Armstrong's Mixture: Hammer test and burn rate test.

Had heard about this interesting binary explosive on the 'net, and decided to mix up a couple of VERY small batches myself. The last one I didn't use ear protection, and it was seriously loud. Made my ears ring badly. Anyway, heres all the relevant info:

I made this with matchheads and powder scraped from the striker. The chemicals being impure means it's less sensative and less powerful than 'true' armstrong's mix.

The largest batch I made used two matchheads.

I am only guessing the ratios, trying to get what looks like the same amount of each powder.

I am mixing this by getting the two components, and dropping them (dry) into a 'pocket' made with paper and gently shaking it. This could of course set it off, but unless you hit this particular (impure) mix with a hammer, it merely goes 'poof' and not 'BANG'. So reasonably safe so long as I don't hold it to my face.


If you want to try making this, only make very very VERY small quantities, and if you intend to mix it dry be aware that it may ignite at any time. Also, this stuff is very very loud. Don't detonate it unless you have hearing protection, unless you want to mess up your ears. I tried it so that you don't have to.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Armstrong's
• mix
• explosion
• detonate
• hammer
• test
• burn
• rate

[styx85]

How about grinding them separately with a ceramic mortar and mix them afterwards?

[Insomniac535]

That could work, just be sure that there's no residue of one chemical left over when you go to grind the rest... and this stuff really shoudln't be mixed dry, its only because the matches arn't pure and have other stuff in them that it's possible to dry mix.

[BankaiIchigo12345]

Actually it didn't explode when uncontained. While it did burn fast while uncontained enough to go fizz and almost a quiet pop, it didn't go bang. Only when compressed and ignited by compression did it go bang.

Also is armstrong's mix the same component used as the firing cap at the back of a bullet cartridge? I know there's a primer in the back that lights the main propellent in the front. Is that primer an armstrongs mix?

[FinallyAUniqueName]

@BankaiIchigo12345

Also, just a demonstration of how absurdly dangerous this stuff can be, when made with correct ratios and not crudely thrown together from the chemicals in a box of matches: /watch?v=75JXZdfYHkE&feature=r­elated

[FinallyAUniqueName]

@BankaiIchigo12345

Correct. As far as I know (having never handled it), black powder would not be sensitive enough to ignite by a cap gun's hammer, nor would it burn fast enough to go BANG when uncontained. Armstrongs mix is absolutely not the same as black powder or smokeless powder. They are all different chemicals/mixtures of chemicals. Armstrong's is a primary explosive, but I'm not sure whether it is classed as high or low. I would guess high, for a pure mixture.

[BankaiIchigo12345]

Also, is armstrongs mix considered a "low explosive" or a "high explosive"?

[BankaiIchigo12345]

So capguns don't use black powder, and armstrongs mix is not the same as black powder or smokeless powder?

[FinallyAUniqueName]

@BankaiIchigo12345

Yes, the same compound is used for cap guns. And no, it's not a form of gunpowder. It burns much too fast and is way too sensitive to be useful as a firearms propellant. Black powder is the traditional 'gunpowder', which has since been replaced by smokeless powder (Usually a form of nitrocellulose).

[BankaiIchigo12345]

Is this what they use in kids cap guns? Is this considered a form of gunpowder?

[Insomniac535]

All the videos there were the exact same mixture, and it IS a sort of armstrong's mixture. It is just that it is impure, and mixed in the wrong ratios with some other chemicals mixed in so it is MUCH less reactive than the 'real' stuff.

[grineflip]

@igotverylongname think of what it's made of and you'll probably understand

[igotverylongname]

OKEY, i tried it, 10 matches , and some flint, i swear to god! it sound like a fucking 9mm gun! :P