Bismuth Trisulfide Scarcity

[Yafmot]

One of the areas I'm looking to do business in is the field of low/no toxicity munitions. Antimony Trisulfide is used in all kinds of pyro applications but, unfortunately, its biological effects are pretty much like Arsenic, which does some very not-nice things to people.

Bismuth trioxide has been investigated as a suitable substitute, but documentation on its use or, for that matter, sources or its manufacture, are sparse as the Salt Lake Desert.

Of course, Alfa Aesar will supply it, at their usual buttrape prices, but in a pyro application purity isn't all that big a concern (most of the time). Lorad E-mailed me back saying they could make some on a custom order basis. I've yet to get back with them on it (I keep just missing the guy), but unless they have a little in stock at a reasonable price, I'm afraid I'll just have to make it myself.

I read somewhere that Sb2S3 is made by commingling 50/50 Antimony and Sulfur intimately and heating, but the source said it was a very dangerous process requiring a lot of specialized equipment. I'm thinking they mean a glove box or at least a fume hood.

Bismuth, on the other hand, isn't anywhere near as toxic. Also, I've been made to understand that quite a few metallic sulfides can be prepared in this manner. Not only that, I have a friend with an induction heater/bell jar/vacuum pump setup that should work great for small amounts. Just pour some mix into a Carbon crucible, stick it under the jar, pull a vacuum and hit the juice. Induction heating works real fast on small masses, so if the reaction time isn't too long, I should be able to do a half dozen runs or so in an afternoon.

If I can find a reliable source, though, I'd just as soon purchase a couple of kilos of technical grade stuff and be done with it. Information, advice, leads, or even catcalls & jeers would be welcome right now.

So, whaddaya' think?

[Bugger]

Bismuth is a somewhat rare metal, much rarer than lead. (I wonder if PbS would also do as a substitute for Sb2S3 for pyrotechnic applications, but it is still toxic). There may be a reason for restricting the sale of Bi, in that it can be bombarded with neutrons to make polonium-210, the intensely alpha-radioactive substance used by the KGB to kill Col. Litvinenko in 2006.

[ETCS (Ret)]

Weingart recommends the use of Black Copper Sulfide made by fusion. It has pyro uses as well as in detonators.

It now appears that Litvinenko may have carelessly poisoned himself. He was in Israel just before his unfortunate demise and it is probable that he got the Polonium 210 from the Atomic Laboratory in Dimona. Probably for a "false flag" operation in the U.K. It has now been established that he was a double agent for Israel.

[Bacon46]

Bismuth is a somewhat rare metal, much rarer than lead. (I wonder if PbS would also do as a substitute for Sb2S3 for pyrotechnic applications, but it is still toxic). There may be a reason for restricting the sale of Bi, in that it can be bombarded with neutrons to make polonium-210, the intensely alpha-radioactive substance used by the KGB to kill Col. Litvinenko in 2006.

The restrictions on Bi must either be very recent or just a New Zealand thing. I have 50lbs of 99.8% Bi that I ordered from a metal supplier in New York. I alloy it with tin and use it for casting non toxic fishing tackle. It makes pretty good ball mill media as well. Without the tin it is too brittle

PM me if you would like to know the specifics on the metal supplier.

[Yafmot]

Bugger, The New Zealand government simply HAD to restrict Bismuth, what with the ready availability of TRIGA reactors and particle accellerators on the internet.

I talked at length with a gentleman at Lorad, and sure enough, I was full of shit on the process, at least as far as the vacuum is concerned. He said just put a well blended, stoichiometric mix and put it in a crucible, or for that matter a teacup, and stick it in the oven at about 450 F, just above the menting temperature of the Sulfur, and the two will react, but slowly. If you raise the pressure, say, in an autoclave that's been evacuated, then pumped full of N2, and then heated, you can use much higher temperatures before the Sulfur boils and, of course speed up the reaction. I'm trying to think of what kind of catalyst would help the reaction without contaminating the product.

I'm no chemist, so if anyone sees a hole in my methods, please feel free to call me on it.

Whaddaya' think?