Blue Stars

All stars in red have been tested by Douchermann, his comments on it are provided.

All of these compositions were pulled off 'Practical Pyrotechnics', an internet site containing lots of valuble information.

Blue star #1
Source: rec.pyrotechnics archive, post by LNiksch <lniksch@aol.com Composition from Shimizu[1], page 216. Listed under the name "blue star II"
Comments: LNiksch :"These stars burn much faster and more blue than any mix containing copper carbonate I have tried"
Preparation: Dampen with alcohol/water 70/30 to make cut or pumped stars.

Potassium perchlorate.............................66.5
Red gum...........................................9.9
Cupric oxide......................................13.4
Parlon............................................5.4
Soluble Glutinous Rice Starch or Dextrin .........5.6 or 4.8

Blue star #2

Douchermann's Comments: Star may be rolled. Gives off a nice blue color, leaves very little residue. Requires priming, use a perchlorate based prime.

Source:
Comments:
Preparation: Add 25 volume parts of water to dextrin and mix in the other ingredients. Use more water if necessary.

Ammonium perchlorate..............................60
Sulfur............................................17
Copper(II)oxide...................................20
Dextrin (binder)..................................3
Red gum or Shellac................................6

Blue star #3
Source:
Comments:
Preparation: Mix red gum or shellac powder with Parlon. Add 50 volume parts of acetone, mix well and mix in the other ingredients.

potassium perchlorate.............................63
copper(II)oxide...................................13
Red gum or Shellac (powdered).....................10
Parlon or PVC.....................................14

Blue star #4
Source:
Comments:
Preparation:

potassium perchlorate.............................65
cuprous chloride (CuCl)...........................16
sulfur............................................10
Red gum...........................................7
Parlon or PVC.....................................11 or 12

Blue star #5
Source:
Comments:
Preparation: Add the PVC solution to the other ingredients. Allow some THF to evaporate, form a cake 1 cm thick and allow it to dry on a plastic plate (check that it doesn't dissolve in THF!). Remove the dry cake and cut it into stars with a pair of scissors.

Ammonium perchlorate..............................63
Copper(II)oxide...................................13
Sulfur............................................10
Dextrin...........................................10
PVC...............................................12

Blue star #6
Source: "The Pyroguide" (a document found on internet)
Comments: Dangerous mixture since it contains both sulfur and a chlorate.
Preparation: Bind with dextrin in water.

Potassium chlorate................................9
Copper Acetonarsenite.............................2
Mercurous chloride................................1
Sulfur............................................2

Blue star #7
Source: "The Pyroguide" (a document found on internet)
Comments: This one is inferior to "Blue star 6". Dangerous mixture since it contains both sulfur and a chlorate.
Preparation: Bind with dextrin in water.

Potassium chlorate................................12
Copper sulfate....................................6
Lead chloride.....................................1
Sulfur............................................4

Blue star #8
Source: rec.pyrotechnics. Posted by Tommy Hakomaki <tommy.hakomaki@mailbox.swipnet.se
Comments:
Preparation:

Potassium nitrate.................................40
Sulfur............................................12
Mealpowder........................................40
Copper-ammonium nitrate...........................30
Charcoal..........................................10
Rosin.............................................5

Blue star #9
Source: Composition from Shimizu[1], page 216. Listed under the name 'blue star I'
Comments:
Preparation:

Potassium perchlorate.............................60.8
Red Gum...........................................9.0
Basic copper carbonate............................12.3
Parlon............................................13.1
Soluble glutinous rice starch.....................4.8

Blue star #10
Source: PML, posted by David Abate <daveab@ix.netcom.com.
Comments: Crackling stars can be made with this composition. The poster used large pistol primers (idea from Best of AFN II), coated with 70%KClO4/30% Dark aluminum for cores, and rolled these into stars with the star mixture. The stars were hard to ignite and needed priming. The color is a bit pale blue.
Preparation:

Potassium perchlorate.............................61
Copper carbonate..................................12
Parlon............................................13
Red gum...........................................9
Dextrin...........................................5

Blue star #11
Source: "Pyrotechnica #6"[3]
Comments: This composition seems just a slight modification of "Blue star #1".
Preparation:

Potassium perchlorate.............................67.3
Red gum...........................................10.0
Copper oxide......................................13.6
Parlon............................................9.1
Rice starch.......................................4.5

Blue star #12
Source: PML, posted by Charley Wilson <cwilson@celsvr.stortek.com
Comments:
Preparation:

Ammonium perchlorate..............................70
Copper(II)oxide...................................15
Shellac...........................................15

Blue star #13
Source: Greg Gallacci <psygreg@u.washington.edu
Comments: Makes a bright, robins-egg blue star, with a bushy flame.
Preparation:

Potassium perchlorate.............................70
Silicone..........................................10
Copper(II)oxide...................................10
PVC...............................................15

Blue star #14
Source: rec.pyrotechnics. Post by Erik D. Suni <esuni@lk-hp-26.hut.fi. Composition is a slightly modified version from a composition from "The best of AFN II"[14].
Comments:
Preparation: Moisten with water, and cut into 6 mm stars. Do not prime with meal powder. Use a potassium perchlorate based prime instead.

Potassium chlorate................................65
Copper oxychloride................................12.5
Lactose...........................................12.5
Dextrin...........................................5
Saran.............................................5

Blue star #15
Source: rec.pyrotechnics, post by Greg A. Gallacci <psygreg@u.washington.edu
Comments: Fimo is a PVC based modelling clay. The stars are brilliant blue ("Cop-lites blue"), with edges of flame tinted salmon. The stars need priming.
Preparation: Warm the Fimo slightly, to make it more mixable and mix it with the ammonium perchlorate without using solvents. Then mix in the malachite. Screen it several times and make pressed stars.

Ammonium perchlorate..............................70
Fimo..............................................20
Malachite, powdered...............................10

Blue star #16
Source: rec.pyrotechnics
Comments:
Preparation:

Potassium Perchlorate.............................60
Copper Carbonate..................................20
PVC...............................................15
Dextrin...........................................5