SUNBURST SPARKLER SEMINAR

by Laverne E. Niksch

This publica/ion contains descriptions and depiction of Adult Sparklers. The inj'ormlltion contained herein is based on the aulhor's experiences using specific tools under specific conditions no/necessarily described in this article. Readers are cautioned that they must/orm their own opinion as to the application o[ any in/oTntillion contained hereilL

The author assumes no responsibility/or the use or misuse of this in/ormation.

What is a Sunburst Sparkler Effect?

This effect is created when hot molten white dross or slag falls or shoots out from the sparkJer and explodes on the way to the ground. The effect looks like a waterfall with an attitude.

History of this effect.

I started out making titanium sparklers using the following formula:

Potassium Perchlorate 40 Titanium sponge 100 mesh 20 Aluminum medium flitter 4 Dextrin 16

This is a great sparkler. It bums hot and bright. The sponge Titanium produces branching sparks. The Aluminum produces molten dross or slag drops. It took about four dips to make a 114" thick sparkler and about three days between dips to dry. The Dextrin swelled when wet, shrunk when dry and tended to warp the sparkler. This was a good effect but took a lot of effon to make.

My second attempt started with a modified Spirit of America sparkler fonnuJa from The WiilJrd's PyrOiechnic Formulary:

Potassium Perchlorate 40 Titanium sponge 100 mesh 40 Dextrin 18 GuarGum 2

This mix also made an excellent sparkler. The bwn was fast , hot and bright with lots of branching sparks. Guar Gum thickened the mix so that not so much dripped otfwhile drying. Now two dips made a good 114" thick sparkler. There were no molten dross drops from this sparkler.

My third attempt used the same Spirit of America fonnula with the addition of four parts Aluminum medium flitter. Now 1 had a super sparlder with bright molten dross drops.

The most expensive ingredient was the 100 mesh sponge Titanium. 1 figured if I could use 100

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mesh spherical Titanium J could cut my Titanium cost in half or Jess. My new fonnula was: , -

Potassium Perchlorate 40 Titanium spherical 100 mesh 40 Aluminum medium flitter 4 Dextrin 18 GuarGum 2

Sparklers made from this mix did not bum very well but did produce exploding dross. This was a very neat effect.

The final formula using Potassium Perchlorate follows. I used half Titanium sponge and half Titanium spherical:

Potass ium Perchlorate 40 Titanium spherical 100 mesh 20 Titanium sponge 100 mesh 20 Aluminum medium flitter 4 Dextrin 18 Guar Gum 2

This sparkler had it all . The bum was clean, even, hot and bright with branching sparks at the bum and exploding dross drops. It took at least two dips and about three days to dry between dips. I made these sparklers for two years. I used them as waterfall effects. Because of the molten dross, these were adult sparklers, as the molten drops could bum feet or dry grass (and did).

In 2001, I wanted to improve th is sparkler fonnula. I wanted a better binder. One that did not shrink like Dextrin and Guar Gum, warp the sparkler and dried much quicker. I didn' t want much, eh? In The WiZard's Pyrotechnic Formulary, there were many fonnulas using Poly Vinyl Acetate (PVA) as the binder. This binder was stated as being water based, providing protection for metals and non shrinking.

1 did a web search and found a very interesting Archeological hit. Poly Vinyl Acetate was used to repair broken artifacts and the product EImers Glue All was a Poly Vinyl Acetate emulsion. I went out and bought some Eimers Glue All and made a sparkler without the Dextrin and Guar Gum. I needed to dilute the Eimers Glue All with an equal amount of distilled water. The sparkJer bum effect was comparable to that using Dextrin and Guar Gum.

Most of the sparkler fonnulas in The WiZard 's Pyrotechnic Formulary that used Poly Vinyl Acetate used Ammonium Perchlorate as the oxidizer. So, I tried out the following formula:

Ammonium Perchlorate 25 Titanium sponge ]00 mesh 10 Titanium spherical J 00 mesh J 0 Aluminum medium flitter 3

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The bum rate on this sparkler was very fast, too fast to be useful. The molten dross did explode.

I decided to leave out the Titanium sponge and repeated the fannula.

Ammonium Perchlorate 25 Titanium spherical 100 mesh 10 Aluminum medium flitter 3

This sparkler burned very well. Bum rate for a 10" sparkler was about 30 seconds. There were many small exploding molten dross drops. This was the effect I was looking for. The dross drops were propelled off the front of the sparkler and exploded two to six feet from the sparkler.

I also tried 20-60 mesh spherical Titanium and 60- I 00 mesh spherical Titanium. The 60- I 00 mesh spherical Titanium produced the best effect. This is the size of the spherical Titanium that I now use in this sparkler.

Sparkler Substrate

The conventional sparkler is made by dipping a wire or stick in a slurry mix and hanging it up until dry. An alternate method fills a paper straw using funnel and wire. I wanted a substrate that would be consumed while burning. I considered string, aluminum wire and a paper drinking straw. I chose a six~ply cotton string. I use a 10" long length of string glued to a 4" skewer stick as a handle. The string is consumed and aids in keeping the sparkler burning. .

Making the Mix

I use Ammonium Perchlorate that is screened to 40 mesh. A finer mesh does not improve the bum rate or quality of the effect. I use a granular Ammonium Perchlorate and screen it to 40 mesh using a stainless screen and a wooden pestle.

The Aluminum mediwn flitter is a mixed coated flake that I obtained from Firefox. The old product number was CI02. A fine mesh dark Aluminum will not produce the same effect.

The 60- 100 mesh spherical Titanium was obtained from Iowa Pyro for $6.00/lb. and screened to this mesh size. A coarser mesh size spherical Tianium produces too few exploding drops of dross. A finer mesh spherical Titanium produces a good visual effect but smaller exploding drops of dross.

I mix no more than a double batch in grams using the following formula:

Ammonium Perchlorate 25 Titanium spherical 60- 100 mesh 10 Aluminum medium flitter 3

I weigh up and put the three ingredients in a smaJl Rubbermaid food container with a lid and shake for about ten seconds. Wear a quality dust mask. I then screen the mix using a 3" Echo stainless strainer. Do not use a pestle of any sort in the strainer. If your Ammonium Perchlorate has already been screened to 40 mesh, it will all pass through the 3" Echo strainer with out

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trouble. Now put the mix in the food container, put the lid on and set this aside.

Preparing the Sparkler Stick and String

One batch of 38 grams will make about eight sparklers. Prepare ten sticks and striniS for each batch of mix. Start small and only make one batch at a time.

I buy 10" wooden skewer sticks at the grocery store in quantity of 100 for ahout $2.00. Cut these with a metal scissors into two 4" lengths. I throwaway tbe 2" pointed end. So, cut five skewer sticks into ten 4" sticks.

The string that I use is a non waxed six+ply cotton string that comes on an industrial size cone (ahout 10" tall). Any multiple ply non wax coated cotton string will work. Cut ten 10" lengths of string.

1 sl:cure the string to the skewer stick using full strength Eimers Glue All and a !/z" x I" strip of shoe box tissue paper. Cut out ten W' xl" strips of tissue paper. Coat W' of the stick end with glue. Stick a string on the glue. Using your fingers, wrap the tissue paper around the stick and string. Use a damp towel to wipe excess glue from your fingers. Set down to dry for ten minutes before using.

preparine the Glue Mix

What you need is a clear squeeze container like an empty squeeze plastic ketchup bottle with a lid. You do not want a spray type hottle like a Windex bottle. The glue will plug this type of sprayer.

You should start out using a 50150 mixture of Eimers Glue All and distilled water. Shake until the glue and water are well mixed and cap the bottle.

HanJ:im: up the Dipped Sparklers

Plan for this job before you make the sparklers. I use 1/4" dowel rods four feet long that are hanging horizontal from a shelf I use a· 6" single ply cotton string with a ~lip knot to mount the string to the dowel rod. J make a second slip knot at the bottom of the string to hold the sparkler. I insert the skewer stick in about 1" and draw up the slip knot This method works well for me. Put a newspaper underneath these rods to catch any drips. There will be drips!

MakinK the Wet Mix

You do not want a large container to dip your string in. You want a plastic container about 2" in diameter. I use the HOPE containers ITOm Pillsbury caramel and orange breakfast rolls. I also use small Rubbermaid containers with lids so you can keep the mix for another usage.

J put about two tablespoons of the dry sparkler fonnula mix in the container. I squirt in a small about of glue/water mix (about one teaspoon) and stir. I squirt in smaller amounts of the gluel water mix and stir with a small spoon until I get a slurry that is the consistency of oauneal or a

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little thinner.

Hold the prepared skewer stick and dip the string in the mix. Stir with a spoon. Lift out and put back in the mix again and stir again. Hang up the stick. Plan for a little dripping. If the mix gets too dry, add a little water and stir. If you add more dry sparkler formula mix, add more glue/water mix.

Dryim: Time

Normal drying time is about two days in a dry, no sunlight room. I let my sparklers dry hanging from the dowel rods for eight hours and then put them on an aluminum cookie tray to dry in the sun for four hours. This dries your sparkler to 90% or more.

LilWtin~ your Sparkler

These sparklers are hard to light. I do not recommend using a match or lighter. They bum hot and eject molten dross. You can bum your hand very easily if you try using a match. J use a torch. This gives you a little distance. You can safely light one sparkler with another. The sunbursts are ejected from the end. They do not normally come off the side.

J coat all my sparkler tips with a hot igniter and dust the ends in Goex 3FG or 4FG. See the next section for how I did this.

Hot Igniter Mix

These sparkJers contain the oxidizer Ammonium Perchlorate and conventional pyro wisdom says, "You do not use a nitrate prime on top of an Ammonium Perchlorate star. You will fonn an Ammonium Nitrate barrier and the star will not light." EImers Glue All forms a protective barrier around the sparkler. The nitrate prime does not compromise the ignition of the sparkler.

I use the following hot igniter mix fonnula:

Potassium Nitrate 37.2 Charcoal airflow 11.4 Sulfur 11.4 Aluminum German black 5.7 Silicon 11.4

I mix trus into Nitrocellulose to make a thick sluny.

If you are going to put a hot igniter mix on your sparkler, you need to prepare your sparkler. Here is how I do it. I cut out ten pieces of3/4" x I '12" Krafi paper. I glue these onto the sparkler using straight EImers Glue All so that about 1/4" of the paper cup extends past the sparkler.

1 put about 1/4 teaspoon of Goex 3FG or 4FG on my paper-<:overed work table. 1 use a clean skewer stick to put a dab of the bot igniter mix with Nitrocellulose in the paper cup. 1 theD dab the still sticky sparkJer end in Goex 3FG or 4FG. You must let these dry standing upright. I

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have made a small wood stand with drilled holes to take the skewer sticks. Use proper ventilation when using Nitrocellulose.

Why use Kraft paper on the sparkler tips? I like to chain many sparklers together using sticky match. Sticky match sticks very well to Kraft paper. Sticky match sticks poorly to a oaked sparkler.

Ouestions and Answers

o. What jftbe sparkler doeso' t burn well? A. Try burning some sparkler powder outside. Ifit doesn't bum well, then one of your ingredients may be bad.

A. Did you use a substitute for EImers Glue Aln Not all white glues are the same.

A. Is the sparkler dry? Under non ideal conditions (or iftbe sparkler is more than 1/4" thick) it may take three to four days to dl)'.

A. Is the sparkJer 114" thick? You may need a thicker mix.

Q. I eet moiten drops of dross but no Sunburst explosions. Wby?

A. Are you using spherical Titanium? Sponge or flake Titanium will not produce the sunburst effect

0, 1 do not i:et molten drops ofdross. Why?

A. Are you using the correct kind of Aluminum? You need a coated flake Aluminum of varying stze. CI02 Aluminum from Fire/ox works very well .

Other Sparkler Formulas

The following formulas have been tested using Eimers Glue All as a binder. The effects produced are all great. If you are not comfortable working with Potassium or Barium Chlorate, do not try to make the Ruby Red or Emerald Green Fire Sticks.

Gold Steel Sparkler Sky Blue Fire Stick Ammonium Perchlorate 25 Ammonium Perchlorate 25 Steel sparkler powder 10 Copper Carbonate 5 Aluminum medium fliner 3 Copper benzoate 3

Aluminum medium flitter 2 Ruby Red Fire Stjck Potassium Chlorate 25 Emerald Green Fire Stick Strontium Carbonate 5 Barium Chlorate 24 Aluminum medium flitter 3 Barium Carbonate 2 CharcoaJ air float I Aluminum medium flitter 3

Charcoal air float 1

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Briehl While Sparkler Potassium Perchlorate 10 Aluminum dark 10

Notes & Warnines;

Do not dry any chlorate tire stick in the sun. The sun can dangerously sensitize any chlorate device. Don 'I lake the chance.

Can I use nitrates? I have never got any Potassium Nitrate sparkJer effect to work. with Eimers Glue All. It doesn ' t liquefy very well and takes forever to dry. Strontium Nitrate does not work well either. A small amount of Strontium Nitrate used with Strontium Carbonate does not improve your red color and takes much longer to dry. Barium Nitrate can be used. It doesn ' t produce a very green effect with Aluminum and Potassium Perchlorate or Ammonium Perchlorate.

Can I use Parlon or PVC as a chlorine donor to get bener color? Neither Parlon nor PVC in small amounts has improved perchlorate colors for me. Larger amounts make a fluffy too light sparkler.

Can I use Magnesium or Magnalium in my sparklers? I have not tested Magnesium in these sparklers. 100 and 200 mesh Magnalium can increase your flame temperature, your bum rate and improve your color.

Are aoy toxic gases produced while burning these sparklers? Per Shidlovsldy in Principles of Pyrotechnics: "Free Chiorilll! and Hydrogen Chloride arefonm!d by the combustion of compositions containing A mmonium Perchlorate." A void prolonged breathing of the smoke. This smoke will irritate the eyes, nose, throat aDd lungs. Burning or testing of the sparklen and the powder mix should be done outside.

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