Strobe Stars

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

Twinkling green star #1
Source: rec.pyrotechnics, posted by Bill Nelson <billn@peak.org, from "Pyrotechnica VII"[3] by T. Fish
Comments: Magnesium reacts slowly with ammonium perchlorate producing ammonia and magnesium perchlorate, especially in the presence of moisture. Thus, the twinklers cannot be stored for more than 6 months, and they must be kept in a closed bag. During the smoulder phase, magnesium reacts with ammonium perchlorate in the dark. In the flash phase, magnesium reacts with barium sulfate, producing hot MgO and creating a green flame. The flash is followed by another cycle, since the flash rapidly consumes the reactants in the flash zone.
Preparation: 1) Binder solution: Dissolve 3 parts of nitrocellulose (smokeless powder or celluloid film) into 30 parts (w/v) of boiling acetone. If you're going to prepare these stars more than once, prepare more of the solution, since nitrocellulose dissolves slowly even in refluxing acetone. Approx. 30 parts of the solution (v/w) is used each time. Nitrocellulose is used as a binder, since other binders tend to interfere with the twinkling. 2) Mix the ingredients into the binder solution in the order they appear here. Proceed as usual. Note that acetone evaporates very rapidly and the stars usually dry within a few hours.

Magnesium powder (any lab grade powder)...........23
Ammonium perchlorate..............................60
Barium sulfate....................................17

Twinkling green star #2
Source: Composition from Shimizu[1], page 224. Listed as "Twinklers of the ammonium perchlorate base, green"
Comments: Frequenty: 3.1 Hz.
Preparation: Add 25 parts 10% nitrocellulose solution in acetone to 100 parts of the composition, and make cut stars. Roll these stars in "priming composition #8", using the same NC paste until stars are round. Add a final layer of black powder in NC paste to ensure ignition.

Magnesium, 60 mesh (treated with potassium bichromate).....23
Ammonium perchlorate..............................60
Barium sulfate....................................17
Potassium dichromate (as a stabilizer)............+5%

Twinkling green star #3
Source: Composition from Shimizu[1], page 225. Listed as "Twinklers of the nitrate base, green"
Comments:
Preparation: Add 25 parts 10% nitrocellulose solution in acetone to 100 parts of the composition, and make cut stars. Roll these stars in "priming composition #8", using the same NC paste until stars are round. Add a final layer of black powder in NC paste to ensure ignition.

Magnalium.........................................18 (coated with linseed oil) Barium nitrate[40
BHC (Benzene hexachloride)........................5
Sulfur............................................30
Antimony trisulfide...............................7
•Twinkling red star Class:10.....................50

Twinkling red star
Source: PML 383, composition comes from a post to rec.pyrotechnics by Myke Stanbridge <mykestan@cleo.murdoch.edu.au in '95
Comments:
Preparation: Magnesium was treated with cold 10% w/w K2Cr2O7 in deionised water for 2 hours.

Ammonium perchlorate, 100 mesh....................50
Magnesium metal, 120 mesh.........................23
Strontium sulfate, 100 mesh.......................18
Genchlor GC 700-200, 160 mesh.....................2
Winchester DB-231 as grain pwd....................7
Acetone, water free technical.....................+20% (w/w)

Twinkling white star #1
Source: PML, posted by Harry Galliam <HEGilliam@aol.com. Composition from Bleser[13], page 22. Listed as "formulation #26; white strobe".
Comments:
Preparation: The magnalium needs to be treated with potassium dichromate before mixing.

Barium nitrate....................................51
Sulfur............................................19
Magnalium, 100 Mesh...............................18
Potassium nitrate.................................7
Dextrin...........................................5

Twinkling white star #2
Source: Composition from Shimizu[1], page 224. Listed as "Twinklers of the ammonium perchlorate base, white"
Comments: Frequenty: 9.7 Hz.
Preparation: Add 25 parts 10% nitrocellulose solution in acetone to 100 parts of the composition, and make cut stars. Roll these stars in "priming composition #8", using the same NC paste until stars are round. Add a final layer of black powder in NC paste to ensure ignition.

Magnalium, 80 mesh (treated with potassium bichromate).....25
Ammonium perchlorate..............................60
Barium sulfate....................................15
Potassium dichromate (as a stabilizer)............+5%

Twinkling red star
Source: Composition from Shimizu[1], page 224. Listed as "Twinklers of the ammonium perchlorate base, red"
Comments: Frequenty: 3.5 Hz.
Preparation: Add 25 parts 10% nitrocellulose solution in acetone to 100 parts of the composition, and make cut stars. Roll these stars in "priming composition #8", using the same NC paste until stars are round. Add a final layer of black powder in NC paste to ensure ignition.

Magnesium, 60 mesh (treated with potassium bichromate).....30
Ammonium perchlorate..............................50
Strontium sulfate.................................20
Potassium dichromate (as a stabilizer)............+5%

Twinkling orange star
Source: Composition from Shimizu[1], page 224. Listed as "Twinklers of the ammonium perchlorate base, orange"
Comments: Frequenty: 6.9 Hz.
Preparation: Add 25 parts 10% nitrocellulose solution in acetone to 100 parts of the composition, and make cut stars. Roll these stars in "priming composition #8", using the same NC paste until stars are round. Add a final layer of black powder in NC paste to ensure ignition.

Magnesium, 60 mesh (treated with potassium bichromate).....30
Ammonium perchlorate..............................60
Calcium sulfate...................................10
Potassium dichromate (as a stabilizer)............+5%

Twinkling yellow star #1
Source: Composition from Shimizu[1], page 224. Listed as "Twinklers of the ammonium perchlorate base, yellow"
Comments: Frequenty: 3.5 Hz.
Preparation: Add 25 parts 10% nitrocellulose solution in acetone to 100 parts of the composition, and make cut stars. Roll these stars in "priming composition #8", using the same NC paste until stars are round. Add a final layer of black powder in NC paste to ensure ignition.

Magnesium, 60 mesh (treated with potassium bichromate).....40
Ammonium perchlorate..............................50
Sodium sulfate....................................10
Potassium dichromate (as a stabilizer)............+5%

Twinkling yellow star #2
Source: Composition from Shimizu[1], page 225. Listed as "Twinklers of the nitrate base, yellow"
Comments:
Preparation: Add 25 parts 10% nitrocellulose solution in acetone to 100 parts of the composition, and make cut stars. Roll these stars in "priming composition #8", using the same NC paste until stars are round. Add a final layer of black powder in NC paste to ensure ignition.

Magnalium (coated with linseed oil)...............12
Barium nitrate....................................33
Potassium nitrate.................................7
BHC (Benzene hexachloride)........................11
Sulfur............................................27
Antimony trisulfide...............................5
Sodium oxalate....................................5

Twinkling blue star
Source: Composition in handwriting in the copy of Shimizu[1], present in the library of the Technical University of Delft.
Comments:
Preparation: Add 25 parts 10% nitrocellulose solution in acetone to 100 parts of the composition, and make cut stars. Roll these stars in "priming composition #8", using the same NC paste until stars are round. Add a final layer of black powder in NC paste to ensure ignition.

Magnesium, 60 mesh (treated with potassium bichromate).....23
Ammonium perchlorate..............................60
Copper sulfate....................................17
Potassium dichromate (as a stabilizer)............+5%

Golden twinkler star
Source: "The Pyroguide" (a document found on internet)
Comments: Bind with water. The stars fall through the air and burn in an "on and off" manner. The effect is spectacular.
Preparation: The stars must be pumped or cut.

Potassium nitrate.................................18
Sulfur............................................3
Lampblack.........................................3
Aluminum..........................................3
Antimony sulfide..................................3
Sodium oxalate....................................4