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    PYRO2.TXT  Touch Paper, Self Igniting Mixtures, Percussion Explosives  
 
This is part of a series of files on pyrotechnics and explosives. It's serious  
stuff, and can be really dangerous if you don't treat it seriously. For you  
kids out there who watch too many cartoons, remember that if a part of your  
body gets blown away in the REAL world, it STAYS blown away. If you can't  
treat this stuff with respect, don't screw around with it.                  
                                                                               
Each file will start with a set of safety rules. Don't skip over them. Read  
'em and MEMORIZE 'em!!  At the beginning, there will be a set of general rules  
that always apply. Then there will be some things that you HAVE TO KNOW about  
the materials you will be using and making this time. Read it thoroughly  
before starting anything.                                                       
                                                                                
Pyrotechnic preparations and explosives are, by their very nature, unstable,  
and subject to ignition by explosion or heat, shock, or friction. A clear  
understanding of their dangerous properties and due care in the handling of  
ingredients or finished products is necessary if accidents are to be avoided.  
Always observe all possible precautions, particularly the following:            
                                                                                
         1. Mix only small batches at one time. This means a few grams, or at  
            most, an ounce or so. Don't go for big mixes -- they only make for  
            bigger accidents. The power of an explosive cubes itself with  
            every ounce. (9 Ounces is 729 times as powerful as one ounce.) 
                                                                               
         2. When weighing chemicals, use a clean piece of paper on the scale  
            pan for each item. Then discard the used paper into a bucket of  
            water before weighing the next ingredient.                          
                                                                                
         3. Be a safe worker. Dispose of any chemicals spilled on the  
            workbench or equipment between weighings. Don't keep open  
            containers of chemicals on your table, since accidental spillage  
            or mixing may occur. When finished with a container, close it, and  
            replace it on the storage shelf. Use only clean equipment.         
                                                                                
         4. Where chemicals are to be ground, grind them separately, NEVER  
            TOGETHER. Thoroughly wash and clean equipment before grinding  
            another ingredient.                                                 
                                                                                
         5. Mixing of batches should be done outdoors, away from flammable  
            structures, such as buildings, barns, garages, etc. Mixes should  
            also be made in NON METALLIC containers to avoid sparks. Glass  
            also should not be used since it will shatter in case of an  
            accident. Handy small containers can be made by cutting off the  
            top of a plastic bottle three or four inches from the bottom. Some  
            mixes may most conveniently be made by placing the ingredients in  
            a plastic bottle and rolling around until the mixture is uniform.  
            In all cases, point the open end of the container away from  
            yourself. Never hold your body or face over the container. Any  
            stirring should be done with a wooden paddle or stick to avoid  
            sparks or static.                                                  
                                                                                
            Powdered or ground materials may also be mixed by placing them on  
            a large sheet of paper on a flat surface and then rolling them  
            across the sheet by lifting the sides and corners one at a time.   
                                                                                
         6. Never ram or tamp mixes into paper or cardboard tubes. Pour the  
            material in and gently tap or shake the tube to settle the  
            contents down.                                                     
                                                                                
         7. Store ingredients and finished mixes where they will not be a fire  
            hazard away from heat and flame. Finished preparations may be  
            stored in plastic bottles which will not shatter in case of an  
            accident. Since many of the ingredients and mixes are poisonous,  
            they should be stored out of reach of children or pets, preferably  
            locked away.                                                        
                                                                                
         8. Be sure threads of screw top containers and caps are thoroughly  
            cleaned. This applies also to containers with stoppers of rubber  
            or cork and to all other types of closures. Traces of mixture  
            caught between the container and closure may be ignited by the  
            friction of opening or closing the container. Throughout any  
            procedure, WORK WITH CLEAN CONDITIONS.                              
                                                                                
         9. ALWAYS WEAR A FACE SHIELD OR AT LEAST SHATTERPROOF SAFETY GLASSES.  
            Any careful worker does when handling dangerous materials. Be sure  
            lenses and frames are not flammable.                                
                                                                                
        10. Always wear a dust respirator when handling chemicals in dust  
            form. These small particles gather in your lungs and stay there.  
            They may cause serious illnesses later on in life.                 
                                                                                
        11. Always wear gloves when working with chemicals.                     
                                                                                
        12. Always wear a waterproof lab apron.                                 
                                                                                
        13. If you must work indoors, have a good ventilation system.           
                                                                                
        14. Never smoke anywhere near where you are working.                    
                                                                                
        15. Make sure there are NO open flames present, and NO MOTORS (they  
            produce sparks inside.) No hot water heaters, furnaces, or pilot  
            lights in stoves!! Sparks have been known to very readily explode  
            dust floating in the air.                                           
                                                                                
        16. ALWAYS work with someone. Two heads are better than one.  
                                                                                
        17. Have a source of water READILY available. (Fire extinguisher,  
            hose, etc.)                                                        
                                                                                
        18. Never, under any circumstances, use any metal to load chemicals or  
            put chemicals in. Fireworks with metal casings are worse to handle  
            than a live hand grenade. Never use any metal container or can.  
            This includes the very dangerous CO2 cartridges. Many people have  
            been KILLED because of flying fragments from metal casings. Again,  
            please do not use metal in any circumstance.                        
                                                                                
        19. Always be thoroughly familiar with the chemicals you are using.  
            Some information will be included in each file, but look for  
            whatever extra information you can. Materials that were once  
            thought to be safe can later be found out to be dangerous stuff.    
                                                                                
        20. Wash your hands and face thoroughly after using chemicals. Don't  
            forget to wash your EARS AND YOUR NOSE.                             
                                                                                
        21. If any device you've built fails to work, leave it alone. After a  
            half hour or so, you may try to bury it, but never try to unload  
            or reuse any dud.                                                  
                                                                                
        22. If dust particles start to form in the air, stop what you are  
            doing and leave until it settles.                                   
                                                                                
        23. Read the entire file before trying to do anything.                  
                                                                                
        24. NEVER strike any mixture containing Chlorates, Nitrates,  
            Perchlorates, Permanganates, Bichromates, or powdered metals don't  
            drop them, or even handle them roughly.                             
                                                                                
These rules may all look like a lot of silly nonsense, but let's look at one  
example. When the move "The Wizard of OZ" was made, the actress who played the  
good witch was severely burned when one of the exploding special effects got  
out of hand. The actress who played the bad witch got really messed up by the  
green coloring used on her face, and the original actor who played the Tin Man  
got his lungs destroyed by the aluminum dust used to color his face. The actor  
we know of as the tin man was actually a replacement. The point is, these  
chemicals were being used under the direction of people a lot more knowlegable  
of chemicals than you are, and terrible accidents still happened. Don't take  
this stuff lightly.                                                             
                                                                               
We will be using many more chemicals this time, and some can be quite  
dangerous. Please read the following information carefully. 
 
 
Sodium Azide - NaN                                                       
                  3                                                      
This white powder is very poisonous. It is also a bit unstable, so treat it  
gently.                                                                         
                                                                                
Lead Nitrate - Pb(NO )                                                   
                    3 2                                                       
This contains poisonous lead and is very water soluble so your body will  
absorb it quickly, given the chance. The government has banned leaded paints  
and is phasing out leaded gasoline because the stuff slowly accumulates in  
your body and can screw up all sorts of important innards. If you are careless  
with Lead Nitrate you can do a few lifetimes' worth of damage in one  
afternoon.          
                                                                                
Ammonium Nitrate - NH NO                                                        
                     4  3                                                       
Commonly used as fertilizer, this stuff is somewhat dangerous in large  
quantities, particularly if it gets very hot. (Entire shiploads of this  
material have been known to go up all at once.) When heated gently, it  
decomposes into water and nitrous oxide (laughing gas). Farmers sometimes use  
it to blow up tree stumps by mixing it with fuel oil and setting the gunk off  
with a detonator. We'll have a very different use for it here.                  
                                                                                
Potassium Nitrate - KNO 
                       3                                                        
Also known as saltpeter, this is commercially used as a diuretic for animals.  
It also works as an oxidizing agent in various pyrotechnic mixtures. That is,  
when heated it provides the oxygen needed to make the rest of the mixture  
burn. 
 
Potassium   Potassium 
 Nitrate     Nitrite   Oxygen 
 
 2KNO   --->  2KNO    +  O 
     3            2       2 
 
 
 
Potassium Chlorate - KClO 
                         3                                                      
A much more spectacular oxidizing agent than Potassium Nitrate. It not only  
yields more oxygen than Potassium Nitrate, it does so more easily. Pyrotechnic  
mixtures containing this chemical will require much less of it, and yet burn  
more fiercely. Even percussion can readily set the mixtures off. This can be  
useful, but it sometimes makes the mixtures more sensitive than you'd like.  
Mixtures containing this chemical must be handled carefully. Potassium  
Chlorate is also poisonous. 
 
Potassium     Potassium 
 Chlorate      Chloride   Oxygen 
 
  2KClO   --->   2KCl   +   3O 
       3                      2 
                                                                                
 
Aluminum Dust 
 
Very finely divided aluminum. When put in a glass jar, it almost looks like a  
solid piece of grey metal. In this form it is flammable. Also, it can  
seriously damage your lungs if you inhale it. Be careful not to stir up any  
clouds of dust, and it goes without saying that you shouldn't use it near an  
open flame. 
                                                                                
Zinc Dust                                                                       
                                                                                
Very finely divided zinc. Not quite as flammable as Aluminum Dust, but still  
worth handling carefully. Can also damage your lungs if inhaled. 
 
Lampblack                                                                       
                                                                                
This is very finely divided carbon, usually obtained as a soot from other  
manufacturing processes. It is much more effective in pyrotechnic mixtures  
than powdered charcoal. Tiny spots of this are almost unnoticeable, but they  
stick to your hands and smear incredibly far. If you're not very tidy you  
should expect to find black smears all over your face and hands after using  
this.                                                                           
                                                                                
Sulfur                                                                          
                                                                                
A yellow powder used as a reducing agent in many pyrotechnic mixtures. Buy  
this in the finely powdered form. You can also get it in hard lumps, but these  
will just waste extra time as you have to grind them yourself.                  
                                                                                
Potassium Permanganate                                                          
                                                                                
An oxidizing agent that's somewhat less vigorous than others mentioned here.  
Not usually used in pyrotechnic mixtures because it's more expensive and less  
effective than some of the alternatives. There are a few cases when it's just  
the right thing. Don't let this accidentally come in contact with glycerine.  
If such an accident happens, the resulting mess should be immediately wiped up  
with wet paper towels and buried or flushed down a toilet. It should NOT be  
thrown away in a dry waste receptacle!!!                                        
                                                                                
Gum Arabic                                                                      
                                                                                
A white powder which is mixed with water to make a glue like substance. Useful  
for coating various mixtures or binding them together into a solid mass.        
                                                                                
Sodium Peroxide                                                                 
                                                                                
A very strange and dangerous oxidizer. Don't let it get wet and don't let it  
touch your skin.                                                                
                                                                                
Glycerine                                                                       
                                                                                
A thick liquid, chemically similar to rubbing alcohol. Though harder to get  
burning, it will burn in the right circumstances. Fairly safe stuff. 
                                                                                
Iodine Crystals                                                                 
                                                                                
Pure Iodine is a steel grey solid, which is poisonous and which produses  
poisonous vapors when heated. Smells similar to the chlorine used in bleaches  
and swimming pools. If you accidentally should drop some on a hot surface and  
notice the odor, you should leave the area.                                     
                                                                                
 
 
                                Touch Paper                                     
                                                                                
This is an easily made material that acts like a slow burning fuse and is  
ideal for testing small amounts of a pyrotechnic mixture. It is made by  
soaking a piece of absorbent paper, like a paper towel, in a saturated  
solution of Potassium Nitrate. (A saturated solution means that you have  
dissolved as much of the chemical in water as is possible.) Hang the paper up  
to dry, and be sure to wipe up any drips. When dry it is ready. Cut off a  
small strip and light the edge to see how different it acts from ordinary  
paper. This will ignite all but the most stubborn mixtures, and will ignite  
gunpowder, which will in turn ignite most anything else.                        
                                                                                
Don't dip the towel in the Potassium Nitrate solution a second time to try to  
make it "stronger". This will actually make it less effective. Some of the  
fancier paper towels don't work too well for this. Best results are obtained  
from the cheap folded paper towels found in public restrooms everywhere.  
 
 
                           Self Igniting Mixtures                               
                                                                                
Pulverize 1 gram of Potassium Permanganate crystals and place them on an  
asbestos board or in an earthenware vessel. Let 2-3 drops of glycerine fall  
onto the Potassium Permanganate. The mixture will eventually sizzle and then  
flare. Potassium Permanganate is the oxidizing agent. The glycerine is  
oxidized so quickly that heat is generated faster than it can be dissipated.  
Consequently, the glycerine is ignited. Because this mixture takes so long to  
catch on fire, it is sometimes useful when a time delay is needed to set off  
some other mixture. If you lose patience with this test, DO NOT THROW THE  
MIXTURE AWAY IN A WASTEBASKET!!! Either bury it or flush it down a toilet. I  
know of at least one house fire that was started because this was not done.  
Given time, this stuff WILL start to burn.                                      
                                                                                
This demonstration produces a very nice effect, but sends out a lot of  
poisonous fumes, so do it outside. Make a mound of equal volumes of iodine  
crystals and aluminum dust. Make a small indentation at the top of the mound  
and add a drop or two of water and move away. It will hiss and burst into  
flame, generating thick purple smoke. The fumes are Iodine vapor which is 
very caustic, so make sure you are upwind of the fire. Since this is set off  
by moisture, you should not store the mixed material. Mix it immediately  
before you plan to use it.                                                      
                                                                                
Shred a small piece of newspaper and place on it a small amount of sodium  
peroxide. Add two drops of hot water. The paper will be ignited. CAUTION: Keep  
Sodium Peroxide from moisture and out of contact with organic materials (your  
skin, for example.)                                                             
                                                                                
Ammonium Nitrate, 5 grams, 1 gram of Ammonium Chloride. Grind these  
SEPARATELY, and add 1/4 gram of zinc dust. Form a cone and add 2-4 drops of  
water. A bright blue flame with large volumes of smoke forms. Depending on the  
quality of your zinc dust, you may need to increase the quantity of zinc. 
Since this is ignited by moisture, you should not attempt to store this  
mixture.                                                                        
                                                                                
                                                                                
                           Percussion Explosives                                
                                                                                
This section will not only introduce a couple of mixtures with interesting  
possibilities, but it will also demonstrate how sensitive mixtures containing  
Potassium Chlorate can be. Keep in mind that Chlorate mixtures can be a LOT  
more sensitive than the ones shown here.                                        
 
                                                                                
Mix 1 part by weight of Sulfur, and 3 parts Potassium Chlorate. Each should be  
ground separately in a mortar. They should be mixed lightly without any  
pressure on a sheet of paper. A small amount of this mixture (less than one  
gram!!) placed on a hard surface and struck with a hammer will explode with a  
loud report.                                                                    
                                                                                
Mix the following parts by weight, the same way as above, 
                                                                                
                Potassium Chlorate 6 
                Lampblack          4 
                Sulfur             1                                            
                                                                                
Both of these mixtures are flammable. Mix small quantities only. 
 
 
 
                             Lead Azide  Pb(N ) 
                                             3 2 
 
Unlike many explosives that must be enclosed in a casing to explode, and  
others that require a detonator to set them off, Lead Azide will explode in  
open air, either due to heat or percussion. Mixed with gum arabic glue, tiny  
dots of it are placed under match heads to make trick exploding matches. The  
same mixture coated onto 1/2 " wood splinters are used to "load" cigars. In  
larger amounts, it is used as a detonator. A moderately light tap will set it  
off, making it much more sensitive than the percussion explosives already  
mentioned. It is very easy to make.                                             
                                                                                
Take about 1.3 grams of sodium azide and dissolve it in water. It's best not  
to use any more water than necessary. In a separate container, dissolve about  
3.3 grams of Lead Nitrate, again only using as much water as needed to get it  
to dissolve. When the two clear liquids are mixed, a white precipitate of Lead  
Azide will settle out of the mixture. Add the Lead Nitrate solution, while  
stirring, until no more Lead  Azide precipitates out. You may not need to use  
it all. Note that the above weights are given only for your convenience if you  
have the necessary scales, and give the approximate proportions needed. You  
need only continue to mix the solutions until no more precipitate forms. 
                                                                                
The precipitate is filtered out and rinsed several times with distilled water.  
It is a good idea to store this in its wet form, as it is less sensitive this  
way. It's best not to store it if possible, but if you do, you should keep it  
in a flexible plastic container that wont produce sharp fragments in case of  
an explosion. (NO MORE THAN A GRAM AT A TIME !!!!) Also, make sure that the  
mouth of the container is wiped CLEAN before putting the lid on. Just the  
shock of removing the lid is enough to set off the dry powder if it is wedged  
between the container and the stopper. Don't forget that after you've removed  
the precipitate from the filter paper, there will still be enough left to make  
the filter paper explosive.  
                                                                                
Lead Azide is very powerful as well as very sensitive. Never make more than a  
couple of grams at one time.                                             
 
            Reaction Equations                              
                                                                                
Lead        Sodium        Lead     Sodium 
Nitrate      Azide       Azide    Nitrate 
 
Pb(NO )   +  2NaN   ---> Pb(N )  + 2NaNO 
     3 2         3           3 2        3 
 
Don't try to salvage the Sodium Nitrate that's left over (dissolved in the  
water). Sodium nitrate is cheap, not really useful for good pyrotechnics, and  
this batch will be contaminated with poisonous lead. It's worthless stuff.  
Dump it out.                                                                    
 
To demonstrate the power of a little bit of Lead Azide, cut out a piece of  
touch paper in the following shape 
 
 
 
----------------------------- 
!                            ! 
!                            ! 
!                             --------------- 
!                                            ! 
!                             --------------- 
!                            ! 
!                            ! 
----------------------------- 
 
Where the size of the wide rectangle is no more than one inch x 1/2 inch, and  
the length of the little fuse is at least 3/4 inch. Apply a thin layer of wet  
Lead Azide to the large rectangle with a paint brush and let it dry  
thoroughly. When done, set this tester out in the open, light the fuse at the  
very tip and step back. If done properly, the tiny bit of white powder will  
produce a fairly loud explosion. 
 
 
                          A Lead Azide Booby Trap                               
                                                                                
Get some string that's heavy enough so that it won't break when jerked hard. A  
couple of feet is enough to test this out. You may want to use a longer piece  
depending on what you plan to do with this. Fold a small "Z" shape in the  
center of the string, as shown in figure 1. The middle section of the "Z"  
should be about one inch long. 
 
 
-------------------------------------. 
                             . 
                   . 
           . 
       -------------------------------------------------- 
 
                  Figure 1. Fold string into a small Z 
 
Next, twist the Z portion together as tightly as you can. Don't worry if it  
unwinds a bit when you let go, but it should still stay twisted closely  
together. If it doesn't, you will need a different kind of string. Figure 2  
tries to show what this will look like.  
  
-------------//////////////////----------------- 
 
                  Figure 2. Twist the Z portion tightly                         
                                                                                
Next, apply some wet Lead Azide to the twisted portion with a paint brush. The  
Lead Azide should have a bit of Gum Arabic in it to make it sticky. Cut  
out a piece of paper, two inches by 6 inches long, wrap it around the twisted  
portion, and glue the end on so that it stays put. You should now have a two  
inch narrow paper tube with a string sticking out each end, as shown in figure  
3.                                                                              
                                                                                
          ------------------------- 
          !                       ! 
----------!                       !------------------- 
          !                       ! 
          ------------------------- 
                                                                                
                  Figure 3. The completed Booby Trap                            
                                                                                
You should now set the booby trap aside for at least two weeks so that the  
Lead Azide inside can dry completely. Don't try to speed up the process by  
heating it. When the two ends of the string are jerked hard, the friction in  
the wound up string will set off the Lead Azide. The booby trap can be  
attatched to doors, strung out as tripwires, or set up in any other situation  
that will cause a quick pull on the strings. Be careful not to use too much  
Lead Azide. A little will go a long way. Before trying this on an unsuspecting  
soul, make a test booby trap as explained here, tie one end to a long rope,  
and set it off from a distance.                                                
                                                                                
The paper wound around the booby trap serves two purposes. It keeps the Lead  
Azide from flaking off, and it pads the stuff so it will be less likely to get  
set off accidentally. A good vigorous swat will still set it off though, so  
store these separately and keep them padded well.                               
                                                                                
                                                                                
                          Getting The Chemicals                                 
                                                                                
As always, be sure to use your brains when ordering chemicals from a lab  
supply house. Those people KNOW what Sodium Azide and Lead Nitrate make when  
mixed together. They also know that someone who orders a bunch of chlorates,  
nitrates, metal dusts, sulfur, and the like, probably has mischeif in mind,  
and they keep records. So break your orders up, order from different supply  
houses, get some friends to order some of the materials, and try to order the  
things long before you plan do do anything with them. It's a pain, and the  
multiple orders cost a lot in extra shipping charges, but that's what it costs  
to cover your tracks. DO it! 
 
 
 
[Ripco] Which 1-281 ?=menu,<CR>=abort: 
 
