Some Fireworks Questions? - NEED HELP
Ever since I was little, I loved fire, fireworks, guns, and I wanted to get into fireworks as a hobby. I do have some basic knowledge of chemistry, but can I get these questions answered>
1. Can Pyrodex be used as a propellent in a bottle rocket, or is it burn too fast?
2. How can I extract potassium nitrate from fertilizer, I have 20 percent.
3. What is a good sealer for rockets? I was thinking kitty litter for the clay it contains.
4. Can a homemade fuse be made with a consistent burn time? I was thinking dipping yard in lighter fuild and letting it dry.
Thank you very much in advance, I appreciate it.
1. Can Pyrodex be used as a propellent in a bottle rocket, or is it burn too fast?
2. How can I extract potassium nitrate from fertilizer, I have 20 percent.
3. What is a good sealer for rockets? I was thinking kitty litter for the clay it contains.
4. Can a homemade fuse be made with a consistent burn time? I was thinking dipping yard in lighter fuild and letting it dry.
Thank you very much in advance, I appreciate it.
1
answer
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Answer it!
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Jul 9, 2010. 3:31 AMPrfesser
says:
1. Pyrodex burns well only under pressure. It is good for high-pressure applications like firearms but not for lower-pressure use (rockets). 2. How do you know that the fertilizer you have is 20% potassium nitrate? 3. Some workers do use kitty litter. I've not found it to break up easily. 4. Any fuel (such as lighter fluid) needs an oxidizer (oxygen or other) for it to burn consistently. Once the lighter fluid is dry, all that's left is a residue of oils and heavy hydrocarbons. Real fuse contains something similar to black powder, in which potassium nitrate is the oxidizer. 5. You didn't ask this one but... education is a good thing. Knowing what you are doing, and *why* you are doing it, is a good thing. "Introductory Practical Pyrotechnics" by Tom Peregrin is expensive but is well worth it. Be careful, think "safety" in everything.
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