grinding barium nitrate

[only connect]

how can I grind barium nitrate without health problems caused by dust?

[Tyneman]

By using a good respirator?
Without correct safety equipment you should not even attempt to work with a chemical this poisonous.

So clean your ballmill, get (ALL) your gear on and start grinding.

[only connect]

yes I have a respirator! So Can I grind it in a ball mill? I ask it because I've read that you can grind only KNO3, C,S. But I've also read that you can grind all chemicals separatly without problems.

[Tyneman]

You can mill all chems seperatly. But make really sure your Ballmill is CLEAN and don't forget that the media is the biggest part in that.

[only connect]

thx!! I just tested my green MgAl stars..They are very very beautifull! The green is intensive but the only problem is to light the stars.. I tried to prime with BP without results(is too cold).. what kind of prime must I use? I don't want to use chlorate or perchlorate. A simple prime formula if is possible..

[Leander]

I don't know the exact composition you're using. A common green metallic star composition used here consists of Ba(NO3)2, Parlon and MgAl and is called emerald green. This composition can be primed by straight dextrinated meal +10% MgAl. Slightly wet the stars using a spray can, and roll them trough the ballmilled prime. I would try this first, since it seems to be adequate for most color compositions I've used so far. If it does preforms poorly using primes containing perchlorate (e.g. veline superprime) of step priming is the way to go.

[explomaan]

I was told by others that 5-10 % Si powder in your meal can light almost anything...

[Tyneman]

You could try a hotter then meal prime.
This is a verry wel working one, especially when finished by a layer of straight meal afterinitial priming.

Hot Igniter Star Prime

[*]

Chemical Percent

[*]

Potassium perchlorate 71%

[*]

Charcoal, airfloat 14%

[*]

Red gum 9%

[*]

Magnalium 6% (Same size as used in stars being coated)

As stated above, meal + 5%Si will light just about anything.

[only connect]

Thanks to all but I haven't perchlorate and silicon. the forumula that i've used is:

Hardt Green Star #5
Barium nitrate 56
Red gum 7
Magnalium -200 mesh 17
PVC 15
Dextrin 5
with 25% alcohol / 75% water
but is safe to ballmill BP with MgAl together?

[explomaan]

This star is really hard to ignite so I recommend you to use a good step-priming.
And no, metals do not belong in your ballmill with oxidisers .

[only connect]

so you are talling to me that a composition based on nitrate and MgAl is not sufficent to light the stars?

[ExplosiveCoek]

No, he's tElling you to use step-prime .

e.g.:

raw star mix, then:

meal:star mix
25: 75
50:50
75:25
pure meal to finish the star.

[only connect]

thx! E.C. I will try and I will post the results!