potassium fire
- Thread starter fungy
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I find that the best way is to grind up a teaspoon full of potassium permangenate into a fine powder, then add a small drop or two of glycerine. Experiment with ratios, but use this as a starting point. I found in the past that the more powder, the longer 'fuse' you had before ignition. As a pyromaniac kid, I would put a tablespoon in the cockpit of a balsa/tissue paper model plane, drop in the glycerine and launch into the air. It could fly to quite a height before bursting into flames...
Bear in mind that the 'flame' is usually quite short in height, so once the drops have been added, put the kindling/tinder on top straight away. I have found that cotton wool takes well from this reaction. I did a demo the other weekend and put the potassium permangenate in a nest of cotton wool, added the drops then put another bit on top. Works, but can be a bit iffy success wise, until you find the right ratio. Fun though!
Might sound like a complete idiot but what do you define as glycerine, might I know it as a different name? I always assumed it was vaseline but I couldn't get it to work with pottasium permagenate, had trouble getting it to work with sugar too, anybody tried it and can reccomend a method?
Ps got it to get warm with coolant but it was straight from a car so it was too dilute I think.
Ps got it to get warm with coolant but it was straight from a car so it was too dilute I think.
Chemist not got Potass.Perm.?? Thats the only place you'll get it! They should be able to supply you. Ask the pharmacist. I fthey get awkward, say it's for disinfecting purposes. It's good as a foot bath for Athletes fFoot etc.
I have only got neat glycerine to work, but never sugar. I found the sugar works as a fuel not a reagent, so mixing some powdered in might help fuel the fire. It does help with sodium chlorate (V) when sulphur is not readily available.
Yours, pyromaniacly, Space.
I have only got neat glycerine to work, but never sugar. I found the sugar works as a fuel not a reagent, so mixing some powdered in might help fuel the fire. It does help with sodium chlorate (V) when sulphur is not readily available.
Yours, pyromaniacly, Space.
It seems Pot. Perm. is used in steralising pond plants and as a treatment for fish, so maybe an good fish shop may be able to helpfungy said:
They also sell it for treating fungal disorders in pigeons.
This is the excuse i always use when buying pot.perm.
This is the excuse i always use when buying pot.perm.
Goose said:The joy of dems!
lol
I have fond memories of standing over a barmine anti-tank mine that had been cut in half because the initiation charge was placed wrong whilst surrounded by a brush fire.
And also the time that i kicked an unexploded cluster bomblet whilst searching an overgrown field in kosovo for such items.( needed fresh pants after that one)
My only experience with this is a spoon full of PP in kitchen role and about a tea spoon full of antifreeze (out of the bottle so no dilution), goes off like a good en. My chemist was a little prissy about selling me tubs of the stuff so I said it was for my sons chemistry set and they swallowed it. But I believe they have become wary because it is used in the manufacture of crack or speed or something! Or that might just be gossip!
There's a few different makes of Pot Perm, when shopping for it see if you can get hold of the fine powder. Some chemists have it hidden away, others have it on the shelf, it seems dependant on where you're shopping!
You don't need a lot of either to get the reaction you want, start off with just small amounts of each and go from there, if you've got too much newspaper around it the reaction might not be strong enough to get the paper alight.
If you mess about with it, get wet etc you might get stained brown, it'll not come off quick
Glycerine - off the shelf in nearly any supermarket, in the cake ingredient with the food colours and flavourings.
You don't need a lot of either to get the reaction you want, start off with just small amounts of each and go from there, if you've got too much newspaper around it the reaction might not be strong enough to get the paper alight.
If you mess about with it, get wet etc you might get stained brown, it'll not come off quick
Glycerine - off the shelf in nearly any supermarket, in the cake ingredient with the food colours and flavourings.
You can also mix it with magnesium shavings off your fire lighter to make an improvised flash powder - handy if you stumble across a yeti, forgot the flash gun and it's too dark to take a photo.
Spacemonkey said:
sugar and PP will work but requires friction, I have found the best way to provide this is to place the pile of PP and suger on a paving slab and rub the pile into the slab vigorously with the back of a teaspoon.
as a general warning to anyone reading this thread:
BE EXTREAMLY CARFULL USING CHEMICALS LIKE SODIUM CHLORATE, SULPHUR AND MAGNISIUM POWDER IN CHEMICAL FIRELIGHTING, YOU ARE GETTING INTO THE REALMS OF EXPLOSIVES!!!!!!!! DO NOT MESS AROUND WITH THEM UNLESS YOU HAVE A DETAILED UNDERSTANDING OF THERE DANGERS
S
sam_f
Guest
Especially don't go near chlorates - mixtures containing these oxidisers can spontaneously explode rather than just ignite, there have been many instances of people losing fingers and worse with these.
Potassium permanganate used to have an alternative name of 'Condy's Crystals' if that helps any.
http://encycl.opentopia.com/term/Potassium_permanganate
Potassium permanganate used to have an alternative name of 'Condy's Crystals' if that helps any.
http://encycl.opentopia.com/term/Potassium_permanganate
PP is commonly available from my local chemists' - about £1.20 for a small tub of "slightly damp" crystals - it's dodgy if you breath it in so manufacturers are backing away from selling the fine dry powderd form.
On the other hand, I don't know where to pick up sodium chlorate without added fire suppressants.
As a tinder, you can go as high as about 9 parts sugar to one PP by volume and get a mix that burns well from a spark but won't go bang on it's own.
On the other hand, I don't know where to pick up sodium chlorate without added fire suppressants.
As a tinder, you can go as high as about 9 parts sugar to one PP by volume and get a mix that burns well from a spark but won't go bang on it's own.
