SMOKE FORMULAS
PrimoPyro1990
…. SMOKE FORMULAS ….
DISCLAIMER:
The following file contains information of harmful or illegal
nature. Neither the BBS or
author providing this information
can be considered responsible for the use of this file.
it’s use or misuse. This file is
intended to educate only.
Smokes are used mainly for screening purposes,
so with this in mind this
file will concern itself mainly with white smoke. Smokes are mists
or part-
icles suspended in the air. They remain suspended there until through envir-
omental conditions or static charge, they begin to attract each other or are
dispersed.
There are three ways to produce smokes: 1) Vaporizing oil, 2) Spraying a
reactive chemical in
the air, 3) Burning a pyrotechnic mixture that releases
a smoke forming chemical.
1)
When oil is used to make smoke the oil is sprayed into a device that heats
it up in a flash.
The resulting oil vapor is exhausted to the air and when it
cools down it condenses into a
mist. Remember the kerosene or propane fueled
insect fogger? This works on the same
principal.
2) Certain chemicals react with the water in the air to produce a fog. As an
example there are Titanium Tetrachloride, Tin Tetrachloride, Chlorosulfonic
Acid, and Silicon
Tetrachloride.
Perhaps the easiest to secure of these is titanium tetrachloride. If these
equipment must be
constructed of stainless steel or suitable material. You
can use titanium tet. by simply
taping a small explosive charge onto a
bottle of the stuff. Just watch out for the glass
fragments. Titanium tet.
usually comes in a sealed bottle that if opened cannot be sealed
again.
3) Pyrotechnic formulas are made that either through a chemical reaction form
a
smoke producing chemical or the heat released from burning the mixture
vaporizes a smoke
producing chemical.
The first type of mixture forms chemicals such as aluminum chloride,
zinc
chloride, zinc oxide, or sulfur dioxide. The second type of mixture uses
chemicals
such as ammonium chloride, napthalene, or anthracene which are
vaporized without
decomposition. When using mixtures containing a hydrocarbon
such as napthalene, care must be
taken that the hot vapor does not catch fire
when it hits the open air. This will cause the
amount of smoke to decrease
or cease alltogether. For this reason a chemical that produces
carbon dioxide
when heated is added to the mixture. Following are some formulas of both
type 1 and 2. Also volatile chemicals such as napthalene oe hexachloroethane
can sublimate
from these mixtures so they must be sealed airtight.
ALL FORMULAS BY WEIGHT
Type 1 formulas: Potassium Chlorate 20 – 30%
Ammonium Chloride 50%
Napthalene
20%
Charcoal 0 – 10%
Usually it is not safe to use an ammonium salt and a chlorate
together in a
mixture but in this case this mixture is usually pretty stable with a
storage
life of about 10 years if kept dry. If there is a problem with flaming when
this
formula is used, decrease the ammonium chloride by about 5% and add
5% sodium bicarbonate.
Potassium Chlorate 60%
Lactose 20%
Ammonium Chloride 20%
This is a
fairly good formula but may not give as much as smoke as the first.
Potassium Nitrate
60%
Sugar 40%
Combine these 2 chemicals in a small amount of boiling water. Pour the
mix
out onto a sheet of plastic and while it dries, start breaking it into small
pieces.
When it is dry, grind it into a powder in a non-sparking mortar and
pestle. Add to it 80% by
weight of ammonium chloride. I have had some success
with this mix. You can decrease the
amount of chloride for better burning.
Type 2 formulas: Sulfur 55%
Potassium
Nitrate 40%
Fine Charcoal 5%
Mix these chemicals together well and be sure the mixture
is free of sulfur
chunks. This is slow burning and the smoke consists of sulfur trioxide,
Hexachloroethane 45%
Zinc Oxide
45%
Fine Aluminum 10%
This mixture was used in the american armed forces and is known as
HC. A
charge with a weight of about 8 oz. can produce over 100,000 cu. ft. of a
dense
gray white smoke. If the aluminum is not a fine powder it will be
almost impossible to
ignite.
Hexachloroethane 53%
Zinc Dust 44%
Magnesium Oxide 3%
This
formula is similar to HC. The smoke consists of zinc chloride.
Hexachloroethane 45%
Calcium Silicide 10%
This is an interesting formula. In addition to
producing a zinc chloride
smoke, it also forms silicon tetrachloride which reacts with
moisture in the
air to produce silicic acid which is a smoke agent in itself.
Hexachloroethane 40 – 45%
Zinc Oxide 20 – 40%
Ammonium Perchlorate 35 – 10%
Powdered Charcoal 5%
This is a newer formula and is mixed after being dampened with a 5%
PVC
solution (use PVC pipe primer as a solvent). The rate of burning depends on
the
amount of ammonium perchlorate. The smoke consists of ammonium chloride,
and zinc chloride.
Magnesium Powder 8%
Red Phosphorous 51%
Manganese Dioxide 35%
Zinc Oxide
3%
Linseed Oil 3%
This formula which contains red phosphorous is very good as
phosphorous is
the best masking smoke agent. Red phosphorous is very easily ignited so mix
complex smoke of
phosphorous anhydride which reacts with moisture in the air.
These formulas are
usually contained in a stout cardboard cylinder which has
a number of vent holes. A tube with
a 1" I.D. 5" long and 1/4′walls is a
good starting point for any of these formulas.
Holes can be drilled in the
sides of the tube then covered over with tape. A smoke pot is a
large can
that contains at least 2 lbs. of a smoke mixture. These can put out over
500,000 cu. ft. of smoke.
Although the above mixtures are not outright poisonous, do not
breathe in
too much of the smoke if possible. Do not use these indoors and be careful of
*** Kilroy was here
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