The Chemistry of Powder and Explosives - Sciencemadness Dot Org

Potassium chlorate
Strontium nitrate
Barium nitrate
Pans green
Shellac
Stearme
Red gum
Calomel
Sal ammoniac
Copper ammonium chloride
Fine sawdust
Rosin
Lampblack
Milk sugar
RAILWAY FUSEES 65
10
40
6
6
1
Red
4
10
3
1
1
8
16
3
Green
4
8
2
1
4
8
3
6
4
4
1
1
] Blue
Railway Fusees (Truck Signal Lights)
Motor trucks are required by law to be equipped with red signal
lights for use as a warning in case an accident causes them to
be stopped on the road at night without the use of their electric
lights Similar lights are used for signaling on the railways The
obvious requirement is that the signal should burn conspicuously
and for a long time A F. Clark recommends a mixture of:
Strontium nitrate (100 mesh)
Potassium perchlorate (200 mesh)
Prepared maple sawdust (20 mesh)
Wood flour (200 mesh)
Sulfur (200 mesh)
PARTS
132
15
20 1
25
The prepared maple sawdust is made by cooking with miner's
wax, 10 pounds of sawdust to 1 ounce of wax, m a steamjackcted
kettle The mixture is tamped dry into a paper tube,
% inch m external diameter, 1/32 inch wall, and burns at the
rate of about 1 inch per minute The fusee is supplied at its base
with a pointed piece of wood or iron for setting it up in the
ground, and it burns best when set at an angle of about 45°. In
order to insure certain ignition, the top of the charge is covered
with a primer or starting fire, loaded while moistened with
8
.
6
2
3
16
14
12
1
2
2