The most brisant cracker !

[qashimalik]

I have been interested in making fire-crackers since i was 11.I carried out many experiments to make rockets but with no success ever.Started with my own home made Sodium nitrate (prepared from a common fertilizer.),now i m trying potassium chlorate compositions in my fire crackers.In my experiments i tried many combustible materials with KClO3.
Today,i m making the most brisant crackers,just for fun.The quantities never exceed 1 gram in each cracker,but they could be very harmful if exploded in ones hand.As i have already experience that painful accident,but fortunately i still have my five fingers. :D
Please share any experience if you ever tried KClO3 compositions. :p

[krimmie]

The "Water Cooler" is a more appropriate spot to post all observations, general comments i.e.(I like tings dat go boom), and any other stupid subjects that can easily be searched.

[Macgyver]

You really should have started this in the Watercooler, but since I am in a good mood I'll give you some advice on the way:

Use KClO4 instead of KClO3, much less sensitive and hence safer to use.

A mix of 70% KClO4 and 30% fine aluminium powder should give the results you are looking for.

But if you used the search engine and searched for "flash powder" or even just "KClO3" you would have found all this info already and wouldn't need to start your career here by posting old questions in the wrong section of the forum.

Just my €0.02....

[FrKoNaLeaSh]

You could try the bursting composition known as H3. It is KClO3/Charcoal in a 70/30 or 75/25 ratio. It can be granulated or kept in powdered state however is not extremely bristant. I would say KClO3/Mg or KClO3/Al would be the most bristant reaction that an amteur pyro could perform.

[FUTI]

The only thing that makes KClO3 better for use is that it is easy to find or make in lab. KClO4 which is a agree much better is harder to make and I don't think that it can be found that easy. Be carefull KClO3 is known by it's nasty habit to explode on friction so I can only wish you good luck with grinding and mixing with fuel (sugar, charcoal, Al etc.).

[qashimalik]

:D

It seems nobody has a personel experience of making crackers.Just try this composition:

KClO3 = 60%
Na-Benzoate= 30%
Sulfur=10%

The ratio may vary according to the purity of materials.But the best composition will explode with a puff in open,with almost no residue.It is distinct property of this composition that it makes a hollow ring of white smoke when a small heap of the later is ignited in open air.

This is my observation that this is much more brisant than conventional kclo3/chrcoal composition,and much safer to handle than kclo3/Al or Mg.

Instructions:
It is better to grind Na-benzoate and sulfur togater and then mixing it with Kclo3 already in powdered form. The more you grind the better result you will get. The quality of mixture depends on the state of uniformity. If you are using a porcelein pestle and mortar then you can carry out mixing with light hands,as it will offer less friction.

Precautions:
Please don't put pressure on the mixture. Make the mixture according to your need,never store it at all.It is better not to prepare more than 5 grams of composition at a time.

***Please follow the instruction or I will not take any resposibility of its hazards.

++++++++++++++

Grammer Nazi says "Use a space after periods, and capitalize the letter "I" when referring to yourself."

[Marvin]

Do NOT use chlorates and sulphur together. It isnt safe.

Benzoate/Chlorate are whistle mixes typically though I'm not sure how well the work compaired to gallic acid mixes, they will make a nice bang for small crackers but sharp sounding mixtures arnt liked much for proper pyrotechnic bangers. Larger tubes with blackpowder make a much longer rolling boom which carries better.

[Mardec]

Wel Marvin, you are right and wrong at the same time :)

Chlorates + Sulphur are unstable

But chlorates+ red phosporus are even more unstable, and that is the stuff that is in normal commercial fire crackers... see my point, but they are still friction sensitive!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[swoonpappy]

I definetly agree with Macgyver. Im not sure where you live, but I know that in Canada, it is much eaiser to obtain KClO4.

[qashimalik]

Marvin,you are talking about whistle composition,which comprises potassium picrate and potassium nitrate, filled within hollow bamboos.Another safe one contains gallic acid and KClO3.
I know that KClO3/sulfur mixtures are not safe.But as I had already mensioned that my composition is not so sensitive.Sodium benzoate has a very good desensitizing effect.
If you want to store it safe for longer time you can add 1% antiacid(CaCO3),because Kclo3/sulfur mixtures get sour in moist air.

Listen, it is not that whistle compostion.You can test it.

Please let me know when you try it in your fire crackers.If you need more info,i will be here.

[Marvin]

"....you are talking about whistle composition,which comprises potassium picrate and potassium nitrate..."

Ive mentioned chlorates, benzoates and gallic acid. Now tell me how it is possible to come to the conclusion I'm talking about picrate/nitrate mixtures?

"Another safe one contains gallic acid and KClO3."

No. These are not safe. Potassium picrate is a primary explosive, and also toxic. Gallic acid mixtures are sensitive, chlorate based (perchlorate cannot be used), and by reputation less reliable.

"I know that KClO3/sulfur mixtures are not safe."

Dont tell other people to use them then. You also seem to think they are not safe because they are sensitive, and this isnt the reason.

"Kclo3/sulfur mixtures get sour in moist air"

No shit Sherlock, and the spontanious ignition/detonation problems this comes with.

"you can add 1% antiacid(CaCO3),"

Partially alleviating the problem if correctly processed.

The safest whistlemixes on the net are perchlorate/benzoate. You are using a less safe one, rendered even less safe by the addition of sulphur. Whistle mixes work by having a burn rate heavily dependent on the air pressure at the burning surface. This is why in a tube it can amplify the standing wave and you get a whistle. Its also why if you confine them, they detonate, which is where the brisant bang comes from in your firecrackers. Your mix is simply a beefed up whistle mix pushed over the edge.

"If you need more info,i will be here."

That makes me feel so much better.

(from message before)
"***Please follow the instruction or i will not take any resposibility of its hazards."

Oh, so if we follow the instructions exactly you *will* take resposibility for everyone who blows off fingers or burns down their house using your chlorate sulphur mixture. Please supply a full name and address so we can send insurence claims and hospital bills.

[qashimalik]

No. These are not safe. Potassium picrate is a primary explosive, and also toxic. Gallic acid mixtures are sensitive, chlorate based (perchlorate cannot be used), and by reputation less reliable."

Common sence is not common for a common person.

"Dont tell other people to use them then. You also seem to think they are not safe because they are sensitive, and this isnt the reason."

"No shit Sherlock, and the spontanious ignition/detonation problems this comes with."

"Oh, so if we follow the instructions exactly you *will* take resposibility for everyone who blows off fingers or burns down their house using your chlorate sulphur mixture. Please supply a full name and address so we can send insurence claims and hospital bills."

Message for the post.

I never consider posts,quoting and explaining to me my own words.I welcome everybody who is willing to share info. without boosting of his knowledge.I only need decent replies,with no critisism on my threads.

[trinitride3]

I think I can give you a good example of how much more powerful flash made with magnesium is than flash made with aluminum. I did a test a few weeks back with both types of flash. The flash was loaded into cardboard tubes that had a 1/2 inside diameter by 1.5" long (1/16 wall thickness). Each sample had 3 grams of powder. For the magnesium flash I used 400 mesh (approximately) the ratio was 30% Chinese gourmet potassium perchlorate 70% magnesium. I ground the magnesium down from long confetti like shavings in a coffe grinder. It took about a half hour to get the finished product. For the aluminum flash I used 600 mesh dark German aluminum in the following ratio: 70% Chinese gourmet potassium perchlorate 30% aluminum. a word of caution about grinding magnesium, in the past I have had magnesium flash on me when grinding for long periods of time. When the metal gets to hot and pressure builds up in the grinding chamber a flash will almost always result. The finer the powder gets the more the risk. If your going to use a coffee grinder or blender to grind magnesium, take breaks when you start to feel a lot of heat in the chamber. If its to hot to touch you should break.
For the test I used two roles of good quality toilet paper. I inserted the aluminum flash powder salute into the center of the toilet paper role which was standing upright on hard ground. when the salute went off the force of the explosion was contained by the role. With closer inspection I could see that the blast shredded half way through towards the outside of the role, with a nice amount of damage. Next I attempted the same test with the magnesium flash filled salute. when this baby went off it shredded the entire role into small pieces, thrown all over the place; none bigger than the size of a dime! I did the test during the day and the flash was as bright as the aluminum is at night! In conclusion I would have to say that a 1/2" x 1.5" magnesium salute is as powerful as a 1" x 2.5" sized salute (blockbuster) thats filled with half an ounce of dark aluminum flash powder! The increase in power/brisiance, and size of flash with magnesium is startling! I will be doing some more tests on the subject in the near future.

[nbk2000]

People who can't accept criticism of their stupidity are what's better known as a "K3wL", thus having no place here, so adiou!