6 replies to this topic

[NightHawkInLight]

Here's an orange composition I've been testing for a while:

Ammonium perchlorate - 5
Charcoal - 3
Table salt - 1

I bind it with liquid starch during the cutting process, though I'm sure Dextrin, SGRS, or just about any other binder would do fine. Obviously the table salt is the coloring agent. These stars are quite long burning, though rather bright and beautiful.
Here's a video, though it is quite poor: (Please watch in HQ)


As you can see they need a prime, which I have not found yet. Since I do not have KClO4 I'm out of luck with the traditional AP primes. If anyone knows of one that has AP as the oxidizer I'd be glad to know it. Also if anyone would like to replace the AP in this composition with KClO4 and give it a test I'd be interested to see it.

Truly they are great looking stars, it's to bad all I have for video of them is that small and inferior shell. I'll try to get more video of them soon, though I'll have to make more. Hopefully I'll have a prime by then.

Edited by NightHawkInLight, 22 October 2008 - 06:37 PM.

[The-T]

Very nice looking stars there, If I can get my hands on some AP I may try out this comp.

[NightHawkInLight]

Very nice looking stars there, If I can get my hands on some AP I may try out this comp.

Thank you. I'll bet that it will be a very similar star with KClO4. More smoke of course, which probably means the stars will look larger, though maybe a tad dimmer. KClO3 has also usually yielded similar results for me with colors compared to AP, though then you have all the issues related to using chlorate stars to deal with.

[FrankRizzo]

The ammonium perchlorate and sodium chloride will react to form sodium perchlorate and ammonium chloride when binding. Both these products (much more so the sodium perchlorate) are hygroscopic. This means you will probably have difficulty finding a prime that is able to ignite them reliably.

[NightHawkInLight]

The ammonium perchlorate and sodium chloride will react to form sodium perchlorate and ammonium chloride when binding. Both these products (much more so the sodium perchlorate) are hygroscopic. This means you will probably have difficulty finding a prime that is able to ignite them reliably.

It would seem that I have much more to learn. This is the second composition in a week that have had incompatibility problems that I hadn't realized. Thank you Frank.
I think I will continue working with this composition a little more when I get the time regardless of the possible hygroscopic outcome. I have not witnessed it so far. The stars from this last batch did not seem to have trouble drying so perhaps the AP/NaCl reaction is slow moving enough to be practical. I'll have to make a batch and leave it out in the open for a couple weeks and see what comes of it.

Edited by NightHawkInLight, 22 October 2008 - 08:47 PM.

[h0lx]

Why waste expensive AP, when you can add Soda or salt to BP?

[elstevo]

Yeah i saw this thread a month or so ago, seemed like a waste of perfectly delicious Ap (Wish i had some )

Even if you don't have Perc don't waste AP that stuff is like gold for me.

Edited by elstevo, 03 December 2008 - 11:01 PM.