Chemgineer
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Potassium Nitrate vs Lead Nitrate
We all know potassium nitrate is used on pyrotechnic mixtures as an oxidiser and it works well because it is not hygroscopic.
Another nitrate salt that is not hygroscopic is lead nitrate, however this does not seem to perform as a pyrotechnic.
Is this related to the density of the lead in the compound or are there just more strong nitrogen bonds present that makes it much more stable?
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Sir_Gawain
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Well, the number one reason would be the high toxicity. But there’s also the much lower oxygen content. Lead nitrate is 29% oxygen by mass while
potassium nitrate is 48%.
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Fery
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Zivko Kostic - Between Play and Chemistry, experiment 27
durable sparklers using Pb(NO3)2
take 1 g iron filings, protect them by coating using stearin (paraffin candle wax) dissolved in petrol (I would use low boiling point like medicinal
petrolether) and let the petrol to evaporate
add 8 g Pb(NO3)2 and 1 g powdered charcoal and mix well
add the mixture into a vessel with shellac dissolved in ethanol (prepare the solution in an advance as the dissolution may last few weeks)
cover a wooden stick with thicker layer of the mass and let to dry
sparklers are very durable thanks to protecting the iron filings against oxidation/rusting by a protective layer (also consider electrochemical series
of metals where Fe would reduce Pb2+ if moisture present)
I wanted to make these sparklers but toxicity discouraged me. I still have that Pb(NO3) which I made from captured Pb airgun pellets dissolved in HNO3
in my childhood.
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Radiums Lab
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Yea lead salts are toxic, but lead salts on reaction sometimes can leave a nasty black residue
Water is dangerous if you don't know how to handle it, elemental fluorine (F₂) on the other hand is pretty tame if you know what you are doing.
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