FlaMtnBkr Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 My jar of NC lacquer I made with Bullseye smokeless powder is getting low so I decided to make a couple quarts using some different surplus single base smokeless. I made one quart at 10% w/w (a quart of acetone is 946 ml and ~750g and I added 75g smokeless which is a little less than 10% w/w) and one at 20%. The 10% is a thick honey consistency which is how I have heard 25% pyro NCL described. The 20% isn't really a liquid, at least not yet. I made 10% and let it dissolve and then added the second half of the NC and it is now more like a fruit cake consistency. All the NC is moist but it seems like there isn't enough acetone to actually dissolve the rest. I don't know if with a couple weeks time if it might eventually equalize and the acetone distribute enough to dissolve everything but it hasn't changed much the last couple days. If I stick something in the stir it, it is like sticking into a solid, not a liquid. So I guess my question is why does this seem to be making such a thick mixture? Is it because the NC is of a higher 'nitration' or because of the stabilizers that is added to smokeless powder? I know many people use smokeless and it is even used in professional pyro manufacture according to Lloyd S (I think he said they use green dot double base smokeless and have used bullseye in the past?). I originally made my Bullseye NCL at 15% but I have added a little bit of acetone so I don't know the actual NC%, but it is quite a bit more fluid than the 10% I made. And as mentioned before the 10% sounds more like the description of 25% but I have never bought the real thing due to cost. A pound of smokeless costs less than a quart and will make a lot more NCL. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with the 20% right now since I made it in the metal quart can the acetone came in. There was enough room for everything, but it's now full and not really any room to add acetone. Just curious to hear why it seems to be thicker and what others do when they make NCL. Thanks, and sorry this got so long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dan999ification Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 loyd also describes that it can be made in half an hour, its likely there is not enough acetone,to make mine i cut up two ping pong balls add 50ml acetone to a jar with them shake for twenty minutes or leave overnight and it is ready, simple as that i like it thick since i only realy use it for de's and thin it out as needed for other applications. dan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Potassiumchlorate Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 Higher nitrations shouldn't be a problem. It probably has more to do with additives in the smokeless powder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zingy Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 The solubility would likely increase by warming the acetone container in warm water, below 130 degrees F,. not over a flame, and in a well vented area. Acetone has a boiling pt of 133 degrees F. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
demetroy Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 The solubility would likely increase by warming the acetone container in warm water, below 130 degrees F,. not over a flame, and in a well vented area. Acetone has a boiling pt of 133 degrees F.i know this is a old post but i wouldn't recommend this at all u will have to google for a conversion of temp im in aus but i make whiskey and acetone is a by product of alcohol and comes out first around 55 c ur flirting with a fine line of high gas flammability and could be devastating when playing with other flammables in the mix as well and if ur near other chems when i say near i mean withing 5m maybe even more never tryed running my still without my condenser running and i never run that bad boy inside for safety reasons and the small odor of this impurity and others not so pleasant but id say approx 30c to 40c no more than 40 and u will still get alot of fumes at 40c so outside if it ignights outside the wind and the open will all ways be dispersing the gases and not just collect in pockets inside please be careful using this practice it is dangerous Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlaMtnBkr Posted February 24, 2012 Author Share Posted February 24, 2012 I got it figured out but thanks for the reply. I do have a question. How does your whiskey that you distilled get acetone in it? Does the yeast somehow make it? I have heard the first flow when distilling ethanol can be methanol and is discarded. This doesn't make much sense to me because that would mean any beer or wine made with yeast would have a small percentage of methanol. I'm thinking its an old wives tale to try and scare people to not distill alcohol. Just curious Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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