Glitter composition for rocket delay

[dangerousamateur]

Stupid question, but the variety of glitter compositions is pretty big.

 

Perhaps you can suggest me some you would use for a rockets rising tail.

I prefer silver or bright sparks over reddish ones. And I dont have Ti at the moment (i dont think it's safe to ram anyway).

[Algenco]

I would think "Fire fly" aluminum would work

 

Adding Ti above the spindle works

[Arthur]

I like D1 glitter, it uses simple chems and works well, expect everyone to have a different favourite though!

[dagabu]

I have been using up to 30% of the atomized aluminum that Cracker was selling for $1.00 a pound mixed with my fuel for delay, works well.

 

-dag

[Algenco]

I have been using up to 30% of the atomized aluminum that Cracker was selling for $1.00 a pound mixed with my fuel for delay, works well.

 

-dag

 

 

good to know, I have a big box of that

[dan999ification]

Stupid question, but the variety of glitter compositions is pretty big.

 

Perhaps you can suggest me some you would use for a rockets rising tail.

I prefer silver or bright sparks over reddish ones. And I dont have Ti at the moment (i dont think it's safe to ram anyway).

 

 

because i make small rockets i add comets to the top of the header lit with qm by the main fuse, ralphs glitter is my fav glitter but i think it is a bit drossy to use as delay on small rockets, not sure.

it can vary in looks depending on how you prepare it, ive made a couple 3/4 endburners with 20%mixed mesh mg/al for the last few increments looks a bit like glitter with fizzles/crackles too but can look orange with no delay/on/off.

 

dan.

[dan999ification]

I have been using up to 30% of the atomized aluminum that Cracker was selling for $1.00 a pound mixed with my fuel for delay, works well.

 

-dag

 

what mesh size dag. i stop at 20% with metals for all comps, it would be nice to make a couple endburners with the tails like your bottle rockets. and will it slow it down considerably using 30%?

 

dan.

[dagabu]

what mesh size dag. i stop at 20% with metals for all comps, it would be nice to make a couple endburners with the tails like your bottle rockets. and will it slow it down considerably using 30%?

 

dan.

 

-350 mesh and no, the comp actually speeds up slightly due to the heat that the aluminum creates in high quantity. Start at 10% and go from there.

 

-dag

Edited November 17, 2011 by dagabu

[Algenco]

-325 mesh and no, the comp actually speeds up slightly due to the heat that the aluminum creates in high quantity. Start at 10% and go from there.

 

-dag

 

 

hmm, mine was labeled -350 mesh

[dagabu]

hmm, mine was labeled -350 mesh

 

What? it says -350 mesh...

 

-dag

[dangerousamateur]

For D1 and Ralphs Glitter 1 - What kind of charcoal should I use?

 

I've got grape and pine.

[dagabu]

For D1 and Ralphs Glitter 1 - What kind of charcoal should I use?

 

I've got grape and pine.

 

My PG-1 didn't turn out as well as Ralph's, shoot him a PM and see what he recommends or search the site for his comp. I am sure he specifies the charcoal to use.

 

-dag

[Seymour]

While I have used star type glitters as rocket delay, namely D1, and while I had success I believe it's more optimal too use glitter mixes designed for fountains at the least.

 

I've liked Winokur Silver Glitter Gerbe Mix C

 

55% Potassium nitrate

10% Charcoal

10% Sulphur

10% medium atomised Al

5% Barium nitrate

5% Barium carbonate

5% Red Iron oxide

 

I have modified it further to utilise corning dust for a faster and cleaner burn, but I'm confident that mill dust will make a lovely glitter if used in it's place.

 

72% Corning Dust

10% Aluminium

5% Barium nitrate

5% Barium carbonate

5% Red Iron Oxide

3% Sulfur

 

This is assuming that you're after a true glitter.

 

And I dont have Ti at the moment (i dont think it's safe to ram anyway).

 

Titanium can make fantastic silver sparks, but they burn without the typical glitter effect. (though in some mixes very interesting spark effects can be made, arguably displaying some of glitters traits.

 

While no composition is entirely safe to ram, so long as the Ti content is not too high I feel quite comfortable ramming with Potassium nitrate mixes based on it. A figure of 8% was stated as a limit by Shimizu or Lancaster (books not with me), so if you stick to 5% you should be able to smack away with a fairly comfortable mind.

 

 

In my esperience many charcoals work, but common sense can let you tweak it. With Alder corning dust it was very fast burning. Made with Powhutukawa Charcoal (a local tree with very dense wood) the effect was slower burning, but still very pretty.

 

Same applies to glitter stars. You can use both particle size of the chemicals and the charcoal type to get the effect you want.

Edited November 20, 2011 by Seymour

[dangerousamateur]

This is assuming that you're after a true glitter.

Yes I am.

 

designed for fountains

I would expect such stuff to glitter pretty fast, is that right? If it was slow, it would touchdown before it actually glitters.

I prefer rather slow glitters.

 

Is nozzle clogging a problem with coreburners? When i tried fountains (with very tight nozzles) with aluminium, the metal stayed inside the tube - almost no sparks visible. After some time they catoed.

[Mumbles]

The slower the glitter, typically the more slag there is. This would potentially pose a problem in a rocket, possibly leading to the comp snuffing itself out or clogging the nozzle or something. In a star it can be blown off with ease by moving through the air. In a rocket, this is not available. I'm a little surprised that D1 actually works. I find it relatively slaggy even in stars. I agree with seymour that you probably want something designed for gerbs as a delay. Most glitters were originally made with meal or granular BP. These will throw the slag off. You might be able to get away with something like D1 or slower by substituting in part or all of the Nitrate/C/S content with meal or BP to hopefully break up the slag and throw it out of the rocket.

 

As Seymour also alluded to, titanium can give a similar effect. I'd say it's probably more similar to a firefly than a glitter though. The Ti gets ejected and lights up at random intervals of falling through the air. This effect is quite elegant and nice IMO. Probably one of the simplest ways to do this is to add Ti to a charcoal streamer. One prominent rocket maker is fond of Chrysanthemum of Mystery made with willow charcoal with a few parts atomized Ti in it. Somewhere around 3-5% I believe. There is a balancing act between getting the fuel hot enough to light the Ti, and getting it too hot that it burns up too close to the rocket.