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View Full Version : Making Pyrodex Useful As A Lift Charge


CyclonitePyro
May 15th, 2002, 09:35 PM
I am in possession of 6lbs of Pyrodex. Its burn rate isn't high enough to be effective as a lift charge for fireballs, ect. I'm making BP, but it would be a waste of effort to make high quality BP and then pour it in a tube for a simple fireball or mortar. My BP is going to pressed into end burning rockets.
So I'd like to know if anyone has increased the burn rate of Pyrodex to mimic the performance of BP. Someone mentioned the addition of magnesium but I don't have any nor will I buy any because I'm short on cash after purchasing some supplies from firefox and other places.
I could ball mill it and perhaps I could add more oxidiser and a more reactive fuel. However I don't want to have to press it into a solid grain and break it up like in Dan Williams' site.
If I succeed maybe this would be a cheaper, more readily available BP alternative.

inferno
May 16th, 2002, 05:54 AM
What do u want it for? You might be better just buying BP, if you can puy pyrodex you could buy BP. Otherwise, maybe if you confine it enough in the bottom of the mortar it will burn fast enough. Maybe even pack it tightly into a small ball, and have wires into it.

NoltaiR
May 16th, 2002, 09:23 AM
Well what grade of pyrodex do you have? Usually the canister that it comes in will have a label that shows what grade of BP that it would be equal to. I made some very nice roman candles and stars from FFG grade pyrodex. (the stars were made by making a wet mix of pyrodex, rc, and C and then poured onto rice crispies cereal and allowed to dry.. this was repeated again and again until they were were about 1.5" in diameter; then a final layer of pure C is on the outside). When the balls were about 15-25 (depending on how long it took to initiate the charge within the last layer of C) feet in the air, they exploded throwing off orange streams of sparks everywhere.

Arkangel
May 16th, 2002, 11:41 AM
rc and C?

Zambosan
May 16th, 2002, 12:00 PM
rc = rubber cement
C = carbon, charcoal

CyclonitePyro
May 16th, 2002, 06:55 PM
It's P, or the FFFg equivalent. I've thought of making small disk shaped cracker out of it to be usefull but it would nice to just pour it in.

DarkAngel
May 17th, 2002, 06:11 AM
NoltaiR it could be handy if you first use the whole word and than the shortening in a post.

<small>[ May 17, 2002, 02:45 PM: Message edited by: DarkAngel ]</small>

NoltaiR
May 17th, 2002, 11:42 PM
Sorry guys for not specifying it first, but zambosan is correct.
(It is just that after a long day of work I tend to take short-cuts in just about everything I do).

CyclonitePyro
June 20th, 2002, 04:49 PM
I just remembered this whole issue and I found that pyrodex is made of potassium nitrate, charcoal, sulfer, potassium perchlorate and graphite. It is basically black powder with the other things, there is probably not much graphite. The msds won't give any percentages.

I ball milled some and it is just sitting there, I'm pondering on what to add to it, to see if I can get it to burn faster. The problem is that it better burn pretty fast because I'm not going to press it, and break it up into granules.

inferno
June 23rd, 2002, 02:50 AM
Ive never even seen pyrodex, let alone used it, but i think after ball milling it should be able to burn pretty fast. What about adding a small amount of real BP, say 20:80 Bp to Pdex, maybe even less. I dont think adding more oxidiser will work, the balances should be done pretty well already, its probably just not as fine ingredients.