Quality of kno3

[Tanner808]

I've been using green light stump remover as kno3 as of the fact that that is mostly what it is but it is to moist and in a big clump and I think it is what is making my bp clump before it is done

I've tried drying it in the sun but it doesn't seem to help cause its so humid here and always raining

I am wanting to get some better kno3 and some other chemicals but I can't find any sites that ship oxidizers to Hawaii which is where I am

Anyone

[allrocketspsl]

I've been using green light stump remover as kno3 as of the fact that that is mostly what it is but it is to moist and in a big clump and I think it is what is making my bp clump before it is done

I've tried drying it in the sun but it doesn't seem to help cause its so humid here and always raining

I am wanting to get some better kno3 and some other chemicals but I can't find any sites that ship oxidizers to Hawaii which is where I am

Anyone

 

oven at 170 degrees one hour stirr often.Try chems at different places!You have web sites or need some let me know I will keep an eye out for you on who ships what,All

[mxman123]

I use fertilizer grade. With all the cannabis gardens in Hawaii , it should be easy to find at an ag. supply store. If not, they will usually order it for you in 25 or 50lb bags. Edited February 19, 2012 by mxman123

[Potassiumchlorate]

Krista K+ is the best KNO₃ you can get here in Europe, if you don't mind milling it separately before making BP of it. Although specifically made for being a fertilizer it's 99.8% pure. In many countries in Europe you must prove that you are a farmer or have a greenhouse to buy it, though that might be different in the US (if you have Krista over there). Edited February 18, 2012 by Potassiumchlorate

[Arthur]

My favourite dryer is a cheap hostess tray! It's intended to sit on the table keeping pots or dishes warm for a meal, mine sits on a table keeping things warm for a mill! Remember that ingredientas are supposed to be weighed dry and a mill with damp ingredients inside has the wrong mix and doesn't mill well either.

[allrocketspsl]

My favourite dryer is a cheap hostess tray! It's intended to sit on the table keeping pots or dishes warm for a meal, mine sits on a table keeping things warm for a mill! Remember that ingredientas are supposed to be weighed dry and a mill with damp ingredients inside has the wrong mix and doesn't mill well either.

 

great point if your weighing wet much heavier I never thought of the obvious that way thanks

[Tanner808]

great point if your weighing wet much heavier I never thought of the obvious that way thanks

 

Second that

That could be a huge problem and that probably is why the bp isn't seeming done, it's cause it's the wrong ratio.

[MikeB]

Potassium Nitrate is not very hygroscopic and will not absorb enough moisture to significantly affect the performance of a finished batch of BP.

The charcoal is much more likely to take on more water than the KNO3. The major problem I can see is the moisture causing clumping during milling.

Edited February 19, 2012 by MikeB

[FREAKYDUTCHMEN]

Yes the humidity 80-90% I guess, is most likely causing your clumping problems. Try to store your charcoal and kno3 in a dry place, perhaps a place where an air conditioning system is running.

[Col]

Krista K+ is the best KNO₃ you can get here in Europe, if you don't mind milling it separately before making BP of it. Although specifically made for being a fertilizer it's 99.8% pure. In many countries in Europe you must prove that you are a farmer or have a greenhouse to buy it, though that might be different in the US (if you have Krista over there).

 

Krista K+ is 98.9%, Champion brand potassium nitrate sold in the US is slighty better at 99.2%

[dagabu]

Krista K+ is 98.9%, Champion brand potassium nitrate sold in the US is slighty better at 99.2%

 

In the USA, Yara Krista-K Plus has 99.3 minimum purity. I was told that Champion has been out of business for some time.

 

LINK

 

-dag

Edited February 21, 2012 by dagabu

[Potassiumchlorate]

You Yanks always want to be the worst.

[Col]

Looks like the us version is a little more potent than the EU version

[dagabu]

I dont know... Looks like the prilled version is less pure.

 

-dag

[Mumbles]

A while back SQM bought out whoever was making Champion. SQM used to be the national chilean state owned company to regulate and distribute it's nitrate. I believe it's gone private at some point. SQM appears to still make nitrate of the same 99.2 or 99.3% purity that champion allegedly was. My champion prills definitely had a little tan insoluble portion to it. I however don't know if that was in the prills, or just dust/dirt that got in there during storage/shipping.

 

http://www.sqm.com/aspx/Chemicals/QPotasiumNitratePortfolio.aspx

[dagabu]

Even more interesting is the fact that YARA had a partial ownership in SQM up to 2008.

 

"Yara International ASA recently announced that it has soldits indirect holding in Chilean company SQM, with a profit before tax ofapproximately $80m and a strategy to focus on the company's key growth areas.

 

Since 2001, Yara has held an indirect equity shareof the Chilean mining company, Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile S.A. (SQM),through the Chilean intermediate holding companies Pampa Calichera, Oro Blanco,Norte Grande and SQYA, currently equal to approximately 8% on a fully dilutedbasis.

 

Yara has decided to sell its ownership in SQM toentities controlled by its partner, Sr. Julio Ponce. SQM's successfuldevelopment of its iodine and lithium businesses has increasingly exposed Yarato businesses other than that of fertiliser, with the shares sold to re-deployfunds to Yara's focused growth areas.

 

The company has also had a global marketingagreement in place since 2001, for specialty fertilisers produced by SQM, whichhas been very successful for both parties. The sale of the shares will have noimpact on the marketing agreement, which both parties continue to see asmutually beneficial."

 

1 May 2008 | By Rob Cockerill, REXARC

 

 

Edited February 21, 2012 by dagabu

[Potassiumchlorate]

Historically Chile has produced sodium nitrate, which was then reacted with potassium salts to potassium nitrate. In my language "Chile salpetre" is even a special word for sodium nitrate.

 

If I remember correctly, Nitroparis in Spain buys its nitrates from Cuba, though.

[WSM]

I've been using green light stump remover as kno3 as of the fact that that is mostly what it is but it is to moist and in a big clump and I think it is what is making my bp clump before it is done

I've tried drying it in the sun but it doesn't seem to help cause its so humid here and always raining

I am wanting to get some better kno3 and some other chemicals but I can't find any sites that ship oxidizers to Hawaii which is where I am

Anyone

 

Aloha! Which island?

 

I live in CA and have the same problem since moving nearer to the ocean. Laying the salt in a 1/2" layer on a baking sheet and leaving it in an oven set on "warm" (about 150^o or 175^o F) for 1/2 hr to 2 hr before milling helps dry it out enough to keep it free-flowing while being milled. Otherwise, it can turn into a rock-hard ball in the mill, binding your milling media in with it.

 

I recommend milling the salt separately before mixing. If it clumps up (in storage) after milling it can usually be grated on a screen back to a fine powder before mixing with the other ingredients.

 

Let us know how things turn out.

 

WSM

[Tanner808]

My friend gave me the idea to try buying my kno3 from Kmart as of the fact that they store thier kno3 indoors which is airconditioned other than Walmart where they store it outdoors. And I have boughten it from both before and Now that I think about it the kno3 from Kmart was allot more free flowing compared to Walmart which the whole bottle was 1 big clump.

I'm gonna buy some today and mill bp this week with hopefully no clumping:)

 

And has anyone used firechemicals airfloat charcoal for making bp because I'm getting over making my own.

[Mumbles]

If they do not specify a species of wood, chances are that it is just generic hardwood airfloat charcoal. This stuff is about as poor quality as you can get for making BP.

[Timm]

Like you were sayin Mumbles, I too have that Kno3 with the light tan cast to it.. I noticed i could screen out the majority of it, which is what i do for most applications.. I use a dryer lint screen and a few pieces of butcher paper, works great I always wondered what it was, and hoped it wasnt too basic (or the inverse, figure i would have known by now if it were..) but you mentioned it was insoulble, which is good cause now i know i can get it all the way outta there if i need to.

 

Oh yeah, i order it from Seattle pottery supply, excellent sleeper source for some great pyro supplies! And at pottery shop prices, makes me so happy to buy cheap pyro chems from businesses out of the industry