Coloured flames didnt work!!!

The other evening my friends and I were trying out coloured flames. So i got some boric acid from the chemist and disolved as much as i could into metho. We soaked our poi and when we lit up the flames werent really that coloured at all, only a tinge of colour was produced. I also got this stuff that was like 50% potasium chloride and then ammonium chloride, Magnesium Stearate and Tri Calcium Phosphe made up the rest. It didnt work either maybe cause it was a mix instead of pure potasium cholride. So is this because our poi still had some kero in them? or because i didnt leave the stuff to dissolve over night? or is metho a bad thing to use? or what?

Try using new poi heads and make sure the fuel is pure methanol (100% Denatured Alcohol) If you still have kero or white fuel left in them, the reaction will not work. Not sure about the KCl though, never tried it.

Hi there,
Your potassium chloride flames didn't work for a number of reasons - the main one being that it's not very soluble in meths (don't even think about kero). Therefore you get a very, very weakly coloured flame - there's not much metallic salt to burn. The fact that you bought a chemical mixture meant that the wick got even less potasssium to burn.
Boric acid is also not terribly soluble in meths but should produce a green flame. I think NYC once said the the strength of the yellow in the flame overpowers the green. Personally, I go for cupric chloride for green flames (you can also see blue flames at the end of the burn). It's very soluble in meths and you can re-dip your wick in straight meths (or kero) and the flame will still be green. The bad news is that it will damage any steel in your wick set-up.
Sabine

Hi,

I have been experimenting eith the colours for a couple of weeks now. Have managed to get good greens wiith boric acid / meths mix and also with ethanol. The flames look more red/orange until you start twirling.

Also have had a nice purple/blue from pottasium chloride but it was pure so it could be the amine causing your problems there.

Should be getting hold of some Strontium and Barium over the next few weeks so I will keep you posted as to how the colours go!

Mark P the Mad chemist

PS with the boric acid I found it best to dissolve 2-3 grams in about 500ml of meths (there should still be a little bit that hasnt gone into solution after shaking) You only need trace ammounts of the compound present for colouration of the flame

try soaking a towel in the mix. Then when colored flames are disired simply cut a strip from the towel and wrap around your wick. No fuss no muss have fun.

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We are all in the cosmic movie. That means the day you die you watch your whole life repeating for eternity. So you'd better have some good things happen in there and have a fitting climax. --Jim Morrison

Most Memerable crowd saying "Hey look that dude's gonna set himself on fire again!"

Sabine is right. Just had to make an apperance on the strand.

how are you gonna get strontium?

and what salt + what solvent? Does it dissolve in meths?