Zink powder.

[DBSP]

I've made several searches but I've come up with nothing so I don't think it has benn discussed here before, if it has I appologise.

Today when I was looking for a place to buy Al powder i stumbeled across a site some guy had put together with various things such as ball mills and how to build them. He didn't say it straight out but he sounded a bit pyro, why would he want to mill Mg and Al if he wasn't a pyro.

Anyway he described a way to get very fine Zn powder by reacting ZnCl2 with Al.

3ZnCl2(aq)+2Al(s)--->2AlCl3(aq)+3Zn(s)
This seems correct to me.

To make ZnCl2 you only need Zn(s) and HCl
Zn(s)+2HCl--->ZnCl2+H2

To me this seems to be an easy rout to fine Zink powder, since it's so easy one would be able to manufacture larger ammount easily.

What to you think? has anyone else heard of this?

[rikkitikkitavi]

it works because Zn is more noble than Al, ie has higher electrochemical potential so the reaction takes place

however , wether the Zn formed is of such quality that it can be used in pyrotechnics I dont know for sure, but I suspect it, since most
reactions like this generates finely divided powder (f e w CuSO4+ Fe = FeSO4 + Cu )

It is a simple experiment to test though.
/rickard

[DBSP]

I will have a go at it as soon as I can my hands on some zink.
I allso belive that it can be used for pyro things, anyway it's worth a try.

[mr.evil]

i will test it when i have time(afternoon or something)

Zinc(powder) is very nice in stars, it produces green/bluesh light, very nice; almost electric.
Also it produces lots of thick, white smoke...so it can be used in smoke formulas.

[kvitekrist]

I have tried zincpowder/sulfur rockets but it's only a fancy fountain... the zincpowder may be to coarse(?)

[vulture]

My Zn/S rocket took off with a nice bang. :)
It was however very fine 99.99% zinc powder.