Pyrotechnics: Colored Fires
Description
This section is from the "Henley's Twentieth Century Formulas Recipes Processes" encyclopedia, by Norman W. Henley and others.
Pyrotechnics: Colored Fires
The compounds should be ignited in a small pill box resting on a plate. All the ingredients must be dried and powdered separately, and then lightly mixed on a sheet of paper. Always bear in mind that sulphur and chlorate of potassium explode violently if rubbed together.
Smokeless Vari-Colored Fire
First take barytes or strontium, and bring to a glowing heat in a suitable dish, remove from the fire, and add the shellac. The latter (unpowdered) will melt at once, and can then be intimately mixed with the barytes or strontium by means of a spatula. After cooling, pulverize. One may also add about 2.5 per cent of powdered magnesium to increase the effect. Take for instance 4 parts of barytes or strontium and 1 part of shellac.
The following salts, if finely powdered and burned in an iron ladle with a little spirits, will communicate to the flame their peculiar colors.
Potassium nitrate or sodium chlorate, yellow.
Potassium chlorate, violet.
Calcium chloride, orange.
Strontium nitrate, red.
Barium nitrate, apple green.
Copper nitrate, emerald green.
Borax, green.
Lithium chloride, purple.
The colored fires are used largely in the production of various theatrical effects.
Blue Fire
I
Ter-sulphuret of
antimony....... 1 part
Sulphur.......... 2 parts
Nitrate of potassium 6 parts
II
Sulphur.......... 15 parts
Potassium sulphate 15 parts Ammonio-cu p r i c
sulphate....... 15 parts
Potassium nitrate.. 27 parts
Potassium chlorate 28 parts
III
Chlorate of potash. 8 parts
Calomel.......... 4 parts
Copper sulphate. . . 5 parts
Shellac........... 3 parts
IV
Ore pigment...... 2 parts
Charcoal......... 3 parts
Potassium chloride 5 parts
Sulphur.......... 13 parts
Potassium nitrate.. 77 parts
V
Potassium chlorate 10 parts
Copper chlorate. . . 20 parts
Alcohol.......... 20 parts
Water............ 100 parts
VI
Copper chlorate. . . 100 parts Copper nitrate.... 50 parts Barium chlorate... 25 parts Potassium chlorate 100 parts
Alcohol.......... 500 parts
Water...........1,000 parts
Green
I
Barium chlorate... 20 parts
Alcohol.......... 20 parts
Water............ 100 parts
II
Barium nitrate. ... 10 parts Potassium chlorate 10 parts
Alcohol.......... 20 parts
Water............ 100 parts
III
Shellac........... 5 parts
Barium nitrate. ... 1.25 parts Pound after cooling, and add
Barium chlorate, 2 to 5 per cent.
Red
I
Shellac.......... 5 parts
Strontium nitrate 1 to 1.2 parts
Preparation as in green fire. In damp weather add 2 to 4 per cent of potassium chlorate to the red flame; the latter causes a little more smoke.
II
Strontium nitrate.. 20 parts
Potassium chlorate 10 parts
Alcohol.......... 20 parts
Water............ 100 parts
Yellow
I
Sulphur.......... 16 parts
Dried carbonate of
soda........... 23 parts
Chlorate of potassium ........... 61 parts
II
Sodium chlorate. .. 20 parts
Potassium oxalate. 10 parts
Alcohol.......... 20 parts
Water............ 100 parts
Violet
I
Strontium chlorate. 15 parts
Copper chlorate. .. 15 parts
Potassium chlorate 15 parts
Alcohol.......... 50 parts
Water............ 100 parts
II
Potassium chlorate 20 parts Strontium chlorate. 20 parts Copper chlorate. .. 10 parts
Alcohol.......... 50 parts
Water............ 100 parts
Lilac
Potassium chlorate 20 parts
Copper chlorate. .. 10 parts
Strontium chloride. 10 parts
Alcohol.......... 50 parts
Water............ 100 parts
Mauve
Chlorate of potash . 28 parts
Calomel.......... 12 parts
Shellac........... 4 parts
Strontium nitrate. . 4 parts
Cupric sulphate ... 2 parts
Fat.............. 1 part
Purple
Copper sulphide.. . 8 parts
Calomel.......... 7 parts
Sulphur.......... 2 parts
Chlorate of potash. 16 parts
White
I
Gunpowder....... 15 parts
Sulphur.......... 22 parts
Nitrate of potassium 64 parts
II
Potassium nitrate. . . 30 parts
Sulphur........... 10 parts
Antimony sulphide
(black).......... 5 parts
Flour............. 3 parts
Powdered camphor. 2 parts
III
Charcoal.......... 1 part
Sulphur........... 11 parts
Potassium sulphide. 38 parts
IV
Stearine........... 1 part
Barium carbonate .. 1 part
Milk sugar......... 4 parts
Potassium nitrate .... 4 parts
Potassium chlorate. 12 parts
As a general rule, a corresponding quantity of shellac may be taken instead of the sulphur for inside fireworks.
The directions for using these solutions are simply to imbibe bibulous papers in them, then carefully dry and roll tightly into rolls of suitable length, according to the length of time they are to burn.
Fuses
For fuses or igniting papers, the following is used:
Potassium nitrate... 2 parts
Lead acetate....... 40 parts
Water.............100 parts
Mix and dissolve, and in the solution place unsized paper; raise to nearly a boil and keep at this temperature for 20 minutes. If the paper is to be "slow," it may now be taken out, dried, cut into strips, and rolled. If to be "faster," the heat is to be continued longer, according to the quickness desired. Care must be taken to avoid boiling, which might disintegrate the paper.
In preparing these papers, every precaution against fire should be taken, and their preparation in the shop or house should not be thought of. In making the solutions, etc., where heat is necessary, the water bath should invariably be used.
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