Questions tagged [pyrotechnics]
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Why do my slow burning fuses light off? [closed]
So recently II have been making a few times some slow burning fuses with: 34 g potassium nitrate, 26 g sugar, 60 g of water and some wool yarn. However when I light it up it burn a few seconds and ...
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Constraints on pyrotechnic explosives that won't detonate spontaneously at 500 °C when landing on Venus?
The Space Exploration SE question Premature detonation of explosive bolts when landing on hot Venus? explains the need for and widespread use of pyrotechnic fasteners and cable cutters for Mars ...
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What is "salpotricon"? [closed]
I read in my old Polish history handbook about the black powder recipe that was taken from some medieval manuscript, if I remember correctly.
One of the ingredients was called “salpotricon”, but years ...
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Pyrotechnic colorants- reactions & safety concerns regarding making charcoal discs
I want to create my own charcoal disks/tablets which will be mainly used for incense and I want each of the charcoal disks to glow different colours (eg one disc glows blue, another glows red etc.). ...
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What purpose does mercury dichloride have in fireworks?
My local newspaper ran an article covering the local rules about fireworks. One of those rules specifically calls out "snakes and fountains containing mercury bichloride" as forbidden.
Neither ...
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Testing thermite for chemical properties
I'm writing a movie in which a bunch of military explosive ordnance experts destroy a turbine with thermite and the local fire chief has to work out whether it is plain $\ce{Fe2O3}$ and aluminium ...
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Is it possible to burn things in a halogen atmosphere?
Fires can burn in oxygen. But, can they burn in halogen atmospheres (fluorine and chlorine only)? I am wondering this because combustion reactions involve oxygen and carbon and other elements. But, ...
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Why do most explosives have symmetrical chemical structures?
I was just turning the pages of my chemistry dictionary, when I found the structure of TNT (Trinitrotoluene):
...there after I got interested in its symmetry as an explosive, and started looking for ...
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How to safely change the color of a fire tornado?
So I've been watching a lot of fire tornado videos and I came across one that had a reasonable and safe setup (around the 3:23 mark):
Fire Tornado DIY
Is there a way to change the color of the fire ...
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Pyrotechnic "star" without oxidizer
In the design of a celebratory pyrotechnic (firework), there exists a gunpowder explosive charge at the center of the firework and pyrotechnic "stars" lining the circumference of the explosive. The "...
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Aluminum powder reaction with air
I've made aluminum powder in a ball mill a few times, but my last batch began to smoke and caught on fire soon after I poured it from the tumbler. Nothing unusual was afoot. It was poured into a paper ...
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What would happen to feces when set on fire?
What would happen, if, under safe conditions, I took my feces, doused it with lighter fluid, and set it on fire? What the neck would burn? And what would be left? What if I threw in some wood twigs?
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Why does microwaving napalm make it nonflammable?
In this video, microwaving napalm made it nonflammable. What caused this to happen?
I assume it was some sort of chemical reaction. Could someone explain? I understand some chemistry, but a not-too-...
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How do you make napalm? [closed]
Not a recipe from movies, but actual napalm. I need it for a college experiment. I need the good kind preferably, but any recipe will suffice.
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Best ways to start a thermite reaction?
I'm trying to do a thermite reaction with rust and aluminum and am trying to figure out the optimal way to get the reaction started. My understanding is that I need a temperature of around $\pu{3200 ^\...
