Green Stars without Barium

[hindsight]

Realizing this is a pretty specific request...Would anyone have a green star formula that does not include soluble barium salts? I am looking for perchlorate-based stars which can be bound with phenolic resin. There did not seem to be any in Ned's formulary matching this description. Also, if the formula contains copper powder, perhaps someone knows of a good source of the powdered metal.

Edited July 15, 2014 by hindsight

[nater]

If your concern is the toxicity of barium, look for a green that uses barium sulfate. It is not water soluable and quite safe to work with. However, I recommend wearing gloves and a respirator and using barium nitrate.

 

If you have to avoid barium all together for another reason, I am not sure what else to suggest. Zinc makes a gorgeous blue green star. Look up the cut granite star article on Skylighter for the formula.

[Jakenbake]

Boron and kno3 make a nice green but at a hefty price.

[hindsight]

Barium sulfate is okay, if there is a formula for green stars that uses it in the system described above. Since it is used as a gastrointestinal radiocontrast medium, it is understood that is safe to handle.

Edited July 16, 2014 by hindsight

[hindsight]

What percentage of boron would be required in the formula and how much per kilo is this element?

[hindsight]

Ebay has small amounts of Boron for sale, I see. You are right, Boron is too expensive.

[nater]

Barium Sulfate Green - Troy Fish

 

Barium Sulfate - 35
Potassium Perchlorate - 30

Parlon - 20

Magnalium -325 mesh - 10

Red Gum - 5

 

The Red Gum can be replaced with Phenolic Resin. Per the advice from Bill Ofca, 6% Phenolic Resin is best for binding, so when substituting the Resin for Red Gum, increase the parts to 6 and start there. That is the approach I have taken when working with it. I have NOT made this formula or any modifications to it, but that is where I would start.

Edited July 16, 2014 by nater

[hindsight]

Wonderful. Exactly what I was looking for, Nater. Will plan to make these tomorrow using the 6% phenolic resin and let you know in a couple days how they turn out. Thanks.

[Bobosan]

Realizing this is a pretty specific request...Would anyone have a green star formula that does not include soluble barium salts? I am looking for perchlorate-based stars which can be bound with phenolic resin. There did not seem to be any in Ned's formulary matching this description. Also, if the formula contains copper powder, perhaps someone knows of a good source of the powdered metal.

 

Might want to add your name to Hunter's list of people wanting copper powder if you choose this route.

[Niladmirari]

I did:

 

Barium Sulfate - 50
Potassium Perchlorate - 10
Parlon - 10
Magnalium -325 mesh - 20
S - 5

C - 5
Red Gum - 5

 

But the composition of burnt yellow ... Please tell me if you get a normal green with BaSO4.

[Mumbles]

I did:

 

Barium Sulfate - 50

Potassium Perchlorate - 10

Parlon - 10

Magnalium -325 mesh - 20

S - 5

C - 5

Red Gum - 5

 

But the composition of burnt yellow ... Please tell me if you get a normal green with BaSO4.

 

I'm sort of surprised that the formula burned at all. My experience has been that you usually need at least an equal amount of "conventional" oxidizer to get the formula going enough for these high temp oxidizers to start going as well. Additionally sulfate has about 30% lower oxygen content than the nitrate, from the original formula you started with.

 

 

Hindsight, if insoluble is all you need, there are a few good barium carbonate based stars. It's insoluble in water, but still basically just as toxic as soluble barium salts, since it will dissolve inside the body.

[hindsight]

Yes, Mumbles, the stipulation of being insoluble relates to my concern for toxicity. I understand, as you stated, Barium carbonate is insoluble at physiologic pH but in the presence of gastric HCl becomes soluble/toxic. While actual ingestion during manufacture (directly or indirectly) is unlikely, and inhaled dust is less of a concern for the carbonate, I think barium sulfate is what I will use first. There are also is the consideration that I have access to a large supply of a concentrated barium sulfate suspension (with just a small amount of sweetener and flavour added).

 

Thanks for the formula, tovarisch Niladmirari, but it does look suspiscious even to a beginner like myself, even without Mumbles' comment.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited to correct English

Edited July 17, 2014 by hindsight

[mabuse00]

How about the rainbow of rubber stars green?

 

I don't see any reason why you can not bind these stars with dextrine or phenolic resin, although i have no experience with the latter.

 

Another formula you can try is Radiant Green:

 

Radiant Green Star
--------------------------------

Potassium perchlorate 40% Barium carbonate 30% Dark pyro aluminum (400 mesh or finer) 15% (any flash or -400 or smaller flake aluminum) Parlon or saran 15%

 

 

Bear in mind that barium nitrate is much harder to subtitute than it's strontium counterpart.

[hindsight]

It appears that using the heat evaporated barium sulfate suspension may not have been such a good idea. After heating off the water, and pulverizing the BaSO4, the impurities are probably what caused the stars made from the formula in post #7 to fail. They took light okay, but were mostly orange with some crackling bits of green. Some commercial grade BaSO4 is on its way and I will make a more legitimate test of this formula. Also wonder if the MgAl was fine enough. It was an ungraded Ebay product finer than 200 mesh but not necessarily finer than the recommended -325 mesh. This is being corrected in the next batch, as well.

[psyco_1322]

Radiant Green is pretty decent when made with magnalium instead of Al.

[krakra]

What percentage of boron would be required in the formula and how much per kilo is this element?

~ 10-15 %. It is costly, but may be replaced with same amount of much cheaper boron carbide (~ $50/kg) without significant loss in color purity. AFAIK it is quite hard to lit up.

[krakra]

It appears that using the heat evaporated barium sulfate suspension may not have been such a good idea. After heating off the water, and pulverizing the BaSO4, the impurities are probably what caused the stars made from the formula in post #7 to fail. They took light okay, but were mostly orange with some crackling bits of green. Some commercial grade BaSO4 is on its way and I will make a more legitimate test of this formula. Also wonder if the MgAl was fine enough. It was an ungraded Ebay product finer than 200 mesh but not necessarily finer than the recommended -325 mesh. This is being corrected in the next batch, as well.

Ahem. You used sodium sulfate in making said barium sulfate?

[hindsight]

Ahem. You used sodium sulfate in making said barium sulfate?

Why do you ask? The concentrated BaSO4 suspension was re-purposed Barium radio-contrast medium.

[hindsight]

mabuse00 and psyco_1322, Radiant green, because it contains the carbonate, would be my second choice if the formula with BaSO4 from post #7 disappoints. The stars should be dry by tonight, so I'll report back later.

[schroedinger]

If you got fine mg powder, you also could use a mix of just mg and the barium salt. If you don't press it, the sulfate/mg will make a really nice greem flas (1:1)

[hindsight]

This the formula used to make ethanol solvent cut stars primed with Pinball:

 

Barium Sulfate (commercial) - 35

 

Potassium Perchlorate (Swedish) - 30

 

Parlon(Skylighter) - 20

 

Magnalium 200-325mesh - 10

 

Phenolic Resin -6

 

They were lit on the ground in daylight, ignited easily and burned rapidly and evenly.

 

The stars had approximately equal amounts green and orange flame. Disappointing.

Before trying Radiant Green, does any anyone know of a green star using something like powdered Copper? Seem to remember seeing something like that somewhere.

[nater]

I think there was a green star using copper published on the Skylighter site. I have never used them, so I cannot comment further. http://www.skylighter.com/fireworks/how-to-make/copper-green-blue-fireworks-stars.asp

[hindsight]

Nater, Amazingly, you keep providing good sources of star formulas matching my desires and limitations. Thank you, sir.

These are the non-barium green stars listed in the Skylighter link:

From Christian Brechbuehler - Jun 15 1993

Potassium perchlorate 70, Fimo [PVC "clay"] 20, Copper 10

Green

Potassium nitrate 15, Sulfur 2, Airfloat charcoal 1, Copper powder 4, Red gum 1, Dextrin 1

Bobosan, I will send Hunter a PM requesting copper powder. But the last time I whispered something on a post about the KBenz he was selling, he was sending me a PM.

Have to learn about "Fimo [PVC clay]" and where to get it.

Edited July 19, 2014 by hindsight

[nater]

Thanks Hindsight. I have read more than I have experimented, so it is easy to recall what I have learned. When some copper powder was offered recently, I researched copper formulas but decided to stick with what I know.

[Bobosan]

hindsight,

 

Went searching through my files and came up with these formulas using copper powder. Unfortunately, the added ones contain barium nitrate or chlorate except for last one. Have not tried any of these.

 

Green

Potassium nitrate 15

Sulfur 2

Airfloat charcoal 1

Copper powder 4

Red gum 1

Dextrin 1

 

Finally, here are several of the more useable pyrotechnic formulas from Donald Haarmann’s Pyrotechnic Formulary (BK0078). This incidentally is what the Formulary is great for: finding pyrotechnic formulas to match a set of ingredients.

 

 

Green fireworks star (from Experiments in Developing Green Star Formulas)

Magnesium 1.8 pts

Barium nitrate 5.8 pts

Copper 0.5 pts

Parlon 1.5 pts

 

Green Fireworks star (from Experiments in Developing Green Star Formulas)

Magnesium 1.0 pts

Barium nitrate 5.8 pts

Copper 1.3 pts

Parlon 1.7 pts

 

Green Fireworks star (from Experiments in Developing Green Star Formulas)

Magnesium 1.8 pts

Barium nitrate 5.8 pts

Copper 0.5 pts

Parlon 1.5 pts

Gilsonite 0.2 pts

 

Flare Green, MC241

Magnesium 23%

Barium nitrate 53%

Copper 2%

Hexachlorobenzene 20%

Gilsonite 2%

 

Barium Carbonate 19.5

Potassium Perchlorate 30

Red Gum 4

Magnalium 100 mesh 30

Dextrin 4

Parlon 12

Boric Acid .5

 

cut or roll

Edited July 20, 2014 by Bobosan