Colored smoke bombs

[Rank0r99]

Hey, I was wondering if anyone here knows were to get organic powdered dye for use in colored smoke bombs, I have searched a while now but cannot find a place that sells dye for smoke bombs, the only dye I find is that for clothing which won't work for smoke bombs.

 

Your help is appreciated.

[Izzy_Bee]

A average smoke bomb is white.. With the dye being let into it. It would be easier to make a dye.. Then you wouldn't be paying for others to make it and ship it to you or what not.

A few examples..

 

White Smoke Recipe

•Potassium nitrate - 4 parts

•Charcoal - 5 parts

•Sulfur - 10 parts

•Wood dust - 3 parts

 

Red Smoke Recipe

•Potassium chlorate - 15%

•para-nitroaniline red - 65%

•Lactose - 20%

 

Green Smoke Recipe

•Synthetic indigo - 26%

•Auramine (yellow) - 15%

•Potassium chlorate - 35%

•Lactose - 26%

 

But the stuff needed is not just of the shelf stuff, you may need lab acess, or to aply it in a .. Assignment if you are a student. Some ingredients are harmful so it could be har getting them.

I hope this was helpful.

[Rob McPhee]

The type of dye to use are solvent dyes that sublime. I would recommend the following:

 

Solvent Yellow 14

Solvent Yellow 93

Solvent Red 111

Solvent Violet 13

Solvent Green 3

 

If you need help in sourcing them, I may be able to help.

[countrycarat]

Im am looking for an inexpensive, stable dry chemical that I could carry a very small amount that would put off a lot of colored smoke (preferably red or orange) It would be carried in a wilderness pack to be used to signal by throwing in a camp fire in an emergency.

[Enthalpy]

Im am looking for an inexpensive, stable dry chemical that I could carry a very small amount that would put off a lot of colored smoke (preferably red or orange) It would be carried in a wilderness pack to be used to signal by throwing in a camp fire in an emergency.

 

A piece of old tyre? Not the expected colour, but abundant smoke. Similarly:

Any kind of very finely ground ceramic of the colour you prefer, mixed with polybutadiene before vulcanization. Eco-friendly please. Iron oxide ?

[Rob McPhee]

A piece of old tyre? Not the expected colour, but abundant smoke. Similarly:

Any kind of very finely ground ceramic of the colour you prefer, mixed with polybutadiene before vulcanization. Eco-friendly please. Iron oxide ?

 

Iron oxide would be totally unsuitable as it doesn't sublime. For orange you need an organic dye (i.e carbon chemistry based not the current vogue for describing something that is natural) such as Solvent Orange 60.

 

The formulation you need is what has been described previously in combination with Solvent Orange 60.

[Enthalpy]

Iron oxide would be totally unsuitable as it doesn't sublime.

I don't want it to sublime, and it doesn't need to.

 

Quite the opposite, fine solid ceramic particles will ascend with the flame and (something uncertain with a dye) resist the heat of the camp fire.

[Rob McPhee]

Countrycara's requirement was for orange smoke. The temperature required is a lot lower than is required for Iron Oxide and being in a gaseous form rather than particulate form would produce a much greater quantity of "coloured smoke".

Edited September 18, 2012 by Rob McPhee

[Enthalpy]

A nano-powder of colored ceramic, for instance of iron oxide, needs no special temperature to be disseminated by a flame, for instance of encapsulating polybutadiene. Particle size determines the smoke's opacity and is better defined if the fire doesn't influence the particles. As opposed, a camp fire will destroy most of an organic dye, because the fire's temperature is high and poorly controlled.

[CaptainPanic]

After a quick look around on the internet, I think that it's safe to say that colored smoke bombs are not for camp fires. But they do work. They just don't require a camp fire. But there does not seem to be that magical cheap material.

 

However, if you want to make a lot of normal smoke with your camp fire, all you need is some wet plant material. Green leaves are excellent for making smoke.