Quote:
Originally Posted by ArsenalFC  Nitromethane is a racing fuel can be bought from shops that cater for that scene. It can also be found at R/C or Hobby shops as it is used in r/c cars and planes.
It's apparently quiet expensive though (around $60/gallon). |
As 'that guy' said, R/C Nitro fuel is not pure Nitromethane. The highest concentration you are going to find is 65%, with the remainder of the composition being methyl alcohol and a blend of castor and synthetic oils. The most common blends are 20% and 30% Nitromethane, and it IS damn expensive. I own Nitro R/C cars, and I buy my 30% fuel for $41CAD/gallon.
Extracting the Nitromethane could be done through distillation, as the boiling points of the ingredients are far enough apart.
Quote:
On the subject of aluminium powder, I've found two sources, one an epoxy mold making company, and an Australian metal powder company. Sadly it's going to cost about $50NZD for both for a kilo(inc freight+GST), and I'm guessing thats going to be about the going. Long story short, if you want flake aluminium powder, make a ball mill, get 50-100 unground carbon steel ball bearings with about a 1/2" diameter and do it with foil. Heck, even marbles will work, albeit slower.
Don't bother, make it yourself, its a couple of dollars for 70-100g of it. And I'm still unclear on whether it is possible to turn atomized aluminium into flake using steel bearings. Any ideas?
|
Making flash grade aluminum with a ball mill is unnecessary. I did it for a while, but then I realized that there are places out there who will ship Indian/German dark flash grade flake aluminum anywhere in the world. Some places are very inexpensive, some fairly cheap. You just have to look around. I buy my Indian dark flake for $19/lb + $10 shipping for up to 4 pounds, and it beats everything I was able to make with a ball mill and coarse aluminum powder. When mixed with ball milled perchlorate, 1 gram needs only a few wraps of thin toilet paper to make a bang. Only my homemade magnesium could compete with that. Everyone in Canada complains about being unable to get KClO4 here too. I tell them to keep searching, it is out there, probably right in front of their eyes.