Chlorate and Perchlorate Explosives

The following material is presented here in the interest of technical

enlightenment only. This information, at the time of its writing, is as
accurate as the author has knowledge of. This material is the result of
years of experience and many hours of careful experimenting. The
manufacture, transportation and detona- tion of explosives may be in
violation of state, federal or local laws. The preparation and handling of
potentially unstable explo- sive compounds is by its nature a DANGEROUS
ACTIVITY and mishaps could result in injury or death.

The bottom line is: Always exercise CAUTION when preparing or utilizing
these explosive compositions.

FLASH COMPOSITIONS

The chlorate/perchlorate flashpowder described here, if prepared and

manipulated with moderate caution, is one of the safest explosives I've
dealt with and my preferred choice for a variety of applications requiring a
flammable powder explosive, such as salutes, aerial displays requiring a
loud report, etc. This explosive can be quite effective when detonated in
moderate to large quantities and can be initiated directly by ignition. Its
brisance is much greater than conventional blackpowder-type explo- sives
when confined.

A) OXIDIZERS

Of the chlorates/perchlorates that I've used, the most stable is the

perchlorate group. The most active, but harder to get, is ammonium
perchlorate. The least active seems to be sodium perchlor- ate. Potassium
perchlorate is by far the most commonly available, although on a couple
occasions my supplier has substituted chlorate much to my chagrin, and
performs just as well as its chlorate relative. The perchlorates are
intrinsically more stable and less reactive. In general, perchlorates are
much safer in contact with combustible substances and are relatively safe
to use with sul- fur/sulfide compounds. The problem with chlorates and
sulfur compounds comes from the fact that sulfur/sulfides can react with
chlorates and form chloric acid, which is a rather unstable explo- sive.

B) FLAMMABLE SOLIDS

One of the most important components of flashpowder is fuel for the

reaction. It is important that this fuel burn rapidly, as the explosive force
is derived from the rapid expansion of gasses from this oxidizing/burning
fuel when confined. The best fuels suited for this purpose are light
combustible metals and the two best metals I've used are magnesium and
aluminum. Finely divided magnesium of 100 mesh or finer is the fastest
burning but is more expensive. Pyro or German black grades of 400 mesh
or so is almost as fast and at about a third the price per pound.

C) COMPOSITION PREPARATION

The beauty of the basic chlorate/perchlorate flashpowder is its simplicity.

There are only two components to blend together, which is a relatively
safe procedure providing care is taken to eliminate anything that can
produce a spark. Using plastic or glass containers and utensils is
recommended. Try to avoid any kind of scraping or fricative activities
when mixing or manipulating ingredients. Also very important tips to keep
in mind are to prepare flashpowder FAR AWAY from ANY flame or heat
source and to take steps to eliminate DUST ACCUMULATION period.
Excessive dust buildup is probably the major cause of sudden explosions
in both commercial and clandestine firework factories. A slightly humid
atmosphere is ideal for reducing combustible dust in the air making
preparing pyrotechnics safer. I found that a small room humidifier to be
very effective for this purpose.

The chlorates/perchlorates are hydroscopic by nature and are usually

rather chunky and need to be reduced with a mortar/pestle. I found that
AFTER grinding up the chunks that adding a small amount of the
aluminum and mixing it in will keep the chlorate from clumping and retain
a flour-like consistency, which is ideal.

I found through experimentation that a ratio of 7 to 3 (seven parts

oxidizer to three parts fuel) works most efficiently. Keep in mind that
when measuring solid chemicals, the proportions are by WEIGHT, not
volume. Get a good lab scale. Using a measuring cup won't get the job
done!

Most commercial pyrotechnics using chlorate flashpowder use the basic

aluminum chlorate combination and it works well, but improvements can
be made by the addition of compounds that will change the oxidation or
burning rate of the composition.

Replacing one of the three parts of aluminum with magnesium gives both
a brighter flash and a louder report. Also, the addition of a small amount
of antimony sulfide, (but no more than 10 per- cent; e.g., with 70 grams
of chlorate, use no more than 7 grams of antimony sulfide) will speed the
reaction by an order of magnitude. But be VERY CAREFUL because the
more antimony sulfide added, the MORE UNSTABLE the composition
becomes. Use too much and the compo- sition can explode without any
initiation. Adding finely powdered polyvinyl chloride or cellulose based
plastic will add smoke to the explosion but slows the burning rate. This
can be useful for a variety of applications requiring smoke with detonation
such as signaling, special effects, etc.
My general rules when preparing this and the following compo- sitions are
to make only small amounts at a time and never keep more than a very
small amount on hand. My reasoning is to reduce the chance of an
accidental ignition causing a chain reaction type of explosion. The
accidental detonation of large amounts of these flash compositions can
reduce the average suburban house to splin- ters in a matter of seconds.
Minimizing friction, heat or static electricity is imperative!

OTHER FLASH COMPOSITIONS

Here are some alternative formulas that work equally well, but employ
some different combinations of fuel/oxidizers. They all share similarities in
velocity of detonation, burning rate (bris- ance), sensitivity, etc. Again,
proportions are by weight.

COMPOSITION #2

1 to 3 parts --- POTASSIUM PERCHLORATE

1 part --------- SODIUM SALICYLATE, USP, fine powder

COMPOSITION #3

3 parts -------- POTASSIUM PERCHLORATE<br> 1 part ---------

ANTIMONY TRISULFIDE

1 part --------- LAMPBLACK

1 part --------- ALUMINUM, DARK PYRO, 400 mesh

1/10 part ------ BARIUM CARBONATE

COMPOSITION #4

3 parts -------- POTASSIUM PERCHLORATE

3 parts -------- BARIUM NITRATE

4 parts -------- ALUMINUM, DARK PYRO, 400 mesh

COMPOSITION #5

60 parts ------- POTASSIUM CHLORATE

23 parts ------- WASHED (NOT FLOWERS) SULFUR

5 parts ------- ANTIMONY SULFIDE

12 parts ------- POTASSIUM NITRATE

COMPOSITION #6

6 parts -------- POTASSIUM CHLORATE

3 parts -------- WASHED (NOT FLOWERS) SULFUR

1 part --------- POWDERED CHARCOAL or SUGAR (my idea)

COMPOSITION #7

6 parts -------- POTASSIUM CHLORATE

2 parts -------- WASHED (NOT FLOWERS) SULFUR

1 part --------- METALLIC ANTIMONY, FINELY POWDERED

NOTE: Compositions 5, 6, & 7 use potassium chlorate in combination with

sulfur. These formulas came from an old textbook and are a bit trickier to
work with. Use washed or lab grade sulfur, NOT FLOWERS OF SULFUR.
Flowers of sulfur is too acidic and extreme- ly dangerous to combine with
chlorates. Remember about chloric acid? Blend powders carefully and use
immediately. It is probably not a good idea to store these for any length
of time.

HIGH EXPLOSIVES USING CHLORATES/PERCHLORATES

An improvised "plastic explosive" can be made from potassium chlorate

and, of all things, petroleum jelly. This requires that 90 parts of finely
powdered potassium chlorate are blended with 3 parts Vaseline or other
petroleum jelly and then mixed with 7 parts of semi-melted paraffin. I
found this stuff to be insensitive to heat or shock. If ignited, it burns with
a yellowish flame. Howev- er, this mixture is quite effective when initiated
with a number 6 or 8 blasting cap. When blasting caps are not available,
the mixture will detonate when initiated with a moderate amount of picric
acid or mercury fulminate primer exploded by ignition or concussive
means. Lead azide or lead picrate can also be used but, in my opinion,
they are too damn sensitive. Using this mixture, when confined to a
medium density, the velocity of detonation can be expected to fall
between 2,925 and 3,180 feet per second, which, in my opinion, classifies
it as a high explosive suitable for demolition work. It is a good idea to
store it in a airtight/water- proof container.

Here are other mixtures which exhibit similar characteristics. These

compositions were successfully initiated using a picric acid detonator
electrically fired and using a 10 inch long, 1 inch diameter copper tube for
confinement.
COMPOSITION #1A

90 parts ------- POTASSIUM CHLORATE

3 parts ------- HEAVY PETROLEUM OIL (#2 DIESEL)

7 parts ------- PARAFFIN

Packing Density = light to medium<br> Velocity of Detonation is

approximately 2,150 and 2,750 FPS

COMPOSITION #2A

89 parts ------- SODIUM CHLORATE

11 parts ------- PARAFFIN

Packing Density = light to medium<br> Velocity of Detonation is

approximately 2,480 to over 2,600 FPS

COMPOSITION #3A

90 parts ------- POTASSIUM CHLORATE

10 parts ------- PARAFFIN

Packing Density = light to heavy

Velocity of Detonation is approximately 2,137 to over 3,560 FPS