rcfun42 Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 Hello all was out in the workshop making some blue stars and when I went to test one it seem to burn real slow a 1/4 by 1/2 inch long star burned about 15 sec. I don't know but it seems to be slow or is that about right. If they need to burn faster what do I need to do to speed it up? The formula I used was as follows. 34g Potassium Perchlorate14.1g Copper Carbonate5.6g Lactose17g Parlon5.6g Red Gum Is this right or something need to be changed? Thanks for all comments Thanks Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lloyd Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 Tom, there's no FUEL in there! I'm surprised it burned at all. At the very least, there needs to be some carbonaceous material (like charcoal!) in there to provide a fuel source. The Parlon, lactose, and Red Gum are very poor fuels! I'm betting the formula was mis-typed, or that you didn't transcribe it properly. That would never work. Try adding either charcoal, or better, MgAl, at about 20% of the oxidizer amount. Lloyd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mumbles Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 I agree with Lloyd that there was probably a typographical or transcription error. The amount of oxidizer should be close to doubled. I included a prototypical organic blue perchlorate star. It's a bit heavy on the perchlorate, but most range from about 55-70%. Shimizu B48: Potassium perchlorate - 66.1Black copper oxide - 13.4Parlon - 10.7Red Gum - 9.8Dextrin - 5.0 There's nothing inherently wrong with your components, other than the 3 possibly actually being a 5 in the potassium perchlorate proportion. Adding 20g more would bring you to around 96 parts, which is about right for something with the dextrin omitted. As an aside, I don't really like red gum as a sole binder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rcfun42 Posted January 11, 2017 Author Share Posted January 11, 2017 I got the colors from starlighter and all colors are about the same mixtures except green has Barium red has Strontium so guess that is why they don't do like they are supposed to guess i'll scrap all the colors and see if I can find the correct formula for them. Thanks to all and if you have any good color formulas you don't mind giving up you can send them to me.. Thanks Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mumbles Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 Would you mind sharing a link? I couldn't seem to find the formula, or a perhaps mistyped formula, that you were referring to. These were the three pages I found with blue star formulas. Yours looks closest to the screen sliced rubber one, but it calls for 63% potassium perchlorate. http://www.skylighter.com/fireworks/how-to-make/blue-copper-fireworks-stars.asphttp://www.skylighter.com/fireworks/how-to-make/best-blue-fireworks-stars.asphttp://www.skylighter.com/fireworks/how-to-make/colored-screen-sliced-rubber-stars.asp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparx88 Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 That blue from shimizu is nice you should try that one. Another good one is one based off one of Hardts that Mum's turned me onto. Replace the red gum with sulfur. Try that with the shimizu blue. They light easier with sulfur and the sulfur is a way better fuel than red gum. You can add 3-5% drk aluminum flake or 325 mesh magnal if you want them brighter. Just be aware that the more metal you add the more the color is washed out. Start small. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldMarine Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 Hardt's sulfur blue and Jim Widman's phenolic blue are my current favorites. Though the phenolic formula is paler, the quick set time with heat is great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sulphurstan Posted January 30, 2017 Share Posted January 30, 2017 Pihko Blue is an easy one, except if you bind it with alcohol, which is pretty messy with the red gum. It is slow burning, the color is nice, but I haven't tested in real condition in an aerial shell... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JOPETES Posted January 30, 2017 Share Posted January 30, 2017 (edited) Hello all was out in the workshop making some blue stars and when I went to test one it seem to burn real slow a 1/4 by 1/2 inch long star burned about 15 sec. I don't know but it seems to be slow or is that about right. If they need to burn faster what do I need to do to speed it up? The formula I used was as follows. 34g Potassium Perchlorate14.1g Copper Carbonate5.6g Lactose17g Parlon5.6g Red Gum Is this right or something need to be changed? Thanks for all comments Thanks Tom Hello rcfun42., What you have is a brutal excess of fuel including the fuel provided by the parlon or chlorocaucho. For that formula and even generically for the star-colored formulas, the mathematical relationship between the oxidant and the basic fuel (red gum, phenolic resin, lactose-redgum mixture, shellac or shellac- Lactose, red gum-phenolic resin, red gum-hexamine etc.) ranges from 4.5 to 6 as long as the relation for oxidant- parlon oscillates from 7 to 14 in a total composition of 100 grams, all this is an approximation. In some color formulas the mathematical relations for oxidant-fuel is 7 to 10 but in those cases the parlon is increased which compensates poorly the fuel and to increase the temperature to release chlorine (parlon, pvc etc) and the appearance of color, brightness and greater Speed of combustion with more quantity magnalium or magnesium. In conclusion with that formula wrong to work well you can stay like this: Kclo4 67 Carbonate cu 14 Lactose 5,6 Red gum 5,6 Parlon 10 Magnalium? 3 to 4 in to get a little more shine and speed. dextrin? 4 in case of agglutination with water-alcohol. I hope I can help you. Joseph Traductor de Google para empresas:Google Translator ToolkitTraductor de sitios webGlobal Market Finder Edited January 30, 2017 by JOPETES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lloyd Posted January 30, 2017 Share Posted January 30, 2017 Joseph!That was a very good short treatise! Although I have several 'acceptable' blue formulae from the business, I shall preserve your comments as guide-lines for designing new ones. Thank you! Lloyd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JOPETES Posted January 30, 2017 Share Posted January 30, 2017 Joseph!That was a very good short treatise! Although I have several 'acceptable' blue formulae from the business, I shall preserve your comments as guide-lines for designing new ones. Thank you! LloydOk Lloyd. It is very important to find the most appropriate relationship between oxidant-fuel, oxidant-parlon,pvc,etc and oxidant-color (carbonates, oxides, oxalates, etc.) to find the greatest possible balance in a star formula and relation to the following parameters: Purity of color, brightness intensity, duration of combustion, ease of ignition and chemical stability. A continuation have "experiment" in the workshop or laboratory to find the suitable spot for each color of the star and finally do a test of the star with a stargun to see in the sky and the effect on the satisfactory . This is not an exact science like you already know well, mathematics are very good but then comes the practical side. José Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drtoivowillmann Posted May 5, 2017 Share Posted May 5, 2017 Tom, there's no FUEL in there! I'm surprised it burned at all. LloydWhat nonsense! Lactose and Red Gum are clearly fuels. Yours truly: Toivo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lloyd Posted May 5, 2017 Share Posted May 5, 2017 (edited) Toivo,When an American English speaker says something the way I did there, it's usually obvious to other American English speakers that he means "not enough"... it's "hyperbole". It's not intended to be accurate, but to emphasize a situation. The Parlon also has fuel value. My point was (and I forget that we have non-native English speakers here, too), that it would have been a remarkably UN-energetic composition. I, too, have had 'some involvement' with professional pyro chemistry. I watch what YOU have posted, and I have great respect for your knowledge, and your willingness to share it. Lloyd Edited May 5, 2017 by lloyd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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