From: James Rogers (jamesr@best.com)
Date: Tue Dec 24 1996 - 16:14:50 MST
>Who wants to join the SSMC, the Solar System Megapyrotechnics Club?
>
>(Being a cautious person, I dislike experiments that are intended to go
>BOOM. But I'm still proud of my utterly insane magnesium-manganese
>dioxide-potassium chlorate mixture)
>
Although a magnesium/manganese dioxide/potassium chlorate mixture doesn't
have any explosive properties, it is *very* exothermic. Thermite+.
Definitely a lot of fun.
I assume the potassium chlorate was to make ignition easier? I certainly
commend you on your choice of manganese dioxide. Not the most commonly used
metal oxide, but definitely the best for this application. Net thermal
output is 25-35% higher than iron oxides.
Recommendations:
1) Replace magnesium with aluminum. A little harder to ignite, but it
significantly boosts the thermal output.
2) Replace potassium chlorate with sulfur. Aluminum/Sulfur mixtures make
good high-temp sub-igniters and have better thermal characteristics than
potassium chlorate/magnesium mixtures. It is also more stable.
Not that I have ever been involved in pyrotechnics ;-)
-James Rogers
jamesr@best.com
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