Gun Powder, Fireworks & Smokeless Powder

[Earl Colby Pottinger]

Also most fireworks do not use gun powder, but the general public
still think that they do.

I beg your pardon. One of my friends, a master builder and respected
pyrotechnic
artist, stated the point simply and eloquently: "Black powder is to the
pyrotechnist what flour is to the baker". I think that sums it up quite
nicely.

Perhaps you were thinking of smokeless powder? Or you just don't know much
about
fireworks compositions?

-Rich

First Rich you are right on the first point, when I think gun powder I get
sloppy and am really thinking of smokeless powder as is used in most modern
bullets. In my defence I think you will find most of the public uses the
term Gun Powder in a generic sense. But the original mistake is mine and
mine alone. But your second statement is also correct in the sense that I
thought most fireworks have moved away from the basic black powder mixture or
is it still consider black powder even if a large percentage of addition
chemicals needed to get the effect desirec?

Earl Colby Pottinger

[Don Thompson]

Black Powder is Black powder. It is used as a propelling "lifting" charge
and as a bursting charge. It is pressed into spollettes (timers) and grains
(rocket fuel grains) but they are called black powder spollettes and black
powder grains. Once it has been modified into something which no longer has
the basic properties of BP it becomes something else e.g. Charcoal Star
formula, or Willow Star formula, etc. The same in basic ingredients as BP
but widely different in proportions.
--
Don Thompson

Ex ROMAD

Post by Earl Colby Pottinger

Also most fireworks do not use gun powder, but the general public
still think that they do.

I beg your pardon. One of my friends, a master builder and respected
pyrotechnic
artist, stated the point simply and eloquently: "Black powder is to the
pyrotechnist what flour is to the baker". I think that sums it up quite
nicely.
Perhaps you were thinking of smokeless powder? Or you just don't know much
about
fireworks compositions?
-Rich
First Rich you are right on the first point, when I think gun powder I get
sloppy and am really thinking of smokeless powder as is used in most modern
bullets. In my defence I think you will find most of the public uses the
term Gun Powder in a generic sense. But the original mistake is mine and
mine alone. But your second statement is also correct in the sense that I
thought most fireworks have moved away from the basic black powder mixture or
is it still consider black powder even if a large percentage of addition
chemicals needed to get the effect desirec?
Earl Colby Pottinger
--
I make public email sent to me! Hydrogen Peroxide Rockets, OpenBeos,
SerialTransfer 3.0, RAMDISK, BoatBuilding, DIY TabletPC. What happened to
the time? http://webhome.idirect.com/~earlcp

[Peter O]

Not Like Earl to be imprecise to the point of causing ongoing confusion.
Now say please: in what way Gun Powder & Black Powder differ.
If I have this right at last, they are of identical composition but are
presented in different forms for different applications.
Can someone also please confirm that Gun Powder compared with TNT has about
half the explosive enery per unit of mass & a flamefront speed also about
half.
Also is TNT as manufactured a stiff gel, if so what methods are used to
allow its safe loadingg into bombs & shells.

Pete

Post by Earl Colby Pottinger

Also most fireworks do not use gun powder, but the general public
still think that they do.

I beg your pardon. One of my friends, a master builder and respected
pyrotechnic
artist, stated the point simply and eloquently: "Black powder is to the
pyrotechnist what flour is to the baker". I think that sums it up quite
nicely.
Perhaps you were thinking of smokeless powder? Or you just don't know much
about
fireworks compositions?
-Rich
First Rich you are right on the first point, when I think gun powder I get
sloppy and am really thinking of smokeless powder as is used in most modern
bullets. In my defence I think you will find most of the public uses the
term Gun Powder in a generic sense. But the original mistake is mine and
mine alone. But your second statement is also correct in the sense that I
thought most fireworks have moved away from the basic black powder mixture or
is it still consider black powder even if a large percentage of addition
chemicals needed to get the effect desirec?
Earl Colby Pottinger
--
I make public email sent to me! Hydrogen Peroxide Rockets, OpenBeos,
SerialTransfer 3.0, RAMDISK, BoatBuilding, DIY TabletPC. What happened to
the time? http://webhome.idirect.com/~earlcp

[Don Thompson]

"Gun Powder" in this context is composed of Nitrocellulose (with or
without Nitroglycerine) and several other additives for stability. Black
Powder is a mechanical mixture of Potassium Nitrate, Sulfur, and Charcoal
compressed into a solid mass, broken into grains, tumbled to smooth the
grains and sometimes final tumbled with graphite to aid in flow properties.

Gun Powder compared to TNT will vary with the exact powder formulation but
gunpowder is designed NOT to explode but instead burn at a rate
progressively faster at higher temperature and pressure.

TNT, as manufactured, looks a lot like raw Nylon. TNT is mixed with RDX in
about 80:20 TNT:RDX ratio, melted in steam pans, then poured into a bomb or
shell casing or cast into block form to use as demolition charges.
--
Don Thompson

Ex ROMAD

Post by Peter O
Not Like Earl to be imprecise to the point of causing ongoing confusion.
Now say please: in what way Gun Powder & Black Powder differ.
If I have this right at last, they are of identical composition but are
presented in different forms for different applications.
Can someone also please confirm that Gun Powder compared with TNT has about
half the explosive enery per unit of mass & a flamefront speed also about
half.
Also is TNT as manufactured a stiff gel, if so what methods are used to
allow its safe loadingg into bombs & shells.
Pete

Post by Earl Colby Pottinger

Also most fireworks do not use gun powder, but the general public
still think that they do.

I beg your pardon. One of my friends, a master builder and respected
pyrotechnic
artist, stated the point simply and eloquently: "Black powder is to the
pyrotechnist what flour is to the baker". I think that sums it up quite
nicely.
Perhaps you were thinking of smokeless powder? Or you just don't know much
about
fireworks compositions?
-Rich
First Rich you are right on the first point, when I think gun powder I get
sloppy and am really thinking of smokeless powder as is used in most

modern

Post by Earl Colby Pottinger
bullets. In my defence I think you will find most of the public uses the
term Gun Powder in a generic sense. But the original mistake is mine and
mine alone. But your second statement is also correct in the sense that I
thought most fireworks have moved away from the basic black powder

mixture

Post by Peter O
or

Post by Earl Colby Pottinger
is it still consider black powder even if a large percentage of addition
chemicals needed to get the effect desirec?
Earl Colby Pottinger
--
I make public email sent to me! Hydrogen Peroxide Rockets, OpenBeos,
SerialTransfer 3.0, RAMDISK, BoatBuilding, DIY TabletPC. What happened to
the time? http://webhome.idirect.com/~earlcp