Fire Dust (Metal)

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Fire dust can not only be obtained using charcoal but also employing metal powders such as aluminium. The major drawback of these compositions is that generally there is a need for special ignition methods and hot primes such as thermite, and depending on the compositon simple gunpowder often will not do.

On the other hand we do not have to handle this problem when metal powders are contained in black powder type compositions and in this case the possible effects are very pleasing (this may come from the Senko hanabi effect). However special mixing methods like in the case of black powder may be necessary for best performances. Some glitter effects also make use of the basic chemicals of BP and therefore fall into this category.

Some old-fashioned chemicals such as realgar are not available any longer and in these cases substitutes will have to be found.


Silver wave - Ascending silver tail
Potassium perchlorate x
Aluminum (Coarse flake\flitter) y
SGRS +5
With: (x+y=100); 50/50 gives large flame of short duration, 35/65 gives small flame of longer duration; other ratios possible within limits; Prime with thermit and BP layer! Add 25% alcohol / 75% water
Golden wave #1 - #3
Potassium nitrate 37
Aluminium (flitter) 47
Antimony trisulfide 9
Boric acid 1
SGRS 6
Add 25% alcohol / 75% water; the boric acid prevents undesired reactions and must not be omitted; a golden fire dust is produced; If we substitute Sb2S3 with sulphur or realgar we get #2 or #3.
Golden chrysanthemum
Potassium nitrate 40
Aluminium (flitter) 30
Sulphur 10
Realgar 10
Charcoal paulownia or softwood 2
Boric acid 1
SGRS 7
Add 25% alcohol / 75% water
Silver wave chrysanthemum
Potassium nitrate 50.0
Sulphur 17.5
Charcoal (pine) 7.5
Aluminium (flitter) 7.5
Magnalium 1.5
Antimony trisulfide 2.5
Realgar 7.5
SGRS 6.0
Add 25% alcohol / 75% water; very elegant effect; the first three ingredients have to be intimately mixed like BP
Bleser Blond Streamer #1 - cut, spherical
Potassium nitrate 45
Sulfur 6
Charcoal (pine or hardwood) 29
Ferrotitanium (100 mesh) 15
SGRS 5
Add 25% alcohol / 75% water This is Chrysanthemum 6 with additional FeTi. DonĀ“t mill or pump any comp containing FeTi! Screen it together or screen in FeTi after milling the C6 ingredients.
Hardt Bright Streamer #1
Potassium nitrate 59
Charcoal (airfloat) 18.5
Sulphur 7.5
Aluminium (bright) 7.5
Dextrin 7.5
Add 25% alcohol / 75% water
Hardt Bright Streamer #2
Aluminium (dark) 17
Meal D 67
Barium nitrate 9
Dextrin 7
Add 25% alcohol / 75% water
Hardt Bright Streamer #3
Potassium nitrate 11
Aluminium (dark) 17
Meal D 56
Wheat flour 11
Dextrin 5
Add 25% alcohol / 75% water
Hardt Bright Streamer #4
Potassium nitrate 54
Charcoal (airfloat) 25
Sulphur 7
Titanium 20-40 mesh 7
Dextrin 7
Add 25% alcohol / 75% water
Hardt Bright Streamer #5
Charcoal (airfloat) 4
Meal D 66
Titanium 20-40 mesh 25
Dextrin 5
Add 25% alcohol / 75% water