Forums > Technical Discussion > Coloured Flames FAQ (First draft)

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DurbsBRONZE Member
Classically British
5,689 posts
Location: Epsom, Surrey, England


Posted:
Dom asked me (well, I asked him if he wanted me to, but anyway) to put together an FAQ which can remain as a sticky on top of this forum. Here's my first draft.

Comments welcome

~~~~~~~~

Coloured Flames FAQ



As much as we all love the yellow/orange flames produced by kerosene/parraffin - there is something captivating seeing a flame that is the "wrong" colour.

By adding the right chemicals to fuel, it is possible to turn your flames; Blue, Green, Red, White, Purple, Orange (but *really* Orange) and black.



Well ok, not black.



This article is a compilation of all the knowledge acquired over the years at Home of Poi about achieving coloured flames - what to use, how to use it, how not to use it, and all the relevant safety information.

Full credit must be give to all those that contributed to the boards about coloured flames - Many Thanks biggrin hug



Before we get into all the chemicals, here's a few things you should know before trying these:



1) Your wicks will be ruined.

~ Not only are some of the chemicals corrosive to metal, the higher burning temperature of the methylated spirits means the kevlar will degrade quicker too. If you can, it's advisable to have a normal fire wick/poi/staff and a coloured flame one - even going so far as a different wick for each different colour. Some of the chemicals can leave a manky reisdue which builds up on the wicks after a while - not only looking (and often smelling) unpleasant, but severly reducing the wicks' burn-time.



2) Toxic: Hazardous to Health

~ Some of the chemicals (including just Meths!) are pretty nasty - both in their "natural" state and the vapours they produce whilst burning. It's advisable to not regularly use any of these (try and limit yourself to 2 burns a night) even go as far as wearing a pollution mask. Wear some rubber gloves whilst handling them, and wash your hands before touching your eye or any other sensitive area of your body wink No one likes a chemical burn.

DO NOT EVEN CONSIDER DOING FIRE BREATHING WITH ANY OF THESE CHEMICALS



3) It's hot

~ May seem obvious, but it's always good to be aware smile Whilst you may feel happy doing bare-skin wraps with kero/paraffin, it's not really advisble to do it with these mixes. Not only does the Meths burn hotter than both kero and Coleman's/White Gas, the chemicals will also be burning and could do nasty things to your lovely arms. Wear nice loose fitting natural fiber tops and trousers. No-one likes a spinner in a shell-suit

~~~

So, onto the chemicals biggrin



What chemicals make what coloured flames?

(NB - There may be other chemicals which produce these, and other, colours, but these are the best for fire spinning)

Green - Boric Acid

Red - Lithium Chloride

Lilac - Potassium Chloride

Purple - Potassium Nitrate aka "Saltpetre" (*Warning* Burns VERY hot)

Blue - Copper Chloride



Where can I get these chemicals?

Apparently, they are all available through pottery stores as they are all used for different colour glazes. Boric Acid is easy to find, your local (big) pharmacy should have it, some DIY stores also stock it as "Roach Powder". Lithium Chloride is a bit tricky to get hold of as it's an anti-depressant. For the rest, try an internet search, or if any of you know chemistry students - ask them to ask their lab assistants.



What fuels can I use to dissolve the chemicals?

Methylated Spirits (Meths) is best for this, you can also use denatured alcohol, however this is a lot more volatile and burns a lot hotter.



How much chemical should I use?

The general consensus is "as much as will dissolve in the meths". Stir the meths and keep pouring in the chemical until it won't dissolve anymore. More meths can be added to "soak up" the extra chemicals.



What are the health risks of using these chemicals?

As with all fuels - your first port of call should be the MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) If it doesn't have one - try looking it up HERE

Just burning meths produces toxic vapours - these chemicals all add to this. It's sensible to limit yourself to two coloured spins a night, and also to wear a pollution mask. If you feel at all unwell/dizzy/high - put them out, walk a fair distance away and take some nice deep breaths of clean air. No matter how pretty the flames are, it's not worth getting sick over.



I mixed the meths with x-chemical but it didn't work - why?

There could be many reasons for this - however the most common is using your regular wicks to try these out on. It's best to use the chemicals on un-used wicks. If you tried using your normal fire wicks, chances are the residual parrafin on the wicks was burning too and burns brighter than the other fuels thus "drowning out" the colour. The more often you use a chemical on a wick, the clearer that colour will become - as mentioned earlier it's best to have a seperate poi/wick/staff for your coloured flames - even a different prop for each colour.



My poi don't burn as brightly or as long as I'm used to - why?

There's no way around this unfortunately. Due to the higher temperatures involved in burning meths, plus all the chemicals being used, the flames won't be as bright and the fuel is used up a lot quicker. Only solution is to use bigger wicks smile

Burner of Toast
Spinner of poi
Slacker of enormous magnitude


Whiffle Squeekaddict
416 posts
Location: Hartford, CT USA


Posted:
uhhhh, maybe im missing something, but is it good to be igniting someting that kills roaches? (they can live in microwaves)

breathing it cant be healthy...

Educate your self in the Hazards of Fire Breathing STAY SAFE!


anonomatosGOLD Member
enthusiast
389 posts
Location: Utrecht [NL], Netherlands


Posted:
i tried green and it's nice... though the meth and the boric acid won't mix very well...
EDITED_BY: anonomatos (1109965990)

"Don’t know how long, this one’s gonna take;
I could fail, but I’d rather be a fuckup, than a fake"


pjmember
277 posts
Location: Baltimore, Maryland, USA


Posted:

A few corrections are in order here...

Methylated spirits (meths) and denatured alcohol are the same thing. Usage varies by locality, much like kerosene/paraffin.

The stuff is basically grain (ethyl) alcohol (yeah, the same stuff you make punch and jello shooters with) with just enough wood (methyl) alcohol to make it too poisonous to drink.

This is the same stuff that is used in a bunsen burner or an alcohol camp stove.

These alcohols burn much *colder* than either kero or white gas, not hotter.

The fumes/vapors, while toxic, are less so than then kero or white gas. This is *before* you add the chemicals. Afters, all bets are off...

The biggest danger (unsaid above) is that before you add chemicals, alcohol/meth burns with a clear, almost invisible flame. Most alcohol burns are caused because nobody saw the flame. Be particularly careful arround your fuel dump.

For some reason kevlar wicks don't seem to work so well with alcohol. This is one case where you are better served with plain cotton, either denim or terry-towel.

Personally, the only chemcial I've ever used is boric acid, and I've never had any troubles getting a rather briliant green flame. You just need to mix in as much power as will dissolve.

Now, some questions... Does anyone know where to get denatured alcohol in the US for less than $11/gallon or boric acid for less than $3.50/lb? These are the best prices I've been able to find in local retail stores.

-p.

ShuBRONZE Member
Retro Fyre Wizzard
538 posts
Location: Pietermaritzburg (KZN), South Africa


Posted:
We (Ice-E FyreStorm) have been doing alot of recearch into this topic, and are in a phase where we are trying stuff out (wish us luck). Stevo (<-you'll meet him soon enuf) and i will then complile the data we gather with ALL the saftey and hazzard data, as well as saturation points, into a comprehensive document of what works and what does not, with a list of the best fuels to use, so sometime before the end of May I'll post the info here!



EDIT:

okay so we're a little behind the schedule... I'll post as soon as we have gotten round to finnishing it!
EDITED_BY: Shu (1117612235)

Regards hug

Shu
(Ice-E FyreStorm - Group Manager & Performer)

You know those people your parentals warned you about?... I'M ONE OF THEM! ubbloco
Yes, i do bite!!


NYCNYC
9,232 posts
Location: NYC, NY, USA


Posted:
Hey y'all...

In a fit of boredom at work I took 4 photos of coloured flames while my class was doing a 'flame test' lab. It shows the colors when burning in a blue bunsen burner.

Dunno if we want to put them anywhere or anything but I thought I'd contribue to the massive colored flame encyclopedia. A photo being worth a thousand posts and all.

I never figured out how to link to photos in my own gallery but my gallery is here....

My Gallery...

Well, shall we go?
Yes, let's go.
[They do not move.]


KaelGotRiceGOLD Member
Basu gasu bakuhatsu - because sometimes buses explode
1,584 posts
Location: Angels Landing, USA


Posted:
Leave it to an old man to not know how to use the internet wink



EDIT - bah, HoP's gallerys don't allow direct linking.



Lithium Chloride


Non-Https Image Link




Sodium Chloride


Non-Https Image Link




Strontium Chloride


Non-Https Image Link




Copper Sulfate


Non-Https Image Link

EDITED_BY: KaelGotRice (1132781685)

To do: More Firedrums 08 video?

Wildfire/US East coast fire footage

LA/EDC glow/fire footage

Fresno fire


pricklyleafSILVER Member
with added berries
1,365 posts
Location: Manchester, England (UK)


Posted:
Written by: JayKitty


I asked my art teacher a while back to see a glaze catalog becasue I heard somewhere that many of the chemicals used are used in glazes. Sure enough most of the chemicals were in there. Go online and do a search for a glaze or pottery retailer, someone huge. They'd sell the chemicals. They come in 1 pound bags for pretty cheap.


-Hope it helps




I'm a ceramics student. You don't need to go to a big pottery supplier, all pottery suppliers sell these chemicals as all ceramicists use them at some point or other, if not all the time.

Can I really reinstate that all these chemicals are potentially very dangerous, especially if used on a regular basis.

You should avoid breathing in any of the powders. This means that if your powder container is open, fine powder escapes into the air the powder you can't see is the most dangerous. You should wear a dust mask whenever using them. If you use them repeatedly, then you should invest in a proper industrial dust mask- about £15- £20. Why?- most potters used to die at around 35 from breathing in the chemicals. They didn't necessaily use them everyday either. You go mad first though! You should always use these powders in a well ventilated area, preferbly outside or in a room with a proper ventilation system. Always clean up spillages with a wet sponge to avoid spreading the dust further.

You should also wear gloves when handling the chemicals at all times, including when dry, and disolved, as you can absord them through your skin easily.

I think it is really important to state this as a lot of spinners, particulary backyard spinners, do not know about or read MSDS's.

Live like there is no tomorrow,
dance like nobody is watching
and hula hoop like wiggling will save the world.

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson


Poi_Romember
55 posts
Location: Manchester UK


Posted:
Hey guys..

Anyone in the UK managed to get any of the chemicals to work please?
Drop me a line if u have.

Ive managed to get hold of some potassium chloride in tablet form.. crushed it and drowned it in meths.. so far not having much luck in getting the powder to dissolve..

Maybe something to do with the tablets known as Slow-K but got it from pharmacy/chemist.

Ive tried getting hold of the other chems but no joy frown
Any ideas please guys?

Thanks very much

Thats Mr Poi-ro!
Qualified SCUBA Diver.. Not worked out how to fire spin and dive at the same time yet.. grr


GelflingBRONZE Member
Watcher of 80s cartoons
665 posts
Location: Chepstow & Bristol, United Kingdom


Posted:
Mr D,

Gently heat the suspension (and I mean gently using a desk lamp) with the lid on should result in a nice solution.

With compounds such copper II sulphate I dissolve the compound in a small amount of water first and then the alcohol. I like copper II suulphate as flame is much bluer than boric acid green.

As for safety all metal chlorides produce hydrogen chloride gas when burnt. This gas turns to hydrochloric acid when it comes in contact with water i.e. mucus of the the nose, lung and saliva. Metal carbonate alternatives are safey. However, if spinning outside with a gentle breeze should reduce this risk to a minium - when I teach flame testing at school I have a window open and let my students use plastic atomisers to spray the colured flame mixtures - no deaths as yet smile

>What do you think about the state of the Earth?
>I'm optimistic.
>So why do you look so sad?
>I'm not sure that my optimism is justified.


ducky2108A little bit of a board whore
147 posts
Location: Glasgow


Posted:
Solubility is the key with these salts, and here's a (somewhat) simplistic explaination.

This is a measure of how easy it is for the solvent (Ethanol, meths, kero or whatever) to dissolve up an amount of the metal salt. The way it dissolves it is by separating the two halves, the metal (Lithium, potassium etc), for the counter ion (Carbonate, acetate, chloride).

As a rule, the more polar your solvent, the easier it will be for it to dissolve your salt. Solvents are normally just chains of hydrogen and carbon, with other things like hydroxide groups (Alcohols), acetyl groups (ethers) etc added to them. Kerosene has non of these groups on it, so it's really polar. That's why you can't use it for the commercially available salts. Ethanol is ideal, as it is easily available and has quite a high polarity. You should be able to search on the internet for polarities of solvents. If you find a particularly good one though, a) make sure it's safe, as some are HIGHLY toxic, and b) make sure it actually burns, and at what temperature.

On the salts front, generally, the size match in two ions (metal and other) is what determines how easily they will dissolve. The bigger the difference in size, the easier to dissolve. Lithium Chloride therefore, will be quite difficult to dissolve, in comparison to Lithium acetate. also, if the counterion has alkyl chains (carbon and hydrogen chains), then that'll aid solubility in less polar solvents. These are usually quite difficult to get hold of though, and are usually only available to chemists (not Pharmacists, the other kind).

I've rambled too long now, and I hope this has been of use. If you need to know anything else, let me know through this thread or a message, and I'll see if I can help.

Paul

Ancient wiseman say "It is very strange person, who, when left alone in room with teacosy, does not try it on"


ducky2108A little bit of a board whore
147 posts
Location: Glasgow


Posted:
Gelfling. Do you seriously heat these things in a sealed container? I wouldn't advise anyone do this, as some of the solvent will turn to gas, and the pressure in the system will cause the vessel to explode.

If anyone want to see the injuries from this type of accident, I've got a few scars on my arm I could show you.

Ancient wiseman say "It is very strange person, who, when left alone in room with teacosy, does not try it on"


NYCNYC
9,232 posts
Location: NYC, NY, USA


Posted:
Written by: Gelfling


when I teach flame testing at school I have a window open and let my students use plastic atomisers to spray the colured flame mixtures - no deaths as yet smile




I'd assume that the cancer caused by the inhalation of those chemicals would take a few years to manifest, no?

wink

And Paul... this has ALL been discussed before... solubility as well as the lack of any masking impurity of the solute (like lamp oil has sodium in it so you can't see other colours because it's masked behind the bright yellow sodium burning)...

It's good info, it's just been done. smile

Well, shall we go?
Yes, let's go.
[They do not move.]


ducky2108A little bit of a board whore
147 posts
Location: Glasgow


Posted:
Good info is worth repeating.

My motto, and I'm sticking to it wink

Ancient wiseman say "It is very strange person, who, when left alone in room with teacosy, does not try it on"


GelflingBRONZE Member
Watcher of 80s cartoons
665 posts
Location: Chepstow & Bristol, United Kingdom


Posted:
Ducky - see method for heating using a desk light - to clarify I'm talking about temperatures under 50 degrees centigrade for no more than ten minutes in a plastic container (used for duty free gin as the alcohol does not degrade this sort of plastic).

"...the cancer caused by the inhalation of those chemicals would take a few years to manifest..." by which time they will never be able to link me as the cause - Mwa ha ha (that'll teach them for not completing their work). Seriously though, the quantities used and the exposure time are ridiculously small. In the UK any school experiements are assassed by two inpendant safety organisations: COSHH (control of substances hazardous to health) and CLEAPSS (Consortium of Local Education Authorities for the Provision of Science Services) so whatever I do ends up being risk assessed at least 4 times once by myself, once by my lab techs and once by each of these organisations.

>What do you think about the state of the Earth?
>I'm optimistic.
>So why do you look so sad?
>I'm not sure that my optimism is justified.


ducky2108A little bit of a board whore
147 posts
Location: Glasgow


Posted:
Sorry. It wasn't clear from your post. I don't think I've ever heated anything with a desk light (I'm not sure I even know what one is). It's probably my job talking. When I heat things, I do it with a paint stripper, and industrial stregnth glassware. I wouldn't advise anyone else to do this however. I generally know what I'm doing in those sorts of situations.

Ancient wiseman say "It is very strange person, who, when left alone in room with teacosy, does not try it on"


GelflingBRONZE Member
Watcher of 80s cartoons
665 posts
Location: Chepstow & Bristol, United Kingdom


Posted:
I'm guessing that you've never incubated ant eggs then nor bamboo seeds. Simply shine the lamp onto the bottle - in summer dissolve near a sunny window - yah greenhouse effect wink

>What do you think about the state of the Earth?
>I'm optimistic.
>So why do you look so sad?
>I'm not sure that my optimism is justified.


KaelGotRiceGOLD Member
Basu gasu bakuhatsu - because sometimes buses explode
1,584 posts
Location: Angels Landing, USA


Posted:
Amazing what you can find online



NYC, this sound about right?





Colored Fire / Star Mixtures



The following compositions can be burned loose, in a small pile to produce a colored flame.

They can also be made into "Stars". Stars are solid chunks of pyrotechnic compositions that are designed to either burn in various bright colors, or produce an effect such as glitter, streamer/tail, etc. while traveling through the air. Stars are the basis of Aerial Shells that paint the sky during firework displays. To make any of the following compositions into Stars, simply add a little water to them until the mixture has the consistency of cookie dough. Once in this form, the composition can be pressed or rolled into small pellets and dried. Once the pellets have thoroughly dried and become hard, they are known as 'Stars'. Never force dry pyrotechnic compositions with heat. Always dry them in the open air and in the shade. Depending on the type of composition and temperature/humidity,

drying times for a batch of stars can take from about 3 to 7 days.





Double Neon Blue

Potassium Perchlorate

127.6 g

Copper Carbonate

25.8 g

Parlon

27.6 g

Dextrin

8.6 g

Red Gum

19.0 g



Purple

Potassium Perchlorate

122.6 g

Copper Carbonate

14.8 g

Strontium Carbonate

10.0 g

Parlon

24.8 g

Dextrin

18.2 g

Red Gum

19.0 g



Pink

Potassium Perchlorate

140.0 g

Strontium Carbonate

30.0 g

Dextrin

8.0 g

Charcoal

4.0 g

Red Gum

18.0 g



Lemon Lime Green

Potassium Perchlorate

94.4 g

Barium Nitrate

56.6 g

Strontium Carbonate

10.0 g

Parlon

9.4 g

Dextrin

10.0 g

Red Gum

28.4 g



White

Potassium Nitrate

140.0 g

Antimony Sulfide

30.0 g

Sulfur

14.0 g

Dextrin

7.5 g



Electric Orange

Potassium Perchlorate

106.0 g

Calcium Carbonate

28.0 g

Magnalium

12.0 g

Parlon

28.0 g

Dextrin

8.0 g

Red Gum

18.0 g



This is the most intense pumpkin orange you'll ever see.

'Electric' colors are much brighter and vibrant than normal mixtures. This is due to the presence of a metal in the mixture (usually Magnalium or Aluminum). The burning metal dramatically increases the flame temperature and also the visible luminous output.



Electric Magenta

Potassium Perchlorate

16.0 g

Strontium Nitrate

76.0 g

Charcoal

10.0 g

Sulfur

10.0 g

Magnalium

24.0 g

Copper Carbonate

20.0 g

Parlon

36.0 g

Dextrin

8.0 g



This is a breathtaking color, producing an absolutely intense magenta color.

'Electric' colors are much brighter and vibrant than normal mixtures. This is due to the presence of a metal in the mixture (usually Magnalium or Aluminum). The burning metal dramatically increases the flame temperature and also the visible luminous output.



Electric Red

Potassium Perchlorate

106.0 g

Strontium Carbonate

28.0 g

Magnalium

12.0 g

Parlon

28.0 g

Dextrin

8.0 g

Red Gum

18.0 g



Electric Yellow

Potassium Perchlorate

90.0 g

Cryolite

26.0 g

Magnalium

60.0 g

PVC

10.0 g

Charcoal

4.0 g

Dextrin

10.0 g



Electric Green

Potassium Perchlorate

58.0 g

Barium Nitrate

46.0 g

Barium Carbonate

28.0 g

Magnalium

22.0 g

Parlon

28.0 g

Red Gum

10.0 g

Dextrin

8.0 g



White Strobe Composition

Barium Nitrate

51.0 g

Potassium Nitrate

7.0 g

Sulfur

19.0 g

Magnalium

18.0 g

Dextrin

5.0 g



Mix the components well and add just enough water to where the mixture will stick together when squeezed between 3 fingers. Surprisingly this mixture will work well even when it's still damp. Pressing a small amount into a small pyramid and lighting the top with a torch produces dazzling, bright white flashes.

To do: More Firedrums 08 video?

Wildfire/US East coast fire footage

LA/EDC glow/fire footage

Fresno fire


sdjpnewbie
2 posts

Posted:
 Written by: KaelGotRice


Amazing what you can find online

Colored Fire / Star Mixtures

The following compositions can be burned loose, in a small pile to produce a colored flame.



Except, that's about producing a solid lump that will burn away with a colour. That's not what you want for poi - you want a liquid.

If you try to compress a solid lump into the end of a poi, and burn it, what's going to happen is that is it burns it'll disintegrate [0], and you'll send large showers of burning stuff all over the place. Not good.

For fire toys, you want a liquid, so that you can have a solid wick that won't degrade. (Well, that's the ideal).

Now they may be useful starting points for experimentations, in terms of ratios - but the relative brightnesses when dissolved in alcohol tend to be different.

Not trying to be overly down on you here, just that this stuff is deceptively subtle, and you need to be clear about what you are doing.

[0] It is possible to have a solid lump that'll burn away cleanly - if you're an expert pyrotech with significant time and resources to do it. It's not a hobby project.

Invader XanSILVER Member
Your friendly neighbourhood mad scientist
479 posts
Location: Over the hills and far away, United Kingdom


Posted:
umm Man, those things are awesome for fireworks, but I think they'd need some modification for poi.



Some of the chemicals used there aren't things I'd like to inhale. Parlon, for instance, is essentially PVC. At least some of the vapour from that will be pure hydrochloric acid. Unfortunately, all the pyrotechnic colour enhancers I've found tend to be similar. Sulphur is just as bad -- burning to produce sulphur dioxide, which will oxidise on contact with your skin (or in your lungs) into sulphuric acid. Not pleasant.



Don't get me wrong, the information is sound man. Just needs a little work is all. Thanks for the research. Very helpful.

This is kind of a pet project for me, actually (I'm a chemistry grad, and my best friend's a doctor smile ). I'm not so sure I agree on all the current HoP information on this, incidentally. Methanol is a pretty dangerous fuel to be using...





As for the mixtures being solid, an expensive alternative would be to have wicks dedicated to certain colours and then saturate the wicks with the necessary chemicals. Though you probably should use different wicks to avoid contamination anyway.

"Love the art in yourself and not yourself in the art."
--Konstantin Stanislavisky


NYCNYC
9,232 posts
Location: NYC, NY, USA


Posted:
Kael, I have no idea what the heck you're talking about.

I say "Try it out as long as you are two states west of me when you do." smile

Well, shall we go?
Yes, let's go.
[They do not move.]


squarefishSILVER Member
(...trusty steed of the rodeo midget...)
403 posts
Location: the state of flux, Ireland


Posted:
Bumpity-bump,
Check it out, https://www.more-than-light.com/index.asp
Anyone think it might be worth investing a few euro/dolars/yen/whatever?

DurbsBRONZE Member
Classically British
5,689 posts
Location: Epsom, Surrey, England


Posted:
Yeah, that stuff's been around for a while.



First thing that shocked me looking around the site was 1-litre of pure paraffin for "only" $20 umm We get 4-litres for £4-5...



For spinning use - "Paraffin oils burn brightly with minimal smoke residue and are perfect for most conditions, these oils are also available in color, (in this case the oil itself is colored, not the flame)"



It doesn't say what the fuel-base is for the Colored Flame Oils... the FAQ says "Our oils can be harmful and even fatal if swallowed. If swallowed, do not induce vomiting and Call a physician immediately. The product should be left to pass through the system normally.

The greatest potential danger is that, should the child or individual vomit, some of the oil could aspirate into the lungs and this could quite possibly cause a petroleum pneumonia, a very serious illness." - Which is nice and vague.

Not sure which of the thousands of petroleum distillates it is - are most of them potentially fatal?



Still, if it wasn't for the overwhelmingly expensive price, i'd try them smile

$12 for 200cc?! i.e. 0.2 litres?!

I doubt that would give me one burn on my poi...

Or the bulk-order back - 2litres for $90!

eek



I wonder if they do endoresments/sponsorhip? wink
EDITED_BY: Durbs (1172525068)

Burner of Toast
Spinner of poi
Slacker of enormous magnitude


Parabola1313SILVER Member
stranger
1 post
Location: USA


Posted:
Epson Salt didnt work for me either....

Flow DNAGOLD Member
Destroyer of ceiling light fixtures
433 posts
Location: Cape Town, South Africa


Posted:
Paraffin will never work for coloured flames. It burns too much yellow.

The stuff Kael is talking about is all the stuff I've been finding about coloured flames too. There's not much around about poi colours, cos it's the pyrotechnics guys that have been doing coloured explosions for like hundreds or thousands of years or something.

Essentially we need to take the chems they use and figure out which ones we can dissolve in liquid that burns colourless flames (like ethanol) , and will burn a colour at the temperature that said liquid burns at. Also if they didn't explode that would be good.

I've been trying but none of my mixes are as good as the flame dyes they sell here at HoP...

Ask me about flow, and prepare to listen for the rest of your life, or tell me to stop talking eventually...


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