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Author: Subject: Flash Powder
Zinc
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[*] posted on 5-2-2007 at 13:42


Today I tried to ignite a small amount of KIO3/Al/charcoal.
I tried to ignite it with a propane/butane torch but it didn't burn.
The KIO3 melted and decomposed.
Does anyone know why?

A little of topic but when a mixture of KIO3 and S is ignited it burns with a pink collor and a large amount of iodine vapur is released.




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[*] posted on 5-2-2007 at 14:41


2KIO3 ---> 2KI +3O2

16KI + S8 ---> 8K2S 8I2

Sulfur is a stronger oxidizer than Iodine is my guess....
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[*] posted on 5-2-2007 at 15:00


Zinc, the KIO3/Al mix should definitely work, but it is somewhat hard to get ignited. KIO3 is not a really strong oxidizer and its decomposition temperature is fairly low. Probably the ignition temperature of KIO3/Al mix is above the temperature of decomposition of KIO3.

I myself made KIO3/Al mix, with just a tiny pinch of red P added. It makes ignition of the mix much easier, and the mix burns with a bright white flame, but not really fast. Pink smoke is produced.
Try the KIO3/S mix, with some of the S replaced with Al. It may give a slow burning, but brightly burning mix.

But essentially, KIO3 sucks as an oxidizer for pyrotechnic purposes. I have similar tame experiences with K2Cr2O7 and K2S2O8. If you have KIO4 or NaIO4, then also try that. That stuff is really WOW, compared to KIO3. The difference is huge.

If I have to make an ordering of the (per)halates as pyro-oxidizers, then I think the following ordering gives a good comparison, when evaluating ease of ignition:

KBrO3 >= KClO3 >> KIO4 > KClO4 >> KIO3

KIO3 is less energetic than KNO3 and it also is less energetic than many metal oxides at higher oxidation state, such as MnO2, PbO2.




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[*] posted on 5-2-2007 at 15:18


I have also found a mix of Al (75 micron) and KClO3 (intimately mixed and finely ground) to be unignitable. This is very strange. I blame it on the oxide on the Al (though the Al is not old).
The KClO3 is good.
With magnesium, it forms a vicious flash powder.
A thermite mix, from the mentioned Al + red iron oxide, worked fine and burned very fast. It also was not too difficult to ignite. The oxide on the Al therefore can't really be that much.




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[*] posted on 6-2-2007 at 06:35


You might try NOT using a large and volumous ignition source (torch) but making a trail of VERY FINE particulate on the edge of a piece of paper and lighting the paper with a match. -=Why=-? Becasue if you have a boarderline ignition situation the torch using the existing O from the air and the oxidizer many need to be fine particles to light up.....plus, you can see the sensitivity better with a lighter ignition source.....just a thought.



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[*] posted on 8-2-2007 at 22:09
flash powder revisited


Quote:

By volume: potassium permanganate 2 parts, Aluminium powder (the finest flour-like grade) 1 part, powdered sulphur 0.5 part.

To prepare, grind the KMnO4 to the finest possible powder in a mortar. You know when you've ground it enough when it changes in colour from dark purple to a lighter purple.
Clean the mortar then mix the Al powder and sulphur together.
Finally add the KMnO4 and mix gently, do NOT grind!

Add a drop of glycerine.


This is part of an old post. Do you suppose powdered Zn could be subbed for the Al?
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[*] posted on 9-2-2007 at 05:13


yes it is possible i have dont this couple of times. however this flash will be less energetic but with a light green color
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[*] posted on 12-2-2007 at 16:53


Quote:

This is part of an old post. Do you suppose powdered Zn could be subbed for the Al?


Yes it can and it works great you must change the ratio I have tried a few. The best ones that I have seen are 3:5:1, 4:5:1, 6:8:1 and 3:6:1 it is still a work in progress (KMnO4:Zn:S by weight of course)

I used fine powdered zinc from BDH flowers of sulphur passed through a 106um sieve and KMnO4 in the form of condys crystalls powdered in a mortar and pestal and passed through a 106umsieve

3:2:1 with zinc wasnt very good

but if your planning on giving it a go contribute to my trial and do some ratios that I havnt tried yet

http://www.roguesci.org/theforum/showthread.php?t=6055

[Edited on 13-2-2007 by feacetech]
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[*] posted on 1-4-2007 at 02:01


Yesterday I ignited a small amount of a mixture containing Fe powder, KMnO4, S and KIO3.
The mixture doesnt burn very fast but there is one interesting thing. The smoke is at first purple, then after around 2 seconds it turns brown and then white. Then I made the mixture again and ignited it to be sure that the collor changes really happen.
Does anyone know why it happens?




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[*] posted on 2-4-2007 at 14:27


Unknowns include intimacy of mixture and particle size. but I would bet that the KMnO4 is your purple, etc.



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[*] posted on 3-4-2007 at 05:03


Quote:
Originally posted by quicksilver
Unknowns include intimacy of mixture and particle size.


The mixture was mixed for a few minutes in a mortar and pestelle. The KMnO4 and KIO3 were ground together and then iron (I got it from school. It is a fine dark gray powder. On the bottle writes that it is flammable. I do not know the mesh number) and sulfur were added. I dont know the ratios because I didnt weight the ingridients. I belive I added one third of KMnO4 of a part of KIO3. Then to that I added iron and sulfur until it felt right.




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[*] posted on 4-4-2007 at 03:24


How about C2Cl6 and Al?



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[*] posted on 4-4-2007 at 03:29


Quote:
Originally posted by quicksilver
Unknowns include intimacy of mixture and particle size. but I would bet that the KMnO4 is your purple, etc.


Um, I think iodine is responsible for the purple.

Quote:
From wikipedia
Iodine is a dark-gray/purple-black solid that sublimes at standard temperatures into a purple-pink gas that has an irritating odor.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iodine#Notable_characteristics




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[*] posted on 4-4-2007 at 04:38


Quote:
Originally posted by Levi
Um, I think iodine is responsible for the purple.


I thought that may be because when I lighted a mixture of KIO3 and S it evolved purple smoke.
But why does the smoke change collor?
I belive that iodine reacts with something that is also in the smoke. With what?




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[*] posted on 4-4-2007 at 05:33


Ha...believe it or not I missed that... (I should never respond to stuff without morning coffee) I also miss my rolling eyes icon...:(
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[*] posted on 14-4-2007 at 06:28


I have read somewhere that MnO2 can be added to chlorate based flash powder to increase burn rate. Is this true? If yes how much MnO2 should be added? I think not much because supposedly it is a catalyst. I know that MnO2 is used in the laboratory preperations of oxygen. It is used as a catalyst for the termal decomposition of KClO3 to O2 and KCl.



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[*] posted on 14-4-2007 at 09:14


You'd have to find a balance between providing decent catalytic action in a solid state and thinning out the flash too far. I would not add it until the last moment either, because by adding it, I imagine that the mix becomes significantly more sensetive.



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[*] posted on 22-4-2007 at 09:38


Quote:
Originally posted by Zinc
Yesterday I ignited a small amount of a mixture containing Fe powder, KMnO4, S and KIO3.
The mixture doesnt burn very fast but there is one interesting thing. The smoke is at first purple, then after around 2 seconds it turns brown and then white.


Today I tried it whitout KMnO4. The mixture burned slower and the smoke was purple but it didn't change in collor.




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[*] posted on 23-4-2007 at 08:46


A few minutes ago I ignited a small amount of a mixture of KClO3 S and Fe powder. It burns fast with an orange flame. I don't know what is the mesh number of the Fe powder but it is very fine. Unfortunately the mixture is unstable and can ignite whitout any apparent reason because it contains a chlorate and sulfur.



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[*] posted on 23-4-2007 at 10:39


Quote:
Originally posted by Zinc
Quote:
Originally posted by Levi
Um, I think iodine is responsible for the purple.


I thought that may be because when I lighted a mixture of KIO3 and S it evolved purple smoke.
But why does the smoke change collor?
I belive that iodine reacts with something that is also in the smoke. With what?


Well then... the smoke probably isn't purple colored but the reaction mixture is emitting purple light. The light hits the smoke reflecting purple light.
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[*] posted on 23-4-2007 at 10:47


I dont think so because the smoke changed collor after the mixture already burned (a second or two). If you have the chemicals try it. It is very nice.



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[*] posted on 24-4-2007 at 09:54


WOW!! Cool, that flash looks great. I'm curious though - Is this mix shock sencitive? If so, how bad is it? Safe enough to carry around??
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[*] posted on 24-4-2007 at 09:55


WOW!! Cool, that flash looks great. I'm curious though - Is this mix shock sencitive? If so, how bad is it? Safe enough to carry around??
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[*] posted on 24-4-2007 at 10:16


Yes the mix is shock sensitive and unstable. It can ignite whitout any apparent reason (it contains permanganate and sulfur). It is not safe to store it or carry it around. Make only small amounts and use it immediately after you make it. Don't use it confined in some container because it can ignite whitout any apparent reason. Also don't grind the chemicals together because it can ignite.



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[*] posted on 24-4-2007 at 18:47


maybe if you were to leave out the sulfer (im not sure that it acutally does anything) I am sure that it would improve the stability. Pechlorates, clorates and permangates should never be mixed with sulfer in the first place, why should they be mixed here?? Anyway, the mix cant be any worse than AP :D:D
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