Potassium Chlorate Black powder?

[fractional distiller]

I have done many searches on the forum to find anything relating to this. I know it exists because I remember reading about it here once. But for some reason I can not find anything on it.

So I have posted my question here so I will be not be (HED) by nbk for my ignorance in this situation.

But isnt it plausible to replace potassium nitrate with potassium chlorate and then mill it with your other required weights of charcoal and sulfur. Or will I just end up killing myself in the process from milling potassium chlorate and sulfur together?

+++++++++++

Try it and report back to us with the results. :) NBK

[Exothermic]

KCL03 can never be used instead of KN03. It is extremely sensitive and if you were to ball mill them together it is likely to explode.
Although it has been proven by adding about 0.5g to about 50g of Blackpowder can in fact increase the burn rate, but i would suggest you try this.

Sorry... KCLO3 cannot be used instead of KNO3. Ball milling this mix would most likely cause it to blow up.
Although it has been proven that adding a tiny amount of KCLO4 to blackpowder increases the burn rate but i would not suggest you try this.

[tomu]

Milling potassium chlorate or perchlorate with any combustible material is a recipe for desaster. Don't even think about it!

Especially if the mix contains sulphur. Sulphur mixed with chlorate/perchlorate will be very very sensitive any composition which contains chlorate/perchlorate will be increased in it's sensitivty dramatically.

You can mill potassium chlorate or perchlorate alone or with some caposil in a perfectly clean milling char to get it to fine particles.

[Gerbil]

Or will I just end up killing myself in the process from milling potassium chlorate and sulfur together?

It's a distinct possibility. In short, don't do it.

If you're desperate, potassium chlorate and sugar mixes are much safer (although the perchlorate is preferable).

[jetz]

What you maybe thinking of is H3, which is a KClO3/Charcoal, mix of 75/25.

By all mean this should not be milled as its impact sensitive, just use the diaper method to mix air float charcoal and KClO3.

[tmp]

That's a recipe for an instant explosion when any kind of friction is applied.
When I was very, very young I mixed KClO3 and red P together, known as
Armstrong's mixture. I found out, almost the hard way, just how sensitve
this mix is to friction. KClO3 mixed with charcoal will work but don't even
think of grinding or ball milling it !

A little off topic but something I wanted to mention. I purchased one of
those old time flour grinders. It's perfect for grinding ingredients, other than
metals, that can't be ground together. It comes out fine as flour as its
name indicates. BTW, this hand-cranked model was something like $30 on
eBay.

[jimmyboy1]

Chlorate is much stronger than nitrate and more friction sensitive but yes you can make black powder from it --- the reason its not used for guns is because its corrosive and will foul barrels plus its prone to self ignition with sulfur (don't grind them together) - but if you are simply using it to blow something up no problems.

[Gerbil]

but if you are simply using it to blow something up no problems.

The problem is that most people don't want to be suicide bombers ;) .

[Bert]

Shortly after Berthollet discovered Potassium chlorate, chlorate gunpowder manufacture was attempted at the French royal powder works at Essones. The resulting explosion ended the experiment, and nearly ended Berthollet as well. They were making that powder with a STAMP MILL- Who says the French are not brae?

[Cobalt.45]

Chlorate is much stronger than nitrate and more friction sensitive but yes you can make black powder from it
No, you can't make black powder from it.

You can make a powder from it that burns and is black , but dammit, it's NOT black powder!

I have compiled 44 different compositions for BP, ranging from Marcus Graecus' 66.66/22.22/11.11 (KNO3/C/S) of the 8th. century to 75/15/10 of today and not one of them has any potassium chlorate in it.

[jimmyboy1]

oh boy -- ok for cobalt's sake.. this is not "true" black powder -- but to the rest of the world it will be powder that is in fact black and will ignite and explode...

[Gerbil]

So if I spray AP crystals with black paint, it's the same thing? :p