Gunpowder

POWERFUL GUNPOWDER from matches

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• published: 20 Jan 2017
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Firecrackers are fun… but seeing a firecracker you made with your own hands produce a nice loud bang is twice as much fun. A lot of beginners use matches to make firecrackers. However most people do it wrong and get mediocre results. When done right gunpowder made from matches is as powerful as basic aluminum flash powder in actual firecrackers. And if you buy cheap matches in bulk, you can get around 50 grams, a little short of 2 ounces of powder for 1 dollar. And 50 grams is enough to make 3 very powerful firecrackers. Getting ingredients even for basic aluminum flash powder can be hard, so why not use something you can buy pretty much… anywhere? Okay… Most people just peel the match heads, crush them and use it just like that. And that is just a waste of matches. BTW do not use metallic tools to grind match heads, and do it carefully. I do as you see because I am 100% sure that these matches are of the crappiest kind and won’t ignite when treated roughly. Expensive matches usually have more potassium chlorate in the mix, so they ignite easily. Cheap matches won’t ignite even when treated very roughly and are safe to work with. And do not forget the first rule of making gunpowder: the finer you grind it the better results you will get. Thу stuff coating the match is made to have a rather slow and lazy reaction needed to light the wood, it does not produce gases fast enough for a powerful explosion to happen. It is a kinda slow reaction, you can see a lot of residue remaining. For a powerful explosion to happen, you need an almost instantaneous reaction. The faster it reacts the better. You need a lot more of powerful oxidizers in this mix to make it happen. And it is quite fortunate that the striking pads you use for lighting matches contain just enough of powerful oxidizers like red phosphorus. Most people seem to forget about that. Just take the matchbox, peel this stuff using let’s say a knife. Try not to peel a lot of paper as you do it. Done. Now just add this stuff to the peeled match heads and mix. Now it is a violent fast reaction. No residue left. Now will ignite like a powerful stuff you can use to actually make firecrackers from. A word of advice: I obviously do not recommend anyone trying this at home. It can be dangerous, you can suffer injuries. But since even kids can legally buy very powerful firecrackers I see nothing wrong in making your own. If you are into pyrotechnics treat this stuff with respect. Mix it in small portions at a time. If it is your first time making pyrotechnics start small, make very small firecrackers for practice. As one famous tuber says: safety is number one priority, you know.