Pyrotechnics 101

Welcome to the Pyrotechnics 101

This is a planning page for a future course to be taught at Monmouth College. The course will be taught by a chemistry professor and the campus' lead electrician.

The rules that regulate the fireworks in the state of Illinois can be found here

Fireworks are classified as a hazardous material (HAZMAT) class 1.3. The United Nations classification system can be found here; the classification by the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) can be found here. Consumer grade fireworks (where allowed are classified as 1.4.

Possible Textbooks

The Chemistry of Fireworks: 2nd Ed.

A PDF of this text can be found here

An online version of the first edition can be found here

Compound Interest on Gun Powder

Fireworks Company

Both instructors are employees of J&M Displays

Topics

Chemistry

Oxidizer (species being reduced)

Potassium nitrate (2 NO3- --> N2 + 3 O2)

Potassium Perchlorate

Reducer (Fuel; species being oxidized)

Magnesium powder (Mg--> Mg2+)

Aluminum powder (Al --> Al3+)

Mag/Al alloy (magnalium; raises flame temp)

Sulfur (S --> SO2)

Charcoal/carbon (C --> CO2) How to make

Effect/Color

Strontium nitrate

Calcium nitrate/carbonate (orange)

Copper oxide (blue)

Strontium chloride (red)

Sodium silicate (orange/yellow)

Barium acetate/carbonate (green)

course magnesium (white sparks)

Burning mixture (potassium perchlorate+ red gum) Ammonium nitrate - explosive (nitrate is oxidizer and ammonium hydrogens are a reducer)

Heat output

Burning rate

Hygroscopic compounds best

Aerial Shells

Shell (spherical)

lift charge (black powder)

Timing/delay fuse with "pass-fire tube")

bursting charge

effect (pellets)

Mortar tube fuse

Lab Activities

Week 1

ACS: The Chemistry of Fireworks, John A. Conkling, Ph.D. (6 min)

ACS: Fireworks: The Chemistry in the Color (2 min)

Week 2

Shell Design

How Fireworks Work: Ball Shells (4 mins)

TOP 10 AMAZING HOMEMADE FIREWORKS #1 (9 mins)

TOP 10 AMAZING HOMEMADE FIREWORKS #2 (10 mins)

TOP 10 AMAZING HOMEMADE FIREWORKS #3 (11 min)

Week 3

Gun Powder Homemade Gunpowder, For Science! (8 min)

Shell Construction

7 Inch Double Petal Ballshell Rocket Heading, Experimental. See note below the video (52 mins)

Week 4

Rockets

Fireworks Rocket Master 2016 (22 mins)

Week 5

Flash powder

how to make flash powder (4 min)

Potassium perchlorate - 7 grams

Aluminum powder - 3 grams

Firecracker using flash - WARNING: WORKING WITH TOO MUCH MATERIAL How to make an m80 or other fire cracker