KNO3 Magnalium Slow Boost

[DaMounty]

Can magnalium and KNO3 be used for slow boost?

 

I was thinking

 

Slow Flash

50 KNO3

30 Magnalium

20 Sulfur

The reason I am looking for a slow boost is when firing 35mm film cans, I just seem to be blowing the lids off. Tried sealing with hot glue and kazy glue for the lid. I have not attempted to spike one.

Thanks,

...DaM

[braddsn]

For slow boost, use this: 35 KNO3, 35 KCLO4, 30 Dark Aluminum (10890 or 5413H). I believe it will be much more desirable than the formula you posted with MgAl. I use 1g per inch up to 4". Then for a 5" shell I use 6g, and for a 6" shell I use 10g. ymmv

[insutama]

I'm guessing he doesn't have kclo4

[DaMounty]

insutama is right. At the moment I only have access to KNO3 and my homemade magnalium.

[DaMounty]

Ok so i tired a few different ratio's today, and saw no real appreciable gain in performance.

 

any thoughts? suggestions

 

DaM

[insutama]

well with them chemicals you have it seems like making flash powder is your only option as far as booster and thats defiantly not a slow boost so if i were you first i would try to spike your film container real good and use some hot black powder thats been milled and granulated with alcohol and that should be more than enough to make a nice break on that container. I have been playing around learning how to spike small canister shells and black powder works just fine in them for me so i think you just need to confine that black powder real good in your container by spiking it.

 

If you insist on using flash then i would recommend getting some magnesium, either buying it online or getting it from a fire striker or a pencil sharpener this is a good video on making super fine flake magnesium https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeMeRhgKFsk. Thats the best flash i found with KNO3 the key is you want fresh flake magnesium with time it will oxidize and become less reactive so your not gonna want to store it for over a month or so.

You could also try the "slow flash" Blackhead aluminum, KNO3, and Sulphur i found this not quite as effective as the magnesium flash but if i were you i would stick with black powder for container that size black powder will be more than effective the flash takes away from the stars or whatever you have inside your shell i find because of how bright the flash powder is.

Edited June 22, 2015 by insutama

[insutama]

also have you just trying 50:50 KNO3:magnalium

[braddsn]

DaMounty, like I suggested, you will need to use the formula I posted. Another option would be 50 KNO3, 25 Sulfur, 25 Dark Aluminum. If you are trying to achieve the performance of flash without dark aluminum, you are not going to get far.

Dark Aluminum is the foundation for flash powder.

[DaMounty]

Thanks for the advice.

 

I am thinking that I should not concentrate so much on perfecting my breaks on film canisters. Just use them to test fire stars, and begin working on making some 2" paper shells.

 

This is where I wish we had pyro clubs in Canada.

 

Thanks again,

 

DaM

[insutama]

DaMounty, like I suggested, you will need to use the formula I posted. Another option would be 50 KNO3, 25 Sulfur, 25 Dark Aluminum. If you are trying to achieve the performance of flash without dark aluminum, you are not going to get far.

Dark Aluminum is the foundation for flash powder.

Unless you use magnesium i found that to perform better than with dark aluminum specially when using kno3 as a oxidizer

[OblivionFall]

Unless you use magnesium i found that to perform better than with dark aluminum specially when using kno3 as a oxidizer

Yeah, insutama has a point. I've been using KNO3:Dark Al Eckart 5143:S for a while and 1g of it takes a little under a second to burn. I've seen people use 1g KNO3:Mg and it doesn't make a thump that Perchlorate and German Dark did but it sure burnt fast. Made a poof.

[schroedinger]

You can use your magnallium forvmaking a good slow flash, but you need it to be quite fine. With kno3 magnalium <= 20 microns does work.

An other point oblivion didn't watch out for is that kno3 flash needs confinement to work, in the open it isn't very strong.

[OblivionFall]

You can use your magnallium forvmaking a good slow flash, but you need it to be quite fine. With kno3 magnalium <= 20 microns does work.

An other point oblivion didn't watch out for is that kno3 flash needs confinement to work, in the open it isn't very strong.

Oh yes I know how much confinement KNO3 Flash requires. We're just trying to help each other get fast enough flash so that it has the time to increase its burn rate before it explodes so that the break/salutes we make work.

[OblivionFall]

I just went and tested KNO3/Al/S in 5/3/2 and 6/3/1 and here are the results:

 

5/3/2 1g:

-1g of the composition burned up in less than half a second - fairly slow for flash, but gets the job done.

 

6/3/1 1g:

-1g of the composition burned up in about one second - very slow for flash, but if contained properly works better than 5/3/2

 

Keep in mind that 5/3/2 is probably a little bit more sensitive to friction and shock because of the added sulfur. I would use 5/3/2 in Salutes and Breaks, but keep in mind that you will need end caps filled with a mixture of glue (wood glue or PVA) and sawdust for it to work well. Never fill the caps with glue as those can turn into projectiles. Better aluminum could be used (indian dark, german dark) than the <2 Eckart 5143 that I had to give a faster burning composition.

6/3/1 Could definitely be used if sensitivity is a big concern.

 

From what I have seen on Youtube, KNO3:Mg and KNO3:MgAl burn much faster, giving an actual "poof." MgAl should be used for a less sensitive composition and no sulfur should need to be added considering the burn rate of Mg and MgAl flash.

 

 

EDIT: According to another APC member that has contacted me through Reddit, as long as the end plugs and overall build of your salute is strong enough, 6/3/1 works better than 5/3/2

Edited June 28, 2015 by OblivionFall

[Nickmaslo]

I use the 5\3\2 mixture for flash comp. I have used Star Molecule Dark Jagged 3 micron Aluminum as well as Eckhart German Blackhead 5413H Super. I do have HCS'S India Blackhead but haven't tested it in the comp yet. The Star Molecule and 5413H Super I confined in a 1" 3/8ths diameter X 2" long tube with about a 1/8" wall thickness, capped with plastic plugs, taped and pleated with 2 turns with masking tape. I then VERY carefully HAND PRESSED down with MINIMUM force just enough to solidify about (WOODEN DOWEL) .25oz of 5/3/2 and it created the loudest, most powerful salute with report I have ever heard/seen/felt in years. The thump in my chest was frightening and I was about 30 feet away.

 

So if your considering using "SLOW FLASH" as a booster - please be EXTREMELY CAREFUL.

 

Since it is a nitrate based I do add about 2% by weight Boric Acid in to stabilize the shelf life a bit.

 

If your using a chlorate comp NEVER add boric acid to the comp. Instead I would add a dash of sodium bicarbonate to PREVENT any acidity in the comp while storing.

Edited July 13, 2015 by Nickmaslo