ALUMINIUM Al - Fuel
Used for white or silver sparks or in flash bang sets.
AMMONIUM NITRATE NH4NO3 - Oxidising agent
Very hygroscopic. Rarely used in pyrotechnics.
BARIUM NITRATE Ba(NO3)2 - Oxidising agent, colouring agent
Toxic. Green colouring agent.
BORIC ACID - Corrosion Inhibitor
Boric acid is finely powdered and used in small quantities in mixtures of nitrates with metal powders to prevent corrosion and premature reactions.
CALCIUMCARBONATE CaCO3 - Colouring agent
Orange-red colouring agent.
CALCIUM SULPHATE CaSO4 - Colouring agent
Except in chlorate sets for orange-red flashing effects and luminous stars.
DEXTRIN - Binder
Yellowish, fine powder. For stars and sparklers.
IRON Fe - Fuel
Fine to coarse powder or filings (also steel filings) for golden sparks in fountains and sparklers.
CHARCOAL C – Fuel
Used as the main ingredient of black powder. The quality and origin of the charcoal is crucial for the quality of black powder. Very finely powdered charcoal is needed for black powder and somewhat coarser powder for long sparks.
POTASSIUM CHLORATE KClO3 - Strong oxidising agent
Potassium chlorate is a very strong oxidising agent. Mixtures of potassium chlorate and flammable substances are very sensitive to contact. Potassium chlorate must never be mixed with sulphur, sulphates, sulphides, metal powders or even red phosphorus. Such mixtures usually explode on contact.
POTASSIUM NITRATE KNO3 - Oxidising agent
Main component of black powder and commonly used oxidant in pyrotechnics.
COPPER CARBONATE BASIC CuCO3 * Cu(OH)2 - Colouring agent - Toxic
Greenish powder. Blue colouring agent.
COPPER CHLORIDE CuCl, CuCl2 - Colouring agent - Toxic
Hygroscopic. Greenish powder. Blue colouring agent.
COPPER OXIDE CuO, Cu2O - Colouring agent - Low toxicity
Black or red powder. Blue colouring agent.
LAMPBLACK C – Fuel
Sometimes used to create long glowing orange sparks.
LINSEED OIL or VARNISH – Binder, corrosion inhibitor
In a few blends, linseed oil or varnish is used as an air-drying binder. More often, however, it is used to coat metal powders to protect them from premature oxidation.
LITHIUM CARBONATE Li2CO3 - Colouring agent
White powder. Red colouring agent.
MAGNESIUM Mg – Fuel
Produces a blinding white flame that can damage the retina! Therefore, do not look into the flames!
SODIUM HYDROGEN CARBONATE (NATRON) NaHCO3 – Colouring agent
Yellow colouring agent.
SODIUM NITRATE NaNO3 - Oxidising agent - Colouring agent
Similar to potassium nitrate, but strongly hygroscopic. Used together with potassium perchlorate in whistle sets.
PHOSPHORUS red/white - Fuel - Toxic
Red phosphorus is rarely used in pyrotechnics, almost exclusively in mixtures for friction heads, and even then only rarely. Pyrotechnic mixtures with phosphorus are unstable and there is a risk of white phosphorus forming when they burn. White phosphorus is HIGHLY TOXIC and can ignite spontaneously at elevated room temperatures; it is therefore stored under water.
POLYVINYL CHLORIDE (PVC) - Colour improver
Chlorine donor. Essential ingredient in blue mixtures.
SULPHUR S – Fuel
Yellow, fine powder. Only use washed sulphur powder, as the so-called sulphur bloom has a high content of sulphuric acid. Important ingredient of black powder.
SHELLAC – Fuel, Binder
Orange-coloured resin obtained from the shellac louse.
STRONTIUM NITRATE Sr(NO3)2 - Oxidising agent - Colouring agent
Hygroscopic, similar to potassium nitrate. Red colouring agent
CLAY
The nozzles in rockets and fountains are almost always made of clay.
VASELINE - Corrosion inhibitor
Sometimes used to protect metal powder from oxidation.
ZINC Zn – Fuel
Mostly fine powder (zinc dust), used in smoke mixtures.