zaibatsu
October 13th, 2002, 09:58 AM
Teck
Frequent Poster
Posts: 146
From:
Registered: JAN 2001
posted January 23, 2001 02:07 AM
In different instruction on making black powder some say use Isopropyl alchohol and some say wood alcohol. So I have a question wich is best and what is wood alchohol and where would you buy it. I want to test it out and see if there is really any difference.
the freshmaker
Frequent Poster
Posts: 170
From: Heaven
Registered: DEC 2000
posted January 23, 2001 06:52 AM
I don't know wich alcohol is the best,but you can use normal water instead.
Some people add boiling water in the beginning of the proces to disolve the KNO3
and the afterwards add alchol to let the KNO3 recrystalize.
Anthony
Moderator
Posts: 2304
From: England
Registered: SEP 2000
posted January 23, 2001 08:09 AM
The alcohol is just a solvent, it shouldn't matter which you use. I'm guessing that wood alcohol is extracted from wood?
CragHack
Frequent Poster
Posts: 606
From:
Registered: DEC 2000
posted January 23, 2001 11:31 AM
isn't wood alcohol just another name fo methonal? and i would use acetone, it will evaporate quicker. the one thing you don't want is wet BP, it won't work to well.
------------------
...Æ
Agent Blak
Frequent Poster
Posts: 765
From: Sk. Canada
Registered: SEP 2000
posted January 23, 2001 04:10 PM
When I made mine I just used a bit of Boiling Water(H20) to disolve the KNO3. I think it works great for my first try, and keeping in mind that I have not a Ball Mill or a Hydralic Press.
------------------
A wise man once said:
"... As He Waits For The Time When The Last Become First And,
The First Shall Become last"
--RATM
Agent Blak-------OUT!!
Mr Cool
Frequent Poster
Posts: 991
From: None of your bloody business!
Registered: DEC 2000
posted January 27, 2001 09:20 AM
Wood alcohol, or methanol, was once made by heating wood in the absence of air. Are you talking about the method where you pour it all into very cold alcohol to re-crystalise the KNO3 from a boiling solution containing dissolved KNO3, and also the charcoal and sulphur? I've never done it that way, but most recipes I've seen say to use isopropanol. Methanol should work, though. Cool it with dry ice to make the particles of KNO3 very small.
Smartguy
A new voice
Posts: 11
From:
Registered: JAN 2001
posted January 29, 2001 07:09 PM
ANY solvent that mixes with water will work. The idea behind dumping your wet BP into alcohol is that the dissolved KNO3 will crystallise, since it's not soluble in water/alcohol mixtures. So just use any solvent you can get your hands on (which will mix with H2O). Use the one with the lowest boilingpoint if you're in a hurry. Use the cheapest one available if you're short of money.
firebreether
Frequent Poster
Posts: 108
From:
Registered: NOV 2000
posted January 29, 2001 09:06 PM
Making a ball mill isn't that hard once you get the right speed for a motor. Works better than the precipitation method anyway.
CragHack
Frequent Poster
Posts: 606
From:
Registered: DEC 2000
posted January 29, 2001 10:16 PM
when you make a ball mill do you want the motor to spin faster, or a slow methodical spin, one that produces alot of torque? i have never used one before. do they resemble the things that are used at home to polish rocks?
------------------
...Æ
Anthony
Moderator
Posts: 2304
From: England
Registered: SEP 2000
posted January 30, 2001 08:02 AM
If you spin the milling jar too fast you will create a centrifuge and the media won't tumble and grind up the powder. Too slow and the reductin of the powder will take longer. Provided you have bearings, the torque required isn't much to spin the milling jar.
Frequent Poster
Posts: 146
From:
Registered: JAN 2001
posted January 23, 2001 02:07 AM
In different instruction on making black powder some say use Isopropyl alchohol and some say wood alcohol. So I have a question wich is best and what is wood alchohol and where would you buy it. I want to test it out and see if there is really any difference.
the freshmaker
Frequent Poster
Posts: 170
From: Heaven
Registered: DEC 2000
posted January 23, 2001 06:52 AM
I don't know wich alcohol is the best,but you can use normal water instead.
Some people add boiling water in the beginning of the proces to disolve the KNO3
and the afterwards add alchol to let the KNO3 recrystalize.
Anthony
Moderator
Posts: 2304
From: England
Registered: SEP 2000
posted January 23, 2001 08:09 AM
The alcohol is just a solvent, it shouldn't matter which you use. I'm guessing that wood alcohol is extracted from wood?
CragHack
Frequent Poster
Posts: 606
From:
Registered: DEC 2000
posted January 23, 2001 11:31 AM
isn't wood alcohol just another name fo methonal? and i would use acetone, it will evaporate quicker. the one thing you don't want is wet BP, it won't work to well.
------------------
...Æ
Agent Blak
Frequent Poster
Posts: 765
From: Sk. Canada
Registered: SEP 2000
posted January 23, 2001 04:10 PM
When I made mine I just used a bit of Boiling Water(H20) to disolve the KNO3. I think it works great for my first try, and keeping in mind that I have not a Ball Mill or a Hydralic Press.
------------------
A wise man once said:
"... As He Waits For The Time When The Last Become First And,
The First Shall Become last"
--RATM
Agent Blak-------OUT!!
Mr Cool
Frequent Poster
Posts: 991
From: None of your bloody business!
Registered: DEC 2000
posted January 27, 2001 09:20 AM
Wood alcohol, or methanol, was once made by heating wood in the absence of air. Are you talking about the method where you pour it all into very cold alcohol to re-crystalise the KNO3 from a boiling solution containing dissolved KNO3, and also the charcoal and sulphur? I've never done it that way, but most recipes I've seen say to use isopropanol. Methanol should work, though. Cool it with dry ice to make the particles of KNO3 very small.
Smartguy
A new voice
Posts: 11
From:
Registered: JAN 2001
posted January 29, 2001 07:09 PM
ANY solvent that mixes with water will work. The idea behind dumping your wet BP into alcohol is that the dissolved KNO3 will crystallise, since it's not soluble in water/alcohol mixtures. So just use any solvent you can get your hands on (which will mix with H2O). Use the one with the lowest boilingpoint if you're in a hurry. Use the cheapest one available if you're short of money.
firebreether
Frequent Poster
Posts: 108
From:
Registered: NOV 2000
posted January 29, 2001 09:06 PM
Making a ball mill isn't that hard once you get the right speed for a motor. Works better than the precipitation method anyway.
CragHack
Frequent Poster
Posts: 606
From:
Registered: DEC 2000
posted January 29, 2001 10:16 PM
when you make a ball mill do you want the motor to spin faster, or a slow methodical spin, one that produces alot of torque? i have never used one before. do they resemble the things that are used at home to polish rocks?
------------------
...Æ
Anthony
Moderator
Posts: 2304
From: England
Registered: SEP 2000
posted January 30, 2001 08:02 AM
If you spin the milling jar too fast you will create a centrifuge and the media won't tumble and grind up the powder. Too slow and the reductin of the powder will take longer. Provided you have bearings, the torque required isn't much to spin the milling jar.