Ok, we were doing a series of chemistry experiments the other day including making hydrogen. We placed a single strip of magnesium into something along the lines of sodium dilute, can't remember the full name exactly. Anyways on to my point, I stole quite a few magnesium strips but not to simply light them and admire the flash but because I saw and article here to do with using magnesium as a composition to make flash powder. How do I powder the magnesium strips and how many should be enough? Thanks for any helpful replys.

-Flame

If your magnesium ribbon is anything like mine it's very thin and about 1/4 of an inch wide, yes?

It will be very hard to use a grinder on something of those dimensions, but you could try cutting it into very small pieces and ball milling it until it breaks down. It could take a while if you have to start with chunks, and depending on your milling media it may not work at all.

~Zero

Yes Zero, it is very thin and all pieces vary in length but none of them are that long. Where do you purchase your magnesium from?

Thanks.

-Flame

if you can get some flares, magnesium is used in flares so all you have to do is take it out

Like Zero said, it will be hard to grind it down to a fine powder, so I would take some scissors and cut it into 1/8 inch thin pieces and throw it into a ball mill for a few days, or until it is a fine powder. It will not take as long as aluminum to powder because it is much softer.

I'll wait until I get some more strips as i don't think I have enough for a decent ammount of flash powder. But thanks all the same everyone.

-Flame

Just use the strips to ignite thermite. When/if you get some powdered magnesium here's some good info. Some good flash powder that looks a lot like photo flash can be made from...

Potassium Chlorate 60%
Magnesium 30%
Antimony Trisulfide 10%

Some extremely good flash powder that is 'flash bang quality' can be made from

Potassium Perchlorate 40%
Magnesium 35%
Aluminum Powder
(preferably 600 mesh) 25%

WARNING: Chlorate based flash mixtures decompose faster and are more shock sensitive. I recomden you stay away from these for a while

WARNING 2: Magnesium flash based powders are much more violent than alumnum based ones. Keep these flash powders away from sulfur and water!

If i were you i would just light some thermite or burn it, if your gonna make flash than get a firestarter.

CTR

Thermite is gay.

quote:

---

Originally posted by NickSG:
Thermite is gay.

---

What are you talking about....Thermite is awesome....I love that stuff....Its my favourite low explsoive....

is it really an explosive in my opinion it borders on that fine line but thermite isnt all majikal if it were then it would near the top of my list

Thermite is an incendiary.

I still think thermite is gay. All it does is burn and melt stuff. It doesnt burn much hotter than kno3/mag or alum.

Thermite is fun. You can melt things like, say, someone's engine block with it. It isn't really an explosive, more of a chemical reaction between the aluminum and iron oxide which is started by the heat from a magnesium strip or a sparkler.

David, explosives going off are chemical reactions also.