The Chemistry of Powder and Explosives - Sciencemadness Dot Org

80 PYROTECHNICS
The materials are mixed thoroughly, then moistened slightly and
rubbed for intimate mixture through a 10-mesh sieve, dried
quickly in shallow trays, and sifted through a 10-mesh sieve.
FIGURE 27. Matching a Battery of 10 Ball Roman Candles. (Courtesy
National Fireworks Company and the Boston Globe.)
Candle comp burns more slowly than black powder and gives
luminous sparks. The case is a long, narrow, strong tube of paper
plugged at the bottom with clay. Next to the clay is a small
quantity of gunpowder (4F); on top of this is a star; and on
top of this a layer of candle comp. The star is of such size that
it does not fit the tube tightly. It rests upon the gunpowder, an