Cuprous Oxide

[optimus]

Cuprous Oxide, or 'oxidised Copper shot'

 

-20mesh/+200mesh particles with a central core of pure Copper surrounded by Cuprous Oxide.

 

I've heard one mention of it being used in place of Copper powder in one of Erik Maceskie's blue strobe formulas and that's it. Seems like quite an interesting substance, and surely wouldn't have to be treated to use with AP?

 

Anyone heard of/used it?

[optimus]

Interesting...

 

Well I've acquired a small sample so will do a few tests and report back.

[Mumbles]

I haven't really been able to find too much information on it. It definitely sounds interesting. It could be a way to use things like ammonium perchlorate strobes, as the raw copper would normally be attacked, and CuSO4 is pretty much completely unsuitable for pyro. I don't see why it wouldn't work in colored stars or even a slightly blue/green tail. The second would be really cool, but the first one may not justify the cost.

[optimus]

I haven't really been able to find too much information on it. It definitely sounds interesting. It could be a way to use things like ammonium perchlorate strobes, as the raw copper would normally be attacked, and CuSO4 is pretty much completely unsuitable for pyro. I don't see why it wouldn't work in colored stars or even a slightly blue/green tail. The second would be really cool, but the first one may not justify the cost.

 

Well my first tests will be with some blue/purple strobes, - quite looking forward to seeing how it burns.

 

The sample I have ranges from +30mesh to -200 (spherical), so there's the option to tune formula via particle size.

[Mumbles]

Do you happen to know what this stuff is used for outside of pyro?

[50AE]

Interesting, I'd like to hear more about it, because I have a kg of this stuff,

I can get it for very cheap,

It has some Cu(OH)2 on it as well

[Mumbles]

This is not about real cuprous oxide 50AE. The product he's specifically talking about is a partially oxidized copper pellet. The powdered straight copper (I) oxide really isn't anything special on it's own. It does the same stuff that Copper (II) oxide does colorant-wise. Someone told me they made a nice purple with Cu2O, but that isn't exactly a feat. It'd be interested to see as a whistle catalyst. Some people like CuO as a catalyst.

[optimus]

Do you happen to know what this stuff is used for outside of pyro?

 

Possibly antifouling, algicidal or fungicidal paint applications but I'm really not sure. It's hard to find details about it as it doesn't seem to be listed on manufacturers' websites and has a few different names.

[optimus]

Well, initial tests were very promising indeed. Trying out Eric's blue strobe falling leaves formula with PVC/MEK. I've made these blue strobes with a few different Copper powders but they never really worked very well. Swapped the Copper powder for this stuff and they have vastly improved.

 

I managed to destroy the stars by over-wetting whilst trying to prime so I will have to start again but during static tests they were amazing. Explosive, deep blue/violet flashes. Much louder than other strobes I've seen too. Couldn't see any kind of AP/Cu reaction after a few days either.

[pyrojig]

I too have found a interest in using Cuperous oxide as a blue colorant . I have tested a batch of Swisher Blue comp #1 with the Cuperous Oxide as the copper salt. I will put a video on as soon as it stops giving an error loading . I must say that I am most pleased and even surprised at the quality of the blue produced by this salt . It is a very rich blue and the burn speed is not bad at all. The unprimed stars even lit fine out of a star gun!

[ivars21]

What's the ratios for Swisher blue?

[pyrojig]

http://i918.photobucket.com/albums/ad24/pyrojig/photobucket-11733-1397329473718.jpg

 

Here is the star in action:

http://s918.photobucket.com/user/pyrojig/media/photobucket-9634-1397289890704.mp4.html

 

* The star comp was developed by Shimizu " Blue star ll "

Comp:

K Perch: 66.5

Red Gum 9.9

Cupric oxide 13.4 (I subbed in the Cuprous oxide)

Parlon 5.4 ( Saran was subbed 1-1 for parlon)

Dextrin 5%

 

Water bound and pressed with a 3/8 pump for testing . The star was shot out of a star gun UNPRIMED and took fire easily.

[FlaMtnBkr]

So I guess that would be red copper oxide. Has anyone done direct comparisons to the black? It has less copper per weight but that doesn't always mean the color won't be as good.

 

More importantly, does anyone know the formula for 'Eric's blue strobe'?

[hindsight]

PJ, Thanks for posting your modification of the blue star recipe and the delightful bit of artistry on the paper towel. But I only see pix of your bucket on Photobucket, no shooting stars

[pyrojig]

I am not sure about black v.s red, but I would assume that being it is most used in literature ( black) it may have more desirable qualities than the red.Although it may be a cost thing as well. I ventured on this adventure with confirmation from a very experienced pyro , this would work. He said it is claimed to make very nice blues , and seeing the results, I believe it. !!

@ Hindsight:\

The link works as far as I can see. Try coping it and pasting it directly in your browser bar.

[FlaMtnBkr]

It worked for me.

[hindsight]

Sorry, Just realized the Photobucket video player is incompatible/inaccessible from my country without a workaround.

[FlaMtnBkr]

They don't have the necessary software there? Get with the times man! Actually 'the times' suck. I'm in my early 30s and have been reminiscing about the 'good ol days' for over ten years. I thought that was for old men to do but I'm quickly becoming a young curmudgeon extraordinaire. Society is slowly circling the drain. The problem is, the closer to the drain you get, the faster you spin.

 

Is it because there are restrictions on what can be viewed? I know many wifi networks won't let me view a lot of websites because they don't like the content and want to keep me safe from information. As you said there are usually work arounds.

 

America, home of the regulated and the apathetic.

 

There is a little fishing village on the coast that has been said to be 20 years behind. There aren't even Police except the occasional highway patrol that ventures in from the highway. It is an amazing place and I go as much as possible.

 

Not sure where that came from. It's not even a tangent, just ranting I suppose. I digress.

[hindsight]

Cherish your freedoms. There are sites that not directly accessible at all from here. It's not for lack of technology, it's because of censorship, much of which I'm okay with. But I have dealt with restrictions my whole life, which is many decades longer than yours. There is the commonplace electronic technology in the buildings where I work that reads exactly where I am at all times, etc. Hard to imagine these sorts of human tracking records just ten years ago.
End of out of place rant.

[MrB]

It's not for lack of technology, it's because of censorship, much of which I'm okay with.

And here in Sweden we have to go out of our way to find ISP's that aren't sensoring... And some of us do. As i see it, censoring doesn't solve a problem, just sweeps it under the rug. Don't censor it, and go after the reason why you want to censor the stuff instead. I'm just guessing here, but we might suffer from different kinds of censoring, lets not go in to details, but whats censored in Sweden is illegal pretty much evreywhere in the world, and resources would be much better spent actually gettig such stuff of the net, or at least preventing new victims from going there, rather then just censor it by blocking the sites. The unknowing thinks thats a good thing, and that it's "take care of" the issue, and stopped the abuse. Those that want to go on just bypasses the censoring, and play around with "their own kind" and the abuse goes on...

 

It doesn't help that sites like this one is next in line for censoring in Sweden. "Illegal & terrorist activity"

B!