9 replies to this topic

[michael caden pike]

Hey, 

 

I'm new to this forum, and I'm also not really an amateur fireworks maker, but I do use fireworks and I have a question that I'm out of my depth on. 

 

Fire spinners quite often add Ferro-Titanium to their wicks, (after fuelling them with kerosene) to create a sparkler like effect as the wick burns, and the metal powder flies off and burns also. It's a pretty awesome way to make people happier to see you spinning fire, and the effect lasts quite well throughout the burn, (which can be 2m-10 minutes long, depending on the size of the wick.)

 

But that's not my question. I was thinking about how to achieve a coloured version of this sparkler effect. Coloured flame is not what I want, but a coloured sparkle with the silver of the ferro-titanium. Obviously I thought about using copper powder, but that doesn't work so good, or at all. I'm not sure that the kerosene burns hot enough to make it react. Kero burns at like under 250 celcius as far as I know. Which is not far, cos I haven't stuck a thermocouple in there.... 

 

I wondered if I needed a different chemical or a chlorine donor and a metal carbonate or some thing, and use the paraffin as the fuel? But I also have to be careful of the fumes produced and any falling sparks, cos I'll be pretty close to the action. So I don't particularly want to use any really toxic chemicals, or any thermite because I am not too keen on it falling on my skin. 

 

Also, I was wondering it there was any sparkler recipes that would do the job, or any alternative chemicals for ferro titanium. Or if I should make tiny sub 1mm stars and add them to the wicks, assuming there don't all burn immediately... 

 

I hope this provides some interest for you guys... 

[Arthur Brown]

Most liquid fuels burn too coolly to generate any of the common flame colours. If you could add boric acid to the wick then it MAY burn a pale green but it would also stink.

[michael caden pike]

No, there's too much yellow (sodium?) in kerosene for any flame colourants to be visible, you would have to use meths as a fuel and unburnt wicks. 

 

But that's not what I am talking about. I want the sparks / glitter coming off the fire to be coloured, not the flame itself. 

[Pyromancer]

This would require micro firework starts that contain both the fuel and oxydiser, but they're more likely to all go off at once unless you can ensure they are separated along the wick and that the wick burns down progressively.

[Pyro-centric]

In one job I was involved in, hand held distress flares where made very secure in a heavy gauge wire globe which was then spun around on a piece of chain.  Re-load time makes this a one off effect and safety distances were big.!

[Sparky]

Michael - I don't think you achieve what you want by spinning a wick of any sort. The types of effect you are referring to are simply caused by a metal getting hot and burning in oxygen in the atmosphere. For any really nice colours you are going to need more than this oxidising with Oxygen. Realistically you could spin a slow burning fountain with microstars but that's all I can think of.

[michael caden pike]

I seem to have generated some confusion here, to clear this up I have an awesome video example: 

 

http://www.youtube.c...0qYNDlkhQ#t=145

 

This guy is however using white gas/colemans fuel on his wicks. Which is not kerosene. But I think you basically get the idea. I don't quite know what's going on here, I think the metal powder is only igniting when it gets in contact with the air, I think maybe the fire is suffocating it until it falls off. 

 

He's put ferro-titanium on his wicks, well I assume so, unless there is some other chemical that would have that effect that you guys know of? (Ferr-titanium is a lot of fun when added to cremora, any other chemicals like that, that anyone knows about?)

 

So what I'm wondering is: Is there a way of making these 'sparks' coming off the fire coloured? Either using a different metal or metal alloy, or micro-micro-stars without a fuel element? (Like how dextrin is a fuel... because the kerosene will be the fuel....)

[Arthur Brown]

First use extremely small particles 100mesh to 200 mesh could be a starter. Beware Ti alloys several are actually very hard sharp particles and could be like abrasive grit on the floor and cut your feet.

 

Have yo ever actually asked a responsible person what is in the sparkles? Could be the easiest way!

 

The sparkle in "Ice Fountains" is said to be mica flakes -not even flammable but it works -try some once, I'm trying to think of a way to "dispense" the  glitter from the wick so that you could get a two minute burn with glitter. What about getting some wick (I don't know what you use ) and using a light glue to fix some glitter hoping that the glue will release glitter gradually. Glitter could be Aluminium or mica or Titanium or iron fillings possibly other chems would work. Mesh size would be critical to get the glitter effect but not leave debris on the floor.

 

Ask the man from Burning Man first there really is NO point in re-inventing the wheel. Look into a pair of nomex jeans -easy to buy not cheap.

[icarus]

The sparkling effect appears to be titanium flake breaking away from the wick due to rotational forces burning as it passes through the kerosene flames.    The flame is luminous yellow and smoky due to unburnt carbon . The first thing I would try would be to drench  the flake titanium with a hot saturated solution of strontium nitrate in water with a small quantity of dextrin as a binder added. The flake could then be safely dried with warm air . Second coats could be sprayed on . The objective is to strontium nitrate coat the titanium . to give a red sparkle  if coarse magnesium or magnalium were used then the strontium nitrate very finely ground would be applied in an acetone nitrocellulose laquer, as it bad practice to use water with magnesium powder.( damp mag powder will sometimes heat up) . Some time ago I made a body worn machine that released a burst of propane and ignited it to give a small fireball at the hand.As this fired a jet of chemical impregnated alcohol was fired through the flame to produce a red flame ....great for brave stage wizards!!     

[Sparky]

Michael - Unless you are telling me otherwise I do not think this effect in the video is a spark effect from titanium or ferro- titanium or any other metal for that matter. What I think you see there is small droplets of a petrochemical of some description that has been added to the usual mixture for fire effects of this type.

 

The drips are alight and burn only by available oxygen in the air as they fall. Plastics and wax spring to mind when hot enough. Even fats!