Not a single New Year or Christmas passes without the ignition of beautiful and bright sparklers, scattering around them, as if by magic, shining sparks. But few people think about how such "asterisks" are produced and where they came from. But Bengal candles can even be made independently!

A little about the history of sparklers

The history of the first sparklers goes far back into the depths of centuries and is lost in the wilds of ancient India. It is generally accepted by scholars that the first chemical experiments involving flashing bright fires were carried out for religious purposes on the altars of Bengal as early as the 5th century CE. e. It is known that in order to achieve the magical effect of "bengal fire", the clergy threw pre-mixed mixtures containing, among other things, sulfur or rosin into the altar. When it hit the flame, such a mixture began to burn brightly and sparkle, scattering into stars. Then, as history says, sparklers arose in the Far East, from there they moved to Valencia and Spain, and then spread throughout Europe.

What and how are sparklers made of?

To begin with, it should be noted that there are two types of sparklers:

• fiery;
• sparkling.

The Russian scientist and pyrotechnician Professor Petrov was engaged in the manufacture of now rare fiery Bengal candles. The main difference between fiery lights, from the well-known sparkling ones, is that the chemical composition was placed in a paper sleeve, and not applied to a stick. In addition, clay plugs were made in the sleeve, and the candle burned out completely, so it was impossible to hold it in your hands. But at the same time, it gave a bright, strong and even flame, so that if you put it on a holder, you get a convenient lantern or torch.

In modern pyrotechnics, only sparkling Bengal candles are used. The advantages of such products are obvious:

• due to the cold combustion temperature, you can light fires not only on the street, but also in the apartment, and you can hold them in your hands;
• when sparks fall on furnishings, they do not cause harm and do not cause fire;
• Bengal candles do not emit ammonia and do not smoke;
• when burning, a candle scatters beautiful and shining sparks with a golden or silver tint.

So what are Bengal candles made of? First, a metal rod is prepared, on which the pyrotechnic composition will then be applied. Basically, ordinary iron wire is used, which is cut into pieces of a standard length for lights. The recipe for sparklers will be impossible to repeat without knowing how to mix the igniter. Each ingredient is carefully measured and poured in a specific order. For example, if you do not throw enough iron into the mixture according to the recipe, then the candle will burn without beautiful crumbling sparks.

The simplest pyrotechnic mixture for sparklers consists of the following components:

• iron shavings;
• aluminum powder;
• magnesium powder;
• potassium chlorate;
• salt.

When these substances are combined, a white fire is formed. If it is necessary to give it a shade, then starch with water, boiled into a paste, is additionally added. Barium nitrate is added to get a green tint, strontium nitrate is needed for red, and sodium oxalate is needed for yellow. For multi-colored burning of sparklers, you will have to mix cations of strontium, sodium, barium, boron, iron, aluminum and magnesium. The formula for the reaction of such sparklers can be written as follows:

After the mixture is ready for use, it is applied to the rod in a certain proportion. Excess is cut off, irregularities are smoothed out. Next, the blanks are sent for drying. Bengal candles will be ready only after a day of being in a dry and warm room. If the temperature in the room is below 25°C, then the drying of the pyrotechnic substance will take up to a week. If you light candles with a wet composition, they will not burn and the product will simply be damaged. In addition, for ignition, it is required to apply a flammable substance to completely dry candles so that the sparklers flare up immediately upon contact with fire. After that, the products are again sent for drying. After a period of time, from 1 to 3 days, depending on the temperature conditions in the room, the lights can be packaged and packed for further storage.

How to make sparklers at home?

If you have free time and a desire to make a Bengal fire with your own hands, it’s not so difficult. It is only necessary to allocate a place in the house where you can freely mix the pyrotechnic composition so that children or pets do not get to it. In addition, with the wrong proportions, the mixture may ignite, so it is advisable to make sparklers at home, still in outbuildings.

How to make sparklers? First you need to get aluminum powder, dextrin and cast iron (or titanium, steel, aluminum, iron) sawdust of medium grain size. To mix the composition of sparklers, you will need an open square or rectangular container and a glass flask. You also need to remember to prepare metal wire rods up to 15 cm long. Since Bengal candles are made at home, it will be easiest to dry them in a suspended state. This means that on the rods on one side it is necessary to bend the hook.

5 grams of gunpowder, 2 grams of dextrin and 5 grams of chips are poured into the container. After mixing, the mixture is poured into a flask and alcohol is added, the consistency should be quite thick. Now you can dip the rod into the flask. After that, the rod is hung by the hook for drying on a pre-stretched rope. It takes 15-20 minutes for the mixture to dry and you can dip the workpiece into the flask again. Thus, 5 layers are made, after which the future sparkler is hung for final drying, which, depending on the temperature regime, can last from 1 to 7 days.

The main difference between sparklers and other pyrotechnic products is the possibility of using them indoors. They are used to create a festive atmosphere at birthdays and other celebrations.

Today, sparklers can be of different sizes, have different shapes, create not only light, but also sound effects. A large selection of pyrotechnics is presented on the website http://www.bah-bah.ru/rzd-9.html.

What is bengal fire

This pyrotechnic product was invented in ancient India on the shores of the Bay of Bengal, which is why these flying sparks are called "Bengal fire".

Today, in factory conditions, several varieties of sparklers are produced, for each of which a special recipe has been developed. The basis of the Bengal candle is a steel wire coated with a mixture, which, when burned, produces a white fire with sparks flying in different directions.

During combustion, there is no formation of smoke and other harmful substances. This is due to the absence of sulfur and sodium and potassium salts in the composition of the mixture. Thanks to this feature, we can light Bengal candles indoors, decorate cakes with them.

What is Bengal fire made of?

There are several recipes for beautiful fire sparks. The simplest of these is the following:

• powder aluminum. It will need 5 grams. This substance emits acrid smoke when burned, so such candles can only be used outdoors;
• dextrin is introduced into the composition as an adhesive, which ensures the bonding of the combustible mixture with the wire;
• iron filings should be medium in size, do not use fine powder. The presence of metal filings in the composition of the mixture ensures the appearance of sparks;
• thick wire. Steel wire must be used as other metals and alloys may melt when burned.

To make candles, we also need a flask or other high capacity.

Manufacturing process

First, all the ingredients are mixed in a suitable container. After the metal filings have been added to the gunpowder and dextrin glue, a small amount of water must be added to the mixture. The result should be the consistency of thick sour cream or condensed milk.

The finished mixture is moved into a narrow flask, and blanks of the same length are cut from steel wire. At the end of each wire stick, a small hook should be made, for which candles will be hung to dry.

Each metal stick is lowered into the solution and sent to dry. This action should be repeated several times so that the layer of the combustible mixture is of sufficient thickness.

Master class on making sparklers - in this video:

Burning Bengal fire at a temperature of 1100 ° C

sparklers- a mixture of substances that, when burned, gives a bright and sparkling white or colored fire, was invented by the ancient pyrotechnics of Bengal - part of Indialocated along the Bay of Bengal. Hence the name "Bengal fire". Bengal lights, or Bengal candles, from India have spread throughout the world.

Cooking sparklers

Purchased Bengal candles consist of twisted wire, which is coated with a combustible mixture, and usually give a white fire. To prepare colored homemade sparklers, starch is first mixed with water and a thick paste is brewed.

Then grind in a mortar a mixture of iron filings, aluminum or magnesium powder, salt, coloring the flame and wet "bertolet salt" - potassium chlorate KClO3 (Caution! Dry potassium chlorate, when rubbed, can ignite metal powders!)

The mixture obtained by rubbing is added to the starch paste and mixed thoroughly. The thick mass is transferred into a test tube or a tall glass, alternately dipped into it to a depth of 8-10 cm, pre-prepared iron wires about 1 mm thick, removed and allowed to drain excess mass, and then hung on a rope by a hook bent at the other end of the wire.

After drying, the wires are again dipped into the liquid mass and dried again. These operations are repeated 3-5 times until the mass layer on the wire reaches 5-6 mm in diameter, after which the Bengal candles are dried completely.

Green Bengal fire is obtained by mixing without grinding 5 g of wet barium nitrate Ba (NO3) 2 with 1 g of aluminum or magnesium powder, then add 3 g of iron filings. Another recipe for a green sparkler includes 3.5 g of boric acid B(OH)3, 6.5 g of wet potassium chlorate, 2 g of iron filings, and 1 g of aluminum powder.

A red sparkler gives a mixture of 4.5 g of wet strontium nitrate Sr (NO3) 2, 5.5 g of potassium chlorate, 3 g of iron filings and 1 g of aluminum or magnesium powder.

A yellow sparkler will please your eye if it is prepared from 3 g of sodium oxalate Na2C2O4, 5 g of wet potassium chlorate, 3 g of iron filings and 1 g of aluminum or magnesium powder.

Reactions

Colored fire during the combustion of Bengal mixtures is obtained due to the presence of substances containing barium cations, strontium, sodium or boron atoms, capable of emitting light of a certain wavelength in the visible region of the spectrum when they enter the flame. Iron Fe, aluminum Al and magnesium Mg in the form of powders or fine sawdust, when burned, give spectacular sparks. In this case, iron oxide (III) Fe 2 O 3 and partly Fe 3 O4, as well as Al 2 O 3 and MgO are formed.

Na 2 C 2 O 4 \u003d Na 2 CO 3 + CO

and boric acid B (OH) 3, releasing water, goes into boron oxide:

2B(OH) 3 = B 2 O 3 + 3H 2 O By the way: what are "oxalates"?

Oxalates are salts of oxalic acid H 2 C 2 O 4. 2H 2 O, colorless crystalline substance. Alkali metal and ammonium oxalates are colorless crystalline substances, readily soluble in water; the remaining oxalates are sparingly soluble.

Strong acids in their concentrated aqueous solutions decompose oxalates into salts of these acids with the release of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. For example, sodium oxalate Na2C2O4, under the action of concentrated sulfuric acid, turns into sodium sulfate, releasing CO and CO2:

Na 2 C 2 O 4 + H 2 SO 4 = Na 2 SO 4 + CO + CO 2 + H 2 O

Oxalic acid is dibasic and forms two series of salts: medium, for example, potassium oxalate monohydrate K 2 C 2 O 4. H 2 O, and acidic - hydrooxalates, for example, potassium hydroxalate monohydrate KHC 2 O 4. H 2 O. When heated, almost all oxalates decompose into metal carbonates and carbon monoxide CO. So, calcium oxalate CaC 2 O 4 turns into calcium carbonate and carbon monoxide:

CaC 2 O 4 \u003d CaCO 3 + CO

With stronger heating, CaCO 3 releases carbon dioxide CO 2, turning into calcium oxide CaO:

CaCO 3 \u003d CaO + CO 2

Oxalates in aqueous solutions exhibit reducing properties. For example, the interaction of sodium oxalate in an acidic environment with potassium permanganate leads to the release of carbon dioxide:

5Na 2 C 2 O 4 + 2KMnO 4 + 8H 2 SO 4 = K 2 SO 4 + 2MnSO 4 + 10CO 2 + 5Na 2 SO 4 + 8H 2 O

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See what "Bengal fire" is in other dictionaries:

Pyrotechnic composition, the burning of which is accompanied by the scattering of sparkling sparks. Usually applied to pieces of metal wire Bengal candles. Named from the signaling method first used in Bengal (India) using ... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

A special combustible composition that gives a bright white or colored light. A complete dictionary of foreign words that have come into use in the Russian language. Popov M., 1907 ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

Pyrotechnic composition, the burning of which is accompanied by the scattering of sparkling sparks. Usually applied to pieces of metal wire Bengal candles. The name is from the signaling method first used in Bengal (India) using ... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

sparkler- bengališkoji ugnis statusas T sritis chemija apibrėžtis Pirotechninis mišinys, susidedantis iš sieros, cukraus, KNO₃ ir Ba ar Sr druskų. atitikmenys: engl. bengal lights; sparklers rus. bengal fire... Chemijos terminų aiskinamasis žodynas

A pyrotechnic composition containing barium nitrate (oxidizing agent), powdered aluminum or magnesium (fuel), dextrin or starch (cementing agent), and oxidized iron or steel filings. The composition is applied to pieces of iron ... ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia

So called. in pyrotechnics, a composition that spreads bright white or colored light when burned. It got its name from the signaling method used for the first time in India using light obtained by burning a mixture of 16 parts in bamboo tubes ... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Efron

- (from the name of the historical region in India, Bengal) pyrotechnic. composition containing barium nitrate (oxidizing agent), powdered aluminum or magnesium, zhel. or steel filings (fuel) and dextrin or starch (cementing agent). When igniting B. o. slowly… … Big encyclopedic polytechnic dictionary

sparkler- A pyrotechnic composition that burns with a bright white or colored flame and scatters sparks ... Dictionary of many expressions

Fire, m. 1. only units. Incandescent luminous gases, separated from burning objects; flame. Strong o. Blow about. (see bloat). Make a fire (see make a fire). Warm up something. on fire. || The same as the source of the fire. Fire insurance. 2. pl.… … Explanatory Dictionary of Ushakov

bengali, bengali, bengali. adj. to Bengal (province of India). Bengal tiger. ❖ Bengal fire pyrotechnic composition for illuminations, burning with colored fire. Explanatory Dictionary of Ushakov. D.N. Ushakov. 1935 1940 ... Explanatory Dictionary of Ushakov

A wedding is one of the most significant events in a person's life. There are many ways to make this holiday unforgettable. Emphasize romantic mo...

By Masterweb

A wedding is one of the most significant events in a person's life. Therefore, the newlyweds want this event to be bright and unforgettable both for them and for the guests. There are many ways to decorate this holiday. One of them is the use of large sparklers. What to do if the desire to surprise the guests and create an atmosphere is great, but the budget leaves much to be desired? You can make sparkling sticks with your own hands. This requires some preparation and patience.

fire candles

Bengal lights are a familiar decoration for many events, especially weddings and birthdays. They appeared quite a long time ago, in the 5th-6th centuries. n. e. They were first used in Bengal (India), this explains the origin of the name. Sparkling fire was invented by ancient pyrotechnics and was used during sacrifices.

Today, these hand tools consist of a piece of steel wire and a combustible mixture applied to it, sparkling with fire of white or another color. The fountain of bright stars at night evokes enthusiastic emotions of the guests. The advantage is that this small firework in the hands of a person is absolutely safe, which means that it can be used not only outdoors, but also indoors, which is a significant advantage compared to other pyrotechnics. The use of these fire sticks in large quantities makes it possible to emphasize the solemnity of the moment and create a romantic atmosphere. That is why large sparklers at the wedding are always the decoration of the festive evening.

Traditional composition of hand fireworks

The composition of fire candles has long been tested. As a rule, it includes:

1. Barium nitrate - 50%.
2. Blued steel sawdust - 30%.
3. Dextrin - 12-14%.
4. Powder aluminum - 6-8%.

Sometimes, instead of the third preparation, magnesium or aluminum-magnesium powder No. 4 and cast iron shavings (element No. 2) are used.

Due to the fact that sodium, potassium, and sulfur salts are absent in sparklers, they are safe for humans, so there are no special safety precautions when using them, they can be used even in children's companies (under the supervision of adults).

Homemade pyrotechnics

Often amateur experimenters cannot find the necessary components, so they use a slightly different composition of sparklers, which gives similar results. So, to make sparkling sticks at home, you need the following ingredients:

• 5 g of aluminum powder (gives a white fire);
• 2 g of dextrin (improves the adhesion of sawdust to wire, reduces the process of burning gunpowder);
• 5-6 g cast iron (steel, iron, titanium) sawdust (should be of medium grain size, otherwise there will be no beautiful sparks);
• steel bars.

Aluminum powder can be made at home by taking potassium nitrate, aluminum powder and sulfur (the ratio is 50:35:15). These powders must be ground in one container. But in this case, the presence of sulfur obliges the use of the product in open areas.

Dextrin can be obtained by frying starch. It must be evenly distributed on a baking sheet and baked in the oven for about an hour and a half. After the procedure, it should acquire a yellowish or brown color and at the same time remain crumbly.

Bengal lights manufacturing technology

The process of creating sparkling sticks takes place in stages:

1. First you need to cut blanks for lights of the required length from steel wire (one end of the stick should be bent).
2. Thoroughly mix aluminum powder and dextrin in a container, add sawdust to this mass. (White sparks give aluminum and titanium filings, and yellow - cast iron).
3. The next step requires a tall vessel, such as a flask. Pour the mixture into it, add a little water (alcohol can be used) and stir until the consistency of condensed milk.
4. Apply the mixture to the wire (this must be done 5 times).
5. Dry the sparklers (about 15 minutes after each coating and 30 minutes at the end of the process).

Safety precautions for use

Sparkling candles do not emit particularly harmful substances during combustion, but still their use requires compliance with certain rules:

1. Before using sparklers at a wedding, you need to inspect the sticks. If there are chips on them or the mixture breaks off from the rod, then it is better to put such specimens aside. Otherwise, fire particles may get on hands, clothes or shoes.
2. In the process of burning, a small smoke with a specific smell is released, therefore it is necessary to set fire to hand-held fireworks on the street, and if indoors, then it is necessary to provide for the possibility of airing it.
3. The fire stick should be held by the part on which the combustible mixture has not been applied, at an angle to the horizontal surface, thus diverting scattered sparks from your hand.
4. It is necessary to light a candle from the far end of the stick.

And of course, we must not forget that it is necessary to protect these pyrotechnics from children and allow their use only in the presence of adults.

Application during the event

Hand fireworks allow you to emphasize the most romantic moments of the evening. Photos with sparklers will decorate any memorable album from the wedding ceremony. To create charming episodes of the celebration, you can use fire sticks during the first dance of the newlyweds, the symbolic farewell of mother and daughter. It will be advantageous to use them during the ceremony of removing the veil, and of course, during the farewell to the bride and groom in their long and happy life together at the end of the event. Look beautiful on a photo or video lined with a corridor of guests, a halo around the young during the dance. You can also invite guests to draw pictures in the air at night or write wishes to the newlyweds. Lighting long sparklers at a wedding is sure to be a spectacular and memorable moment for all guests.

In order to prevent the occurrence of unpleasant situations when using sparkling sticks, it is advisable to consider the following points:

• It is necessary to carefully consider the place for using sparklers (it must accommodate all the guests invited for the photo shoot, and be in an open area).
• Fire candles have a greater visual effect in the dark, so they should be used closer to the night.
• The props should be more in number than the participants, as some sparklers may turn out to be defective, and this will make it impossible for the guest to join the mass action.
• In order to save time on preparing a fire show during the event, you need to provide the required number of matches or lighters.
• Be sure to instruct the guests about what specific actions they should perform with sparkling sticks, and then the idea of ​​the newlyweds will be fully realized.

Bengal lights are the decoration of any wedding ceremony. A small amount of ingredients and simplicity in the technological process allow you to make them at home in any quantity. If you have patience, use your imagination and make an effort, then all the guests will definitely remember the most exciting and beautiful moment of the celebration and the success of the event will be guaranteed!

Kievyan street, 16 0016 Armenia, Yerevan +374 11 233 255

Bengal lights are an indispensable attribute of any fun holiday - New Year, birthday (and not only for children), weddings. They cost a penny, are sold everywhere, are absolutely safe for indoor ignition. However, people still continue to be interested, create colorful joy and interest with the children, and increase the anticipation of the holiday. Moreover, the process itself is simple, and the necessary substances are quite accessible.

Composition recipes

Craftsmen have come up with several ways to do it yourself. Depending on what is easier for you to get, you can choose any of the recipes. In one group we will include compounds, which necessarily include 50% of the total mass of barium nitrate and 12-14 percent of dextrin. Additional ingredients can be selected from the following list:

1. From 6 to 8% fine aluminum powder plus 30% sawdust - necessarily steel and blued.
2. The same amount of similar sawdust is added to the base, and the powder is replaced by PAM No. 4 - this is short for aluminum-magnesium powder.

All options are good because they contain neither potassium / sodium salts, nor sulfur, so candles will not give smoke, as well as various kinds of toxins. Result: lights can be used in the house without fear of poisoning.

Another composition has a radically different recipe. For 6-8 fires, aluminum gunpowder weighing 5 grams is taken, dextrin - 2 grams and sawdust, this time cast iron, which will take from 5 to 6 g. These lights will have to be used only in the fresh air.

Getting the right ingredients

It is not always possible to buy some of the necessary substances. So before you make a sparkler at home, you may have to prepare the components. The easiest way is with dextrin: it is formed when ordinary starch is heated in the oven. The temperature is set at 195 Celsius, the processing is carried out until the initial substance acquires a brownish tint.

If you settled on a recipe with aluminum powder, you will have to do it outdoors. In a mortar, aluminum powder and sulfur are ground in proportions of 30:45:25.

Important: wire

It is worth paying attention to the basis for which you will keep your "fireworks". Here, too, there are several subtleties. First, the length: cut the wire into pieces of at least 14 cm, so you protect your hand from sparks or hot composition. Second, thickness. Take a wire with a cross section of 2-3 mm. Thinner ones can burn out and break. Thirdly, the material. Neither copper nor aluminum are suitable - the combustion temperature of the mixtures is high, and they simply melt. Look for it. And don't forget, before making a sparkler at home, bend one end into a hook so that you can hang it to dry. If the bend bothers you, you can straighten it or bite it later.

How to make a Bengal fire with your own hands: instructions

In addition to all the chemicals and rods, you will need a container in which the composition will be prepared. First, aluminum powder or barium salt is poured there, then - dextrin, and only after mixing - the remaining components of the selected mixture. When the dry powder is mixed until approximately homogeneous, a little solvent is poured into it (you can use water, but alcohol is better). The consistency should resemble boiled condensed milk. A piece of wire is lowered into the composition, leaving 5-7 cm for the “handle”. The future sparkler is hung to dry for a quarter of an hour, after which the manipulations are repeated twice more. Three layers will dry for half an hour, and then two more are applied in the manner already described. The final drying will take half a day, and you can set it on fire.

Another way

Often people use a slightly different technology, how to make a Bengal fire at home. First, a strong paste is brewed from starch and tap water. Then an incendiary mixture is ground, which includes fine-grained iron filings, magnesium powder (as an option - aluminum), kitchen salt and Bertoletova. The latter must be handled with care, and wet it a little before pouring. The mixture is kneaded in brewed starch until smooth. The rods are dipped into the finished one in the same way with time intervals between the application of layers.