Hey guys,

I have some hardend Kno3 + Sugar

Smoke mix but I'm wanting to combine them by remelting them.

Is there anyway to do this without it overheating and going up in smoke when I do it?

Sorry maybe I'm wrong and not understanding what you are saying. But if you have hardened KNO3/sugar mix isnt it hardened because you melted them together already? If so, then why would you want to remelt them and not just light it as it is?

Yes you're correct.

It does result in melting them togeather.

But I have many small hardend batches and I want to remelt them into one big batch.

It's Kind of like if you have two sticks of gum, you are chewing on one but adding more sticks of gum will improve the overall taste you get.

So you but more sticks in your mouth and they combine with the other pieces.

Sry if thats confusing

quote:Originally posted by pyroCHAD:

Yes you're correct.

It does result in melting them togeather.

But I have many small hardend batches and I want to remelt them into one big batch.

It's Kind of like if you have two sticks of gum, you are chewing on one but adding more sticks of gum will improve the overall taste you get.

So you but more sticks in your mouth and they combine with the other pieces.

Sry if thats confusing

Oh. I see what you are saying now. Well your not actually melting the KNO3 when you do that, just carmelizing(sp?)the sugar and suspending the KN03 in it and having a closer bond. I am not sure if carmalized sugar can be remelted because I suck at cooking and stuff. Sorry.

why not try re-crystalizing ?? at it all to some hot water mex it around to dissolve and then try re-crystalizing ... never done it before but

that would be my best guess although not tryed and tested ...

He's right. Recrystallization is MUCH better than melting, it wasily gives you 150% of what melting would.

I'm interested to know if a hardened KNO3 and Sucrose formula can be remelted myself because if I ever was slow getting my sugar rocket fuel into the tube I'd like to be able to remelt it. Can it (safely) be done?

Recrystalized takes a long time to dry and is very hydroscopic, but it does give a kick. I once lit a small piece of it, and it flew all over the place.

If you're going to mix it into one big batch, I also suggest recrystalization. I'm not sure you need to liquify it at all, though. If the blocks are roughly the same shape (I dunno what container you molded them in), you should be able to rip the containers off the blocks and stack them all up together. As long as all of them are touching, the heat will be plenty sufficient to burn all of the blocks. It's kind of a half-assed way to do it, though. I guess you'd be better off recrystalizing it if you have the time.

why not just chrush up or grind the already make smoke mix into small peices, make another batch of melted smoke mix, and whiles it melted, just add the small peices of pre-made stuff.

Grind it down(it doesn't need to be in a fine powder). Spray enough water on it to get it damp. Then ram it in a tube. Wait a day or so for it to dry. After that cut open the tube and get your stick of KNO3/Sucrose.

Wait.. so how does this recrystallization thingy work?

Just add hot water?

*Starts a search...

This is the grand daddy of sites for the recrystallization method.

http://www.jamesyawn.com/rcandy/index.htm

what are YOUR opions on recryatsalized method, does it work better on rockets.

Thanks for the url deadsexy.

I've gathered recrystallization makes it more powerfull as a propellent, but does recrystallisation improve it's effectiveness as a smoke mixture though?

have any members used it in rockets, results?

I thought the jamesyawn rcandy link was the

melting method and the recrystalization method was dissolving kno3 is

the smallest amount of water possible, then adding the sugar and

pouring cold alcohol into it and letting it evaporate. I tried

pressing it, but since the sugar stays liquid instead of becoming

recyrstalized, the pressing would be getting rid of the sugar, so I

ended up with a hard stick of kno3. Thats why you must let the water

evaporate instead, which takes a very long time. Unless somebody

knows a better way to do it?

[This message has been edited by Monkeychunks (edited 08-04-2003).]

Melting method? No, James' site displays the recrystallization method. That is the reason why he puts the mixture in the oven so it speeds up the evaporation process. After Rat gave me the link (thanks again), I was making recrystallized smoke devices like 24/7. Also, yes, his process (recrystallization) makes the smoke, if thats what you are using it for, last much longer. I pressed the recrystallized mixture in one of cannonfuses' old tubes, and the same with regular melted smoke mixture, and lets just say I'm gonna be a poser here: KNO3 + sugar = crap unless it's recrystallized.

recrystalized KNO3 burns too fast to be a real effective smoke device. Melted is the best way to go for smokers. Ive had pretty good performance with recrystalized 55% KNO3/ 35% sucrose/10% sulfur and 1% Fe203 rockets.