Bengal candles, or sparklers, are a very popular, beloved, and relatively safe type of pyrotechnics. So safe that even children are allowed to set fire to Bengals (of course, under the supervision of their parents). From the point of view of the device, a Bengal candle is a piece of metal wire on which a pyrotechnic composition is applied. The effect of splashing lights is created, on the one hand, by oxidized sawdust - iron or steel; as well as powdered magnesium or aluminum. Bengal lights can be of various colors - with the addition of additional chemical ingredients - such as purple, blue or pink. But the classic bengals are still a golden hissing stick that scatters sparks that look like molten metal (in fact, this is what it is).
Despite the ease of use, there are safety precautions for sparklers too. After pulling the begnal out of the package, hold it by the metal end (without sprayed pyrotechnic composition), under a small fire to the ground, so that the sparks fall evenly and scatter in different directions. In no case should you hold a Bengal candle vertically, because. flaming particles of metal filings can fall on the hand and cause burns. Gently light the far end of the candle.
Bengal fires are a flammable product, and it is recommended to set them on fire in the open air. This condition becomes mandatory when it comes to color-flaming sparklers, because. they contain aggressive oxidizing agents.
Before lighting, carefully inspect the surface of the candle. It should be fairly even, with a uniformly applied composition. If there are chips, or in some places the composition falls off, it is necessary to refrain from lighting such a candle - most likely, it is overdue. You don’t want falling pieces of the composition to fall on your clothes or shoes during combustion, do you?
A quality Bengal candle has a silver, gray or black color, depending on what composition was used in its manufacture. Some factories put a special flammable head on the end of the candle (almost like the head of a match) to make it easier to light it. Almost all sparklers on sale are Russian-made. There are a lot of factories that produce such pyrotechnics, among them are NIIPKh (Sergiev Posad) and TSZ (Trinity Equipment Plant), which is part of the Russian Fireworks association. Chinese Bengals are distributed mainly in Siberia and the Far East.
Is it possible to make sparklers at home? Or is what Nosov described in his story a fantasy? and got the best answer
Answer from Goldfish[guru]
DIY colored sparklers
A mixture of substances that, when burned, gives a bright and sparkling white or colored fire, was invented by the ancient pyrotechnics of Bengal, a part of India located along the Bay of Bengal. That's where the name "bengal fire" came from. Bengal lights, or Bengal candles, from India have spread throughout the world.
Purchased Bengal candles consist of twisted wire, which is coated with a combustible mixture, and usually give a white fire. To prepare colored home-made sparklers, first mix starch with water and brew a thick paste.
Then they grind in a mortar a mixture of iron filings, aluminum or magnesium powder, salt that colors the flame and wet “Bertolet salt” - potassium chlorate (Caution! Dry potassium chlorate can ignite metal powders when rubbed!)
The mixture obtained by rubbing is added to the starch paste and mixed thoroughly. A thick mass is transferred into a test tube or a tall glass, alternately dipped into it to a depth of 8-10 cm, pre-prepared iron wires about 1 mm thick, removed and allowed to drain excess mass, and then hung on a rope by a hook bent at the other end of the wire.
After drying, the wires are again dipped into the liquid mass and dried again. These operations are repeated 3-5 times until the mass layer on the wire reaches 5-6 mm in diameter, after which the Bengal candles are dried completely.
Green Bengal fire is obtained by mixing without grinding 5 g of wet barium nitrate with 1 g of aluminum or magnesium powder, then 3 g of iron filings are added.
Another recipe for a green sparkler includes 3.5 grams of boric acid, 6.5 grams of wet potassium chlorate, 2 grams of iron filings, and 1 gram of aluminum powder.
Red sparkler gives a mixture of 4.5 g of wet strontium nitrate, 5.5 g of potassium chlorate, 3 g of iron filings and 1 g of aluminum or magnesium powder.
A yellow sparkler will delight your eyes if it is prepared from 3 g of sodium oxalate, 5 g of wet potassium chlorate, 3 g of iron filings and 1 g of aluminum or magnesium powder.
Colored fire during the combustion of Bengal mixtures is obtained due to the presence of substances containing barium, strontium, sodium or boron atoms, which, when they enter the flame, emit light of a certain wavelength in the visible region of the spectrum.
And you can also cook Bengal paper.
Bengal paper, when ignited, burns with a colored flame, without forming smoke and practically odorless. To prepare it, strips of filter, toilet or tissue paper are impregnated with an aqueous solution of salts that release the oxygen necessary for combustion and color the flame, according to the following recipes:
1. a solution of 2 ml of ethyl alcohol, 2 g of barium chlorate and 2 g of potassium chlorate in 10 ml of water (the paper will burn with a green flame);
2. a solution of 2 ml of ethyl alcohol, 2 g of strontium nitrate and 1 g of potassium chlorate in 10 ml of water (the color of the flame is red);
3. a solution of 2 ml of ethyl alcohol, 2 g of copper nitrate and 1 g of potassium chlorate in 10 ml of water (the flame will be blue).
4. a solution of 2 ml of ethyl alcohol, 1 g of sodium oxalate and 1 g of potassium chlorate in 10 ml of water (the flame will be yellow).
Strips of unglued paper impregnated with solutions are air-dried and then set on fire.
The spectacle is unforgettable!
Sparkler- a pyrotechnic product, which is a metal rod coated with a combustible mixture, which, when burned, gives a beautiful sparkling flame. The main advantage of this pyrotechnic product is the possibility of using it indoors (at festive tables), because when fuel is burned, no harmful substances are released into the air.
Who Invented Bengal Lights
In ancient India (V - VI centuries AD), on the shores of the Bay of Bengal, religious ceremonies were held in the temples of Bengal. For many years they were carried out with the use of fire. The priests wanted to involve as many people as possible in the rituals. To do this, it was necessary to come up with something bright, spectacular. And so they gave the task to pyrotechnicians to invent such a fire that it would fascinate all people with its flame. Who exactly invented sparklers is unknown, but such a fire appeared at one of the ceremonies. He was of extraordinary brightness and beauty, hundreds of sparks emanated from him, which did not cause any burns. This made a huge impression on people and the rumor about the miracle of fire quickly spread throughout the bay. In total, two types of fire were developed: "Evil" and "Good". The first contained sulfur in its composition, which emitted an unpleasant odor when burned. The second type of fire did not emit an unpleasant odor, apparently in it, rosin was used instead of sulfur.
In the 8th century Pyrotechnics invented colored lights: yellow, blue, green. In addition, a way was found to increase the burning time, for this, plant stems were used, wide leaves twisted into a tube. Merchants brought Bengal lights to Europe after trade routes between Europe and India were opened. This type of pyrotechnics quickly gained popularity, and not a single festive event was complete without Bengal lights.
The composition of modern sparklers does not include harmful substances. Ingredients: barium nitrogen, magnesium or aluminum powder, starch or dextrin, oxidized steel filings.
How to make a sparkler
This pyrotechnic product is quite easy to make at home, you just need to get the necessary components and mix them in certain proportions.
We present to your attention three compositions described in the book by G.A. Platov "Pyrotechnician. The art of making fireworks. All of these recipes lack sulfur, sodium and potassium salts. Thanks to this, they can be used without fear for their health.
First composition:
- Barium nitrate 50%
- Blued steel sawdust 30%
- Dextrin 12 - 14%
- Aluminum powder 6 - 8%
Second composition:
- Barium nitrate 50%
- Blued cast iron sawdust 30%
- Dextrin 12 - 14%
- Powder aluminum-magnesium (PAM) No. 4 6 - 8%
Third squad:
- Barium nitrate 50%
- Blued steel sawdust 30%
- Dextrin 12 - 14%
- Magnesium powder No. 4 6 - 8%
These compositions allow you to make sparklers with your own hands.
We will show an example of manufacturing using a different composition (without the use of barium nitrate).
Making sparklers
For the manufacture of 6 - 8 pieces, you will need:
- Cast iron sawdust (medium grit) 5-6 gr.
- Aluminum powder 5 gr.
- Dextrin 2 gr.
- Steel bars (thickness 1 mm.)
aluminum powder we make according to the recipe optimally suitable for pyrotechnic products.
To do this, mix:
- Potassium nitrate 50%
- Aluminum powder 35%
- Sulfur 15%
The mixture must be thoroughly ground in a mortar.
Since there is sulfur in the gunpowder, it is impossible to use the manufactured Bengal fire indoors.
Dextrin made from starch. Sprinkle starch evenly on a baking sheet and send it to the oven, heated to 200ºC. We bake it for about an hour and a half, stirring occasionally (make sure that the starch does not melt and does not roll into lumps). As a result, the powder will take on a yellowish-brown color.
So, all the components are ready and we can start making sparklers.
We cut the steel wire into segments 12–15 cm long. From one end, we bend these segments (making a hook). Important! It is necessary to use steel rods, aluminum or copper will not work, they will simply melt when burned.
Pour into a cup 5 grams of aluminum powder and 2 grams of dextrin powder. Mix well, then add 6 g of metal filings to the mixture (cast iron can be added, they give yellow sparks; aluminum or titanium they give white sparks). We mix.
Pour the composition into a flask and add a little water or alcohol. We bring the mixture to the consistency of condensed milk.
Now we immerse the prepared steel bars in the substance by 8 - 10 cm. Let the composition adhering to the wire dry. Drying will take approximately 15 minutes.
Then apply a second layer and let dry again. Thus, you need to apply 5 layers. During drying, do not forget to cover the flask so that the liquid does not evaporate from the composition.
Do-it-yourself sparklers will look something like this.
It's time for testing.
As you can see, from homemade sparklers (specifically these), there are few sparks. The reason for this is the fact that only 3 grams of iron filings were added to the composition during manufacture. But if you strictly follow the instructions described above and add 6 grams of sawdust to the composition, then there will be much more sparks (as in real lights).
Based on materials from the site: vzrivpaket.com
The New Year is associated with a good mood, a plentiful festive table, tangerines and, of course, sparklers. Nothing creates an atmosphere of comfort, a real holiday, a bright faith in magic like these unusual and bright sparklers. They are always easy to find on the eve of the holidays in any store. But if you want to create unique sparklers of your own thickness and shape of your choice, it will not be difficult. To do this, we need your perseverance, some materials and the desire to do something extraordinary.
How to make bengal fires with your own hands?
To create sparklers you need:
Starch.
. pyrotechnic mixture.
. Bertolet's salt.
. Metal shavings.
. Several wires.
. Vessel or any container.
1. First you need to boil the starch and get a special paste for our sparklers. In order to make the sparks brighter, we use a pyrotechnic mixture. If you noticed various beautiful colors in the process of lighting sparklers, we hasten to inform you that this is the effect of various types of salts. Let's use Berthollet's salt as an oxidizing agent.
2 . We erase all the above elements into powder, but at the same time we will remember that Bertolet salt is very dangerous to mix with metal shavings, so be careful and do not forget about the peculiarities of chemical processes.
3. In the resulting mixture, you need to add a paste and mix everything thoroughly.
4. Following this, you need to pour the mixture into a deeper container so that it is convenient to work with metal wire.
5. It is necessary to gradually and slowly dip the wire into the mixture, allow excess amounts of this mixture to drain and leave to dry for a while.
6. Repeat this dipping as many times until the thickness of the mixture on the wire reaches 5-6 mm.
7 . After that, let our sparklers dry thoroughly, and feel free to use them.
In this article we will learn how to make sparklers with our own hands. It will be interesting for those who like to do things with their own hands, who like to experiment at home. Or maybe you just want to save your money. Either way, this article is for you.
- Aluminum powder - 5 g;
- Aluminum filings - 5 g;
- Dextrin - 2 g;
- Thick wire;
- Flask.
Manufacturing
All these ingredients can be purchased in special stores, ordered online. Difficulties may arise with Dextrin. Don't let this word scare you. It can be made from ordinary starch. If you are married, look for starch in the kitchen. Every hostess has it in their arsenal. If single, add starch to your shopping list.
Step 1
Pour starch into a thin even layer in a pan and put in the oven to the very top.
Step 2
We bake the starch for an hour and a half at a temperature of 200 degrees.
Step 3
Stir the starch from time to time. The result should be a yellow or brownish powder. Everything ingenious is simple!
Step 4
Be sure to work in a ventilated area! We make the wire for the lights 14-16 cm long. We bend one end so that it is convenient to dry them.
Pour the resulting mixture into a flask and dilute with water to get the consistency of sour cream. Do not try to try on the tongue.
Step 5
We dip the prepared wires into the mixture, take it out and let it dry. We do this five times. But, do not dip the twigs completely, otherwise, when burned, they can burn your hand. Safety is essential in any business.
The technology is very simple, the main thing is to follow simple safety rules and you can surprise your friends and loved ones with a homemade invention. Your holiday will become even brighter.
