How to make sparklers at home

A sparkler is a hand-held pyrotechnic product consisting of a mixture of substances smeared on a wire, which, when burned, produces a bright and sparkling white or colored fire.

Bengal fire was invented by the ancient pyrotechnicians of Bengal, a part of India located along the Bay of Bengal. This is where the name “sparkler” comes from. Bengal lights, or sparklers, from India spread throughout the world.

Store-bought (factory-made) sparklers consist of steel wire coated with a flammable mixture and usually produce a white flame with branching sparks.

The main difference between sparklers and the main part of pyrotechnics is the ability to use them indoors, on festive tables. Such products do not emit combustion products hazardous to human health.

The compositions of sparklers have long been invented and tested, and the reagents are relatively affordable. I will provide you with the compositions of sparklers by Platov:

Composition No. 1

Barium nitrate…………………………50% Dextrin……………………………12-14% Aluminum powder……………….6-8% Blued steel filings……30 %

Composition No. 2

Barium nitrate…………………………50% Dextrin……………………………12-14% PAM No. 4……………………………6-8% Burnished cast iron sawdust……30%

Composition No. 3

Barium nitrate…………………………50% Dextrin……………………………12-14% Magnesium powder No. 4………….6-8% Burnished steel filings……. thirty%

(PAM – Aluminum-Magnesium Powder)

As you can see, all compositions do not contain sulfur and salts (sodium, potassium), due to which the composition does not emit smoke or substances harmful to the body.

Unfortunately, I do not have access to Barium Nitrate (which in most cases can only be purchased in chemical stores), so I will describe to you another composition and method of making sparklers that can be safely used outdoors, just like factory-made products.

My sparkler composition is as follows:

Aluminum gunpowder – 5g Dextrin – 2g Cast iron filings – 5-6g

The specified quantity is enough for 6-8 pieces.

Aluminum gunpowder was used in the proportion for pyrotechnics - 50:15:35. This is the main flammable composition that will produce a bright white fire. Gunpowder contains sulfur, which will produce smoke when burned, so sparklers with this composition can only be used in fresh air. Homemade dextrin was used; it binds our composition, ensures good attachment to the wire, and reduces the burning rate of al. gunpowder

Crushed cast iron filings were also used to create flying sparks. They should be medium grain, not powder!

Instead of cast iron filings, you can also use iron, titanium, steel, and possibly aluminum.

From the dishes, we will need a small container for mixing the composition and a tall narrow vessel, preferably a glass flask, but you can also use an empty thick marker.

As practice has shown, the composition can only be mixed in a plastic case from vitamin “Revit”; in a jar from vitamin “Undevit and Pikovit” the composition becomes very bad and may not ignite at all. It is not recommended to mix the composition in a jar of Hexavit vitamin, as it can detonate from excessive mechanical impact, and the finished sparklers will fly away from your hands like rockets. I described this very important point because beginners often neglect safety precautions! And you need to know every nuance.

And so, everything is simple: 1. You already have aluminum gunpowder ready, pour 5g into a container, add 2g of dry dextrin there, mix well, then 5-6g of metal filings. Cast iron ones produce the most beautiful, branching yellow sparks. Aluminum and titanium produce white sparks.

2. First you need to prepare steel (!) pieces of wire 12-15 cm long, 1 mm thick, and make bent hooks on all of them at one end. The wire must be steel, and not copper or aluminum, because the combustion temperature of al is high. gunpowder can literally melt and burn it.

3. Now pour the composition into the flask and add a little solvent (water or alcohol) to the consistency of condensed milk, mix.

(The composition is then very easily washed off with water from any dishes and hands.)

4. At the next stage, we need to soak and coat the wire in a liquid composition (if there is little composition and it is all at the bottom, then simply turn the flask horizontally so that the composition sticks to the desired piece of wire - about 8-10 cm.) Shake off excess mass (droplets) into the flask so that they don’t drip onto the floor later.

5. There should be 5 layers in total, after the first layer the wire will only thicken a little, this is a primer, so to speak... Then we hang it by the hooks, dry it on a rope for about 15 minutes.

Cover the flask with a lid during this time so that the water does not evaporate and the composition does not dry out.

This is what it looks like after the 3rd layer:

Hang to dry again for 20-30 minutes, during which time you can go about your business.

These are ready-made and dried sparklers after 5 layers of composition:

It’s not as smooth and beautiful as from the packaging, but we don’t need that, we’re not at the factory.

That's all, these sparklers are easy to light and burn beautifully:

Attention! So that there are no questions. This was the first time I made this composition and only added 3g of cast iron filings, which is why there were so few sparks. There wasn't enough dextrin for the second portion. Therefore, do everything as indicated in the proportion, put 6g of sawdust (in terms of volume it will be a very small pile) and you will have enough sparks, like in real fires.

Source vzrivpaket.ru

A little history

The procession of sparklers around the world began in the territory of ancient India in the 5th century BC. Hindus called the mixture blazing with bright fire sparklers , since they were used in sacrifices in Bengal. The powdery mixture consisted mainly of sulfur and rosin, which, under the influence of fire, sparkled, scattering into stars.

In those days, the sparkler glow seemed almost like magic, and a person who mastered the exact proportions of a sparkling fire enjoyed great respect

Trade with India allowed sparklers to spread in all directions. Subsequently, a convenient “stick” use of a flammable mixture was invented, making the use of this fire practically safe.

Sparkler stars fascinate both adults and children

What can you replace the ingredients with?

You can use aluminum gunpowder instead of powder in the composition for making a flammable mixture. It is taken in the same proportion, but the gunpowder will give the fire a bright white color. The only thing bad for a gunpowder sparkler is the presence of sulfur powder in its composition. If you did use this bulk mixture, do not light a fire indoors. The sulfur will produce smoke.

You can also use cast iron filings instead of aluminum ones. They sparkle even more, and the sparkler turns out more beautiful.

Safety precautions for use

Sparkling candles do not emit particularly harmful substances when burning, but their use still requires compliance with certain rules:

Before using sparklers at a wedding, you should inspect the sticks. If there are chips on them or the mixture breaks off from the rod, then it is better to put such specimens aside. Otherwise, fire particles may get on your hands, clothes or shoes.
During the combustion process, a small amount of smoke with a specific odor is released, so it is necessary to ignite hand-held fireworks outdoors, and if indoors, it is necessary to provide for the possibility of ventilation.
You should hold the fire stick by the part on which the flammable mixture is not applied, at an angle to the horizontal surface, thus removing scattering sparks from your hand.
The candle must be lit from the far end of the stick.

And naturally, we must not forget that we must protect these pyrotechnics from children and allow their use only in the presence of adults.

Where to get the ingredients

If you can simply buy aluminum powder and sawdust, then to get dextrin you will have to use your own strength. There is an opportunity to make it yourself. This is especially true if you find it difficult to find dextrin in specialty stores. Dextrin is necessary for a strong connection between the wire and the ignition elements so that nothing falls apart.

How to make dextrin at home? Take a frying pan and starch. Pour the powder into a frying pan and place in the oven, preheating it to 200℃. There the starch should simmer for about an hour. At the same time, it should be stirred periodically with a wooden spatula or spoon. You will end up with a brown or dark yellow powder.

After the dextrin has cooled, you can begin the next stage of creating sparklers.

Traditional composition of hand-held fireworks

The composition of fire candles has long been tested. As a rule, it includes:

Barium nitrate - 50%.
Burnished steel filings - 30%.
Dextrin - 12-14%.
Aluminum powder - 6-8%.

Sometimes, instead of the third preparation, magnesium or aluminum-magnesium powder No. 4 and cast iron shavings (element No. 2) are used.

Due to the fact that sparklers do not contain sodium, potassium, or sulfur salts, they are safe for humans, therefore there are no special safety precautions when using them, they can be used even in children's groups (under adult supervision).

Afterword

You should not dip the sticks too deeply - no more than 10 cm, so as not to burn your hands later. Leave enough room for your hand! Let us remind you once again that the wire must be steel. Since copper or aluminum gets very hot at high temperatures, which leads to burns. Don't risk your health and choose steel!

Sometimes aluminum powder is used instead of aluminum powder. It gives more of a white cast when lit. But gunpowder contains sulfur, which will cause smoke to accumulate in the room. In this case, you can light a sparkler only on the street.

Now you know enough to start making your own Bengal fireworks. If desired, the sticks can be made more creative by bending the steel into numbers or various shapes. You can also make an unforgettable photo session with sparklers, congratulating the birthday boy on his birthday or giving the newlyweds several burning hearts.

We wish you to enjoy both the process of creating sparklers with your own hands and using them!

Manufacturing

All these ingredients can be purchased in special stores or ordered online. Difficulties may arise with Dextrin. Don't let this word scare you. It can be made from ordinary starch. If you're married, look for starch in your kitchen. Every housewife has it in her arsenal. If you're single, add starch to your shopping list.

Step 1

Pour starch into a frying pan in a thin, even layer and place in the oven on the very top.

Step 2

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 to make it convenient to dry them.

Pour the resulting mixture into a flask and dilute with water to obtain the consistency of sour cream. Don't even try it on your tongue.

Step 5

Dip the prepared wires into the mixture, take them out and let them dry. We do this five times. But, do not dip the twigs completely, otherwise they may burn your hand when burned. Safety precautions are necessary in any business.

The technology is very simple, the main thing is to follow simple safety rules and you can surprise your friends and family with a homemade invention. Your holiday will become even brighter.

Sparkler

is a hand-held pyrotechnic product consisting of a mixture of substances smeared on a wire, which, when burned, produces a bright and sparkling white or colored fire.

Store-bought (factory-made) sparklers consist of steel wire coated with a flammable mixture and usually produce a white flame with branching sparks.

The main difference between sparklers and the main part of pyrotechnics is the ability to use them indoors, on festive tables. Such products do not emit combustion products hazardous to human health.

The compositions of sparklers have long been invented and tested, and the reagents are relatively affordable. I will provide you with the compositions of sparklers by Platov:

Composition No. 1

Barium nitrate…………………………50% Dextrin……………………………12-14% Aluminum powder……………….6-8% Blued steel filings……30 %

Composition No. 2

Barium nitrate…………………………50% Dextrin……………………………12-14% PAM No. 4……………………………6-8% Burnished cast iron sawdust……30%

Composition No. 3

Barium nitrate…………………………50% Dextrin……………………………12-14% Magnesium powder No. 4………….6-8% Burnished steel filings……. thirty%

(PAM – Aluminum-Magnesium Powder)

As you can see, all compositions do not contain sulfur and salts (sodium, potassium), due to which the composition does not emit smoke or substances harmful to the body.

My sparkler composition is as follows:

Aluminum gunpowder – 5g Dextrin – 2g Cast iron filings – 5-6g

The specified quantity is enough for 6-8 pieces.

Crushed cast iron filings were also used to create flying sparks. They should be medium grain, not powder!

Instead of cast iron filings, you can also use iron, titanium, steel, and possibly aluminum.

From the dishes, we will need a small container for mixing the composition and a tall narrow vessel, preferably a glass flask, but you can also use an empty thick marker.

3. Now pour the composition into the flask and add a little solvent (water or alcohol) to the consistency of condensed milk, mix.

(The composition is then very easily washed off with water from any dishes and hands.)

5. There should be 5 layers in total, after the first layer the wire will only thicken a little, this is a primer, so to speak... Then we hang it by the hooks, dry it on a rope for about 15 minutes.

Cover the flask with a lid during this time so that the water does not evaporate and the composition does not dry out.

This is what it looks like after the 3rd layer:

Hang to dry again for 20-30 minutes, during which time you can go about your business.

These are ready-made and dried sparklers after 5 layers of composition:

It’s not as smooth and beautiful as from the packaging, but we don’t need that, we’re not at the factory.

That's all, these sparklers are easy to light and burn beautifully:

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, and a bright belief in magic like these unusual and bright sparklers. They are always easy to find in any store on the eve of the holidays. But if you want to create unique sparklers of your own thickness and shape chosen by you, it will not be difficult. To do this, we will need your perseverance, some materials and the desire to do something extraordinary.

How to make sparklers with your own hands?

To create sparklers you need:

Starch. . Pyrotechnic mixture. . Bertholet's salt. . Metal shavings. . Several wires. . A vessel or any container.

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 have noticed various beautiful colors in the process of lighting sparklers, we hasten to inform you that this is the effect of different types of salts. Let's use bertholite salt as an oxidizing agent.

. We erase all the above elements into powder, but at the same time we will remember that it is very dangerous to mix bertholite salt with metal shavings, so be careful and do not forget about the peculiarities of chemical processes.

You need to add paste to the resulting mixture and mix everything thoroughly.

After this, you need to pour the mixture into a deeper container so that it is convenient to work with metal wire.

It is necessary to gradually and slowly dip the wire into the mixture, allow excess amounts of this mixture to drain off and leave to dry for a while.

Repeat this type of dipping so many times until the thickness of the mixture on the wire reaches 5-6 mm.

. After this, let our sparklers dry thoroughly, and feel free to use them.

Sparkler

- a pyrotechnic product, which is a metal rod coated with a flammable 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 burns, no harmful substances are released into the air.

How to make sparklers at home

So, we come to the most interesting part - the process of creating sparkling lights that will definitely come in handy during the holidays. To learn how to make a sparkler at home, read below.

Add aluminum powder to the starch that you “baked.” Mix well.
Afterwards, add sawdust to the mixture and mix thoroughly again.
Take a long vessel. This can be either a chemical flask or a simple glass bottle. Many people use plastic vessels.
Place the sparkler mixture in your container. Gradually add a little alcohol or water, then stir until the consistency begins to resemble condensed milk or sour cream.
Experts recommend bending the end of the steel handle slightly before dipping the sparkler into the mixture. Then it will be convenient for you to hang it to dry.
You need to be careful with the application process and take your time. The solution should not come into contact with the mucous membrane or skin. So we recommend working with gloves!
Each stick should be dipped into the solution 5 times, and then the excess should be allowed to drain off.
Earlier we talked about drying, which will be needed to fix the mixture on a stick. It is best to hang it on a hook above unnecessary dishes or thick paper.
Once your sticks are completely dry, they are ready to use!

Reactions

Colored fire when burning sparkler mixtures is obtained due to the presence of substances containing cations of barium, strontium, sodium or boron atoms, capable of emitting light of a certain wavelength in the visible region of the spectrum when entering the flame. Iron Fe, aluminum Al and magnesium Mg in the form of powders or fine sawdust, when burned, produce spectacular sparks. In this case, iron(III) oxide Fe 2 O 3 and partly Fe 3 O4, as well as Al 2 O 3 and MgO are formed.

Na 2 C 2 O 4 = Na 2 CO 3 + CO

and boric acid B(OH) 3, releasing water, turns into boron oxide:

2B(OH) 3 = B 2 O 3 + 3H 2 O By the way: what are “oxalates”?

Oxalates are salts of oxalic acid H 2 C 2 O 4. 2H 2 O, a colorless crystalline substance. Alkali metal and ammonium oxalates are colorless crystalline substances, highly soluble in water; the remaining oxalates are slightly soluble.

Strong acids in their concentrated aqueous solutions decompose oxalates into salts of these acids, releasing carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. For example, sodium oxalate Na2C2O4 under the action of concentrated sulfuric acid is converted into sodium sulfate, releasing CO and CO2:

Na 2 C 2 O 4 + H 2 SO 4 = Na 2 SO 4 + CO + CO 2 + H 2 O

Oxalic acid is dibasic and forms two series of salts: medium ones, for example, potassium oxalate monohydrate K 2 C 2 O 4. H 2 O, and acidic - hydroxalates, for example, potassium hydroxalate monohydrate KHC 2 O 4. H 2 O. When heated, almost all oxalates decompose into metal carbonates and carbon monoxide CO. Thus, calcium oxalate CaC 2 O 4 is converted into calcium carbonate and carbon monoxide:

CaC 2 O 4 = CaCO 3 + CO

With stronger heating, CaCO 3 releases carbon dioxide CO 2, turning into calcium oxide CaO:

CaCO 3 = CaO + CO 2

Oxalates in aqueous solutions exhibit reducing properties. For example, the interaction of sodium oxalate in an acidic environment with potassium permanganate leads to the release of carbon dioxide:

5Na 2 C 2 O 4 + 2KMnO 4 + 8H 2 SO 4 = K 2 SO 4 + 2MnSO 4 + 10CO 2 + 5Na 2 SO 4 + 8H 2 O

The process of mixing the mixture

After the resulting powder has cooled, begin to mix the ingredients. First, aluminum powder and fried starch are thoroughly mixed. Then sawdust is added and everything is carefully mixed again. Next, to make sparklers with your own hands, you need to place the resulting powder in a long vessel. You can use a tall chemical flask or take a thin, preferably glass bottle, but some craftsmen even used plastic packaging from a marker.

Then you need to add a little water or alcohol. Mix the liquid, adding in small portions to obtain the consistency of condensed milk or thick sour cream.

Application during an event

Handmade fireworks allow you to highlight the most romantic moments of the evening. Photos with sparklers will decorate any memorable album from the wedding ceremony. To create enchanting episodes of the celebration, you can use fire sticks during the first dance of the newlyweds, a symbolic farewell to mother and daughter. Their use during the ceremony of removing the veil, and of course, during the farewell of the bride and groom to their long and happy life together at the end of the event, will be advantageous. A lined corridor of guests, a halo around the young people while dancing, looks beautiful in a photo or video. You can also invite guests to draw pictures in the air or write wishes to the newlyweds in the dark. Lighting long sparklers at a wedding is sure to be a spectacular and memorable moment for all guests.

In order to prevent the occurrence of unpleasant situations when using sparkling sticks, it is advisable to consider the following points:

It is necessary to carefully consider the place for using sparklers (it should accommodate all the guests invited for the photo shoot, and be in an open area).
Fire candles have a greater visual effect in the dark, so they should be used closer to night.
There should be more props than participants, as some sparklers may be defective, and this will prevent the guest from joining the mass action.
In order to save time preparing a fire show during the event, you need to provide the required number of matches or lighters.
It is imperative to instruct guests on what specific actions they should perform with sparkling sticks, and then the newlyweds’ idea will be fully realized.

Sparklers are a decoration for any wedding ceremony. A small number of ingredients and simplicity in the technological process allow you to make them at home in any quantity. If you have patience, use your imagination and make an effort, then all guests will definitely remember the most exciting and beautiful moment of the celebration and the success of the event will be ensured!

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The main difference between sparklers and other pyrotechnic products is their ability to be used indoors. They are used to create a festive atmosphere at birthdays and other celebrations.

Today, sparklers can be of different sizes, have different shapes, and create not only light but also sound effects. A large selection of pyrotechnics is presented on the website https://www.bah-bah.ru/rzd-9.html.