Arkangel
May 12th, 2002, 10:39 PM
There are threads all over the place on making Al powder, buying it etc, and most say that the type of Al used for pigmenting resin in fibreglass is no good for flash. Fair enough, but the idea in mind was to use it in a rocket propellant grain to produce white sparks in the exhaust, or maybe in Roman Candles too.
I bought 5kg of it, and it seems like a really fine powder to me, almost like talc, although I have no way of measuring the mesh size. Rather than having a silvery colour, it looks a very matt grey. So far, I have tried it neat with potassium nitrate or Sodium Chlorate and nothing happend. I've therefore mixed it in with both of the above in various combinations of sugar and charcoal, with/without sulphur. Every time, it's less energetic than the same mix without the Al. I get a very few white sparks, but always, loads of partially melted Al in the crucible. Nothing I do seems to excite it, and my 5kg seems to be as much use as tits on a fish, as the saying goes.
The only thing I'm wondering is whether confinement is going to make much difference. They have been fairly big piles of the stuff, so there was a degree of self confinement, but before I go to the stress (it's tricky for me where I spend most of my time) of loading it into a rocket body, is this stuff a complete dud, or has anyone ever had any success?
I'm open to all suggestions as to how I might make this light up, failing that, anyone want 5kg of crap Al? :confused:
I bought 5kg of it, and it seems like a really fine powder to me, almost like talc, although I have no way of measuring the mesh size. Rather than having a silvery colour, it looks a very matt grey. So far, I have tried it neat with potassium nitrate or Sodium Chlorate and nothing happend. I've therefore mixed it in with both of the above in various combinations of sugar and charcoal, with/without sulphur. Every time, it's less energetic than the same mix without the Al. I get a very few white sparks, but always, loads of partially melted Al in the crucible. Nothing I do seems to excite it, and my 5kg seems to be as much use as tits on a fish, as the saying goes.
The only thing I'm wondering is whether confinement is going to make much difference. They have been fairly big piles of the stuff, so there was a degree of self confinement, but before I go to the stress (it's tricky for me where I spend most of my time) of loading it into a rocket body, is this stuff a complete dud, or has anyone ever had any success?
I'm open to all suggestions as to how I might make this light up, failing that, anyone want 5kg of crap Al? :confused: