - 08:15 PM
So keep on trying.
Edited by Pyroswede, 08 September 2010 - 08:17 PM.
used for sundry preparations, and especially for experimental
fire-works."
Dr. James Cutbush
#11
Posted 08 September 2010 - 08:58 PM
#12
Posted 08 September 2010 - 10:00 PM
What was the mesh size of each product before they entered the ball mill. What brands of potassium nitrate and sulfur are you using.
All the chems are unbranded and I have no idea what mesh size each chem was.....The potassium nitrate was kind of like suger grains and the charcoal is extremely fin (airfloat) along with the sulfur which was also extremely fine!
#13
Posted 08 September 2010 - 10:10 PM
#14 Guest_PyroPDC_*
Posted 09 September 2010 - 02:32 AM
if your bp is not very good out of the mill then granulated will not make it any better.
i spent agaes trying to sort mine out (new bull mill, pressing into pucks, granulated, new sulfur you name it i tried it until i found out my ultra fast willow powder from ebay was really utra cheap BBQ charcoal from asda as soon as i got quality stuff it soon sorted it, try a little from cooperman435 site as that sorted me stright away.
Edited by PyroPDC, 09 September 2010 - 02:34 AM.
#15
Posted 09 September 2010 - 07:10 AM
All the chems are unbranded and I have no idea what mesh size each chem was.....The potassium nitrate was kind of like suger grains and the charcoal is extremely fin (airfloat) along with the sulfur which was also extremely fine!
Mill, grind or blend each ingredient separately into extremely fine powders, and combine them in your ball mill. The problem is that most small sized hobbyist ball mills will make things fine only if they are already fine enough. They tend to do a very poor job at making coarser grades of potassium nitrate into a fine product, as well as charcoal. Dampening slightly after milling, and adding a small amount of red iron oxide (about 1-2% by weight) would not hurt.
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