dontasker
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? Television pyrotechnics w/ orange smoke ?
This has been bugging me any time I watch any Monty Python's Flying Circus. There are pyrotechnics used to make a flash with a great deal of
orange/brown smoke. I just want to know what that is. Is it some lead or mercury compound and that's the reason I don't see it on any newer
shows/movies.
What is this? Youtube clip
I could see nitrogen dioxide creating a color like that, but not nearly dense enough as to match what I'm seeing.
I've been watching these forums for a while and I figured this would be the best place to ask as it is one of the rare sites where the info isn't
regurgitated Anarchist Cookbook B.S.
Thanks-
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hissingnoise
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I could speculate, but you might be better to get it straight from the "horse's mouth" by shooting off an email . . .
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Adas
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It is probably some lead compound. Lead smoke can be yellow like that in some cases.
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BromicAcid
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Usually the smoke mixture burns at a fairly low temperature, this allows it to volatilize organic pigments which then condense into the smoke cloud
giving the characteristic color. See this site for examples:
http://www.coloredsmoke.com/products.html
FireFox also sells the smoke mixtures pre-made including a 'ninja' smoke mixture that creates a puff of smoke exactly like you are talking about.
[Edited on 2/24/2013 by BromicAcid]
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hyfalcon
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Possibly a copper oxide/aluminum thermite flash.
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TheChemINC
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possibly an antimony containing flash powder composition. i know that when i used to make white stars for my fireworks that contained antimony (III)
sulfide, they left an orange residue where they were burned. In larger amounts, i would assume that some of the products of it being burned could be
in the smoke giving it an orange color.
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Motherload
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Must say that's a fair amount of thick smoke in a very short time.
I don't think it's a standard smoke mix as one can see a flash and the duration is too short.
Any possibility of dyes mixed with a FFFF BP charge ?
[Edited on 25-2-2013 by Motherload]
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TheChemINC
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would dyes color smoke from bp? i have never heard of that before...
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AndersHoveland
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Yes, it is fairly common. I played with colored smoke fireworks as a child. They are made in all different colors. I do not think it is actually the
dye that is boiling, but it gets caught up in the flow of steam from the byproducts of the KNO3-sugar combustion. Thus the dye becomes vaporized.
[Edited on 25-2-2013 by AndersHoveland]
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TheChemINC
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im pretty sure thats how it works. I used to be very big on pyrotechnics (i used to make mortars and my own stars, bp, rockets, etc.), but the actual
science of chemistry has started to interest me more, not just blowing shit up 
but i am still sticking to the mixture having antimony trisulfide or something in it.... or it could have just been dirt that was thrown in the air
when the explosions went off.
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Bert
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Dyes mixed with BP just result in burning up the dye. As AndersHoveland noted, it takes a very cool burning oxygen deficient mixture to vaporize
instead of destroying organic dyes. Chlorate and lactose is a common choice.
I could make something happen that looked like that effect with Cu/Al thermite or by putting colored chalk powder around/over a black powder charge.
Wouldn't care to do such things that close to actors... Definitely wouldn't want to burn a bunch of Antimony compounds where actors could breathe the
smoke either.
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dontasker
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I think you're right. Although I can't remember any details, I seemed to recall lead compounds giving thick smoke with yellow/brown colors.
As far as the discussion about the dye, I don't think it was a goal to generate smoke that was colored. It was probably a product of something that
looked good on camera and was cheap.
May be well worth it. At least I may be able to track down who did the pyro work for the BBC back then.
Thanks. Very interesting info thus far. I've been lurking on these forums for a long time.
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dave321
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this effect was probably the same as that used in the credits roll for DADS ARMY, again creating orange bursts on the battlefield.
the composition used by dads army was made by astra fireworks and was a
magnesium powder
lead chromate mixture.
you wouldnt get away with it now, the above is too toxic ( lead and chromium)
hope that sorts the question out.
dave321
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dontasker
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All very good info. Thanks.
It's just one of those things that's been bugging me for a long time and I've been lurking around this forum for a while. Figured it wouldn't hurt to
ask. Seems to be one of the more experienced groups of chemistry geeks without the soul purpose being production of substances and devices that are
design to kill or intoxicate.
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