Brief description

Smoke bombs are fireworks that don’t burn very fast and therefore do not explode. The chemical composition of the bomb may vary in proportion depending on whether a lot of smoke is desired for a shorter length of time or not.

By far the safest chemical to use for making your own home-grown smoke fireworks is the slowest burning one. The name of the substance is potassium nitrate (KNO3). It is not toxic. However, if accidentally taken in by mouth, it can cause burning irritation of the skin. In our food, we normally have traces of this chemical. Other explosive chemicals exist but are not for the inexperienced and untrained to handle.

The safest fuel to mix into your ingredients is sugar. If you add sodium bicarbonate, the burning process slows down even more and there will be more time for the gadget to emit smoke.

You get white smoke from that basic mixture

KNO3 and sugar give off white smoke. For colored smoke bombs, another type of explosive chemical is used. By adding the proper type of organic dye to the bomb mixture, colors such as blue, red, green, purple, yellow or multiple color combinations can be produced.

Read this section carefully!

You should take extra steps to make sure that the ingredients you are going to use for your home-made bomb are the right ones…

…verify that the powder you are using is really KNO3!

Another class of potassium compounds is used for making smoke bombs commercially. In particular, the substance known as potassium chlorate should not be handled by people with little experience. The chlorates are very combustible chemicals which will burst into flame very easily with heat, friction or sudden pressure. Potassium chlorate ignites in the presence of sulfuric acid and fuel. It can ignite so fast that if you have enough of it, you can cause an explosion.

Preparing your home-made smoke bomb

Nitrate and sugar may be heated over low heat on a frying pan until they are dissolved. Alternatively, they can be mixed with some water in a small bowl and stirred until the mixture has the consistency of paste. The first method is treated about here.

A good ratio between the ingredients of the bomb mix is 58:37:5. That is 58 % of nitrate, 37 % of sugar and 5 % of sodium bicarbonate. For a faster burning bomb remove the 5 % for the bicarbonate and just use 60:40 for the nitrate and the sugar.

Turn on the flame of your stove to LOW. Use a skillet to heat the ingredients over the flame while constantly stirring with long strokes. You should use a spoon for this purpose. Turn the heat down some more when the sugar starts to liquefy and continue until everything is liquid.

After removing the skillet from the flame, pour everything out into a strip of aluminum foil. Wrap it up and let it cool in the foil.

After the mixture cools and hardens, you are ready to use the bomb. Find some place that is open for your bomb demo. Prop the bomb on a surface that is flame-proof, far away from dry leaves and branches. Use a long-arm lighter to ignite the bomb.

Prepare your smoke bomb, at most, one day before you intend to use it. It is not advisable to store such things in the house.

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Author Bio: Jameson Daniels is a writer for skylighter.com check out his colored smoke or his sky lanterns or his making black powder

Category: Education
Keywords: balck powder, smoke bomb