The Chemistry of Powder and Explosives - Sciencemadness Dot Org

72 PYROTECHNICS
Strontium nitrate
Barium nitrate
Picric acid
Charcoal
Shellac
Red
8
5
2
1
Green
The picric acid is to be dissolved in boiling water, the strontium
or barium nitrate added, the mixture stirred until cold, and the
solid matter collected and dried The same author 26 gives picric
acid compositions for stars, "not suitable for shells," as follows:
Strontium nitrate
Strontium carbonate
Barium chlorate
Potassium chlorate
Picric acid
Calomel
Shellac
Fine charcoal
Lampblack
Dextrin
8
1
1
Red
3
4 10
1 o 1 5
5 0 75
1
0 5 0 75
4
21-H
Green
12
8
2
6
2
1 5
0 5
Picrate Whistles
An intimate mixture of finely powdered dry potassium picrate
and potassium nitrate, in the proportion about 60/40, rammed
tightly into paper, or better, bamboo tubes from !/4 to % inch in
diameter, burns with a loud whistling sound. The mixture is dangerous,
exploding from shock, and cannot be used safely m aerial
shells. Whistling rockets are made by attaching a tube of the
mixture to the/outside of the case in such manner that it burns,
and whistles, during the flight—or by loading a small tube, say
Vi inch m diameter and 2~¥2 inches long, into the head of the
rocket to produce a whistle when the rocket bursts. The mixture
TC Op cit, pp 114, 115