Parlon Issues

[MeowMix]

I rolled a pound of Buell Red stars and whenever I burn one it leaves a white-ish, almost blob of ash.

This only happens with my colour star comps that use parlon. Anyone know why this is? I got my parlon from pyrochemsource. I hate the ash that it leaves as it rains down after the stars burn in a shell. Could I replace the parlon with another chlorine donor like PVC or some other?

[Seymour]

I have not used the same supplier as you, but I suspect particle size might be an issue? Not necessarily the Parlon, but maybe the MgAl.

 

I do like the Buell Red formula, but the large carbonate content leads me to believe that this star composition may be less lenient when it comes to small factors resulting in problems, such as not being clean burning.

 

What other formulas have you had this problem with? What coloured stars have you used that don't use Parlon? Personally Parlon is the only chlorine donor I've used, other than Ammonium perchlorate and the chlorine liberated from KClO4 using Sulfur, so I cannot comment on using PVC or Saran or Chloroway or any others.

 

How well did you mix this composition, and what grade of MgAl did you use?

[MeowMix]

I doubt mg/al is the issue as I've made a red comp without parlon and it does not leave the ash. My mg/al is 200 mesh. I've had the issue with every comp that uses parlon and none other. All of them include carbonate, so that may be the issue but like I said - I've used carbonate in stars that do not use parlon and it does not leave the ash.

[ExplosiveCoek]

I screen out any parlon that doesn't go through 120# screen. This prevents the biggest parts of fallout/unburned pieces. Nevertheless, you'll always have this small 'ash-skelet' after burning these kind of stars. They crumble easily though, and will disappear overtime in the environment.

[MeowMix]

Could I just grind down the Parlon in a coffee grinder or ballmill for a while? Because I do notice large pieces that will not go through even a 40 mesh screen.

[Seymour]

Screening it through a 40 mesh may not be 120 mesh, but it may help. I screen it through 40 mesh.

[ddewees]

What Seymour said... Screen out all the particles larger than 40 mesh. Save that stuff for comps bound with acetone. There shouldn't be much though...

 

I ran a sample of Tim's parlon through my sieve machine a while back, and everything passed 20 mesh. Here are the results:

 

http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/o588/SaltLakeAreaPyros/20150123_175048_zpseu8em5an.jpg

[ddewees]

I had offered to screen/classify all his materials at one point, so he could either post the results or even include them with people's orders... But he never replied. I offered this example as a template for what each item would look like... Oh well.

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ctdi3eag4mzpxzz/CHAR%20AIR%20FLOAT_Sieve-Analysis.pdf?dl=0

Edited August 14, 2016 by ddewees

[Carbon796]

Use the ball mill, the coffee grinder will probably be a waste of time.

[Mumbles]

I screen all of my parlon composition through a 60 mesh screen at least once, discarding and replacing everything that sits on the screen. Not doing so lead to an increase in slag after burning, and a noticeable incandescence tail from the star. There was sometimes as much as 10% material sitting on the screen. I believe this was with Chlororub, which is one of the common brands available. The ash cinder you're seeing is common with parlon containing compositions. In the air it doesn't seem to present a problem.

 

Parlon does not grind particularly well. You must remember it is a chlorinated rubber, and retains some of that plastic or rubbery consistency. It will help to some degree, but you still are going to have coarse material that will need to be screened out.