Black firework composition?

[Hypnos]

In several demonstrations done by the pyrotechnic artist Cai Guo-Qiang, fireworks that detonate with a black color are used. Does anyone know the mixture/ ingredient to get such a color? I have heard someone say that chalk can be used, but I do not know how true that is.

 

 

[Arthur]

Daylight fireworks are apparently filled with coloured powders that get seen by sunlight, so not the usual fuel/oxidiser/colourant mix expected of a light emitting firework. I'd expect these shells to be filled with dyes with very little BP break and maybe some filler like chalk. The black could be charcoal powder, a black rock dust or maybe one of the black dyes.

 

The down side of daylight fireworks is the quantity of mess that they make nothing really burns up, so all the dyes land on the ground, and hopefully the dyes are not too permanent nor toxic.

[Hypnos]

I doubt that they are using black chalk to make a black cloud result from the firework's detonation, but I suppose that it is possible. It is possible, from what I have heard from some other people that I have spoken with, that the mixture involves anthrocene or naphthalene. Does anyone that you know of have direct experience with these?

[Voryon]

I tried Shimizu Black Smoke #1:

KClO4 56

Anthracene 33

Sulfur 11

 

It works in a static smoke generator, but it is really slow burning, so it may not be that useful for smoke stars, See Video attached.

[Arthur]

Smokes usually last for several seconds burn time, the daylight shells have usually vanished by that time.