MrB Posted October 1, 2016 Share Posted October 1, 2016 The cabosil seems to fall to the bottom of the bucket but when air is introduced to the wash solution it attaches to the bubbles and rises to the surface. I have found that an aquarium aerator works well for this purpose however it still needs constant relocation in the bucket to expose new cabosil to the bubbles. A small modification to a waterpump would allow you to push a lot more air then the airpumps for an aquarium does, and while still moving water, eliminating the need to move things around. If perchlorate is lost with the waste, try building a higher foam-crown, and take the stuff on the top. I suspect a good part of the waste is actually water, with the dissolved perchlorate in it. So letting the foam build up higher, creating a dryer, denser foam, should if not eliminate, at least minimize the losses. You might want to take a peek at skimmers for saltwater aquariums, if your going to make a system for this. Seams it would be next to ideal, and is easy enough to "homebrew".B! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeighborJ Posted October 1, 2016 Author Share Posted October 1, 2016 Thanks B, I'll definitely look into skimmers. I was thinking the water should be as cold as possible also. If all this still does not work I still have one trick up my sleeve and it involves the use of a centrifuge. The cabosil sg is 2.2-2.3, the perc is 2.5239. It should separate but I'd need to build a very sturdy one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrB Posted October 1, 2016 Share Posted October 1, 2016 The "skimmer pump" would introduce heat to the system. Depending on the size, (watt) of course. Nothing a refrigerating unit couldn't fix...Since your not actually trying to skim an aquarium, you could get away with dimensioning the system for a small pump, and a TEC chiller, something like this one, if run-times had to be long enough to make it heat up significantly? I'm not sure you'd have to run it long enough to make it heat up"that much" from the pump, but environment issues might play a bigger factor. Like, room temperature, and so on. Dunno if it's at all useful, but there is my thoughts.B! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeighborJ Posted October 1, 2016 Author Share Posted October 1, 2016 I don't know if it needs to get that technical B. I think I could put the bucket in a tub full of ice and cold water, if that doesn't do the trick then I could add salt to the ice tub for added BTU removal but it would likely freeze the solution inside the first bucket. In a former profession I was an HVAC tech for twelve years so I think I could swing a scratch built chiller if need be. I really don't think the skimmer will add that much heat to the process. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arthur Posted October 2, 2016 Share Posted October 2, 2016 One UK supplier will supply granular perc or milled perc, if you buy milled perc then he will mill with cabosil as anticake on request. Usually about 1% cabosil is plenty. While anticake is great sometimes, ask your supplier whether they can supply good pure perc so that you can reserve perc for some uses and anticake perc for other purposes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeighborJ Posted October 2, 2016 Author Share Posted October 2, 2016 (edited) Arthur, I can't think of one good reason for adding cabosil to anything except if I'm too lazy to dry out and mill my chems before mixing. At that point I would not expect my comps to turn out the way I want anyway. It washes out colors, impedes chemical reactions, and reduces flame sensitivity. All things which are not good for the average pyrotechnic composition. If I get a chance today I am planning on changing my setup once again to a long tall PVC tube in which I can utilize the height of the tube to maximize the air contact evenly thru out the suspended perc solution. The cabosil should fill up as a head and over flow. Edited October 2, 2016 by NeighborJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave321 Posted October 2, 2016 Share Posted October 2, 2016 you only really need to use a low percentage to improve flow 0.1 to 0.5%max should suffice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrossOut Posted October 2, 2016 Share Posted October 2, 2016 (edited) Without cabosil, you would return to your perch too find it in a single giant clump. This is worst is your perch was finally milled. Even mild humidity will turn it into a giant block. Then you will be sitting there will a chisel whenever you need to use some. Then you need to remill it. The cabosil should be in such low concentration that it you wouldn't see any of those side effects. 1% is a lot. As Dave said, .1 - .5 %. I would consider .5 to be in the high end as well. I was thinking about your process with washing the perch. I assume you are using distilled water else you may end up with more contaminants than the perch initially had. As for cabosil removal, you may want more agitation in the form of stirring to expose the cabosil water. Bubbling isn't nessicarily what you want as it creates excess foaming. Edited October 2, 2016 by CrossOut Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeighborJ Posted October 3, 2016 Author Share Posted October 3, 2016 Yeah Crossout I am using distilled water and yes I agree with you about stirring being better but it only seems to work when the solution is first made. The cab seems to not absorb water and will float easier but after it becomes water logged it needs to be bubbled. The only other thing which works well is a drying cycle between each float. It worked awesome but takes time for repeated drying. I don't mind clumping, it forces me to use proper procedure and ball mill everything. My kno3 is the same way and it is no big deal to break it up. I put it in a baggie in a burlap sack then drop it on the floor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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