Half a croissant, on a plate, with a sign in front of it saying '50c'
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Coloured Coal

Brighten your home.
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Ordinary coal is crushed, and then mixed with a binder containing a specific metal salt. When the coal is burnt, the flames are coloured. Strontium gives red, copper gives green, sodium gives yellow; blues and violets are also available (Barium ?).

A pleasant novelty if you have an open fire.

8th of 7, Oct 22 2002

Chemistry of Firework Colors http://chemistry.ab...eekly/aa062701a.htm
22 Oct 02 | Small article about various chemicals that produce various colors. Has a nifty table arranged by color. (Beware the pop-up ads) [bristolz, Oct 22 2002, last modified Oct 21 2004]

(?) Fireworks Colours http://sis.bris.ac....55/fire/colours.htm
22 Oct 02 | Another pyrotechnics burn-color chemistry page (nice URL, huh?) [bristolz, Oct 22 2002, last modified Oct 21 2004]

Fireworks Chemicals Page http://www.pyro-pag...mistry/chemical.htm
22 Oct 02 | Of these three, this page has the most chemical burn attributes info of all. [bristolz, Oct 22 2002, last modified Oct 21 2004]

Making Pine Cone Firestarters http://pineconelady.com/crafts.html
[waugsqueke, Oct 23 2002]

[link]






       I believe twenty pound notes burn also with a pleasant turqouise flame.
General Washington, Oct 22 2002
  

       Christmas wrapping paper also gives similar effects, due I believe to the metals used in the pigments.
egbert, Oct 22 2002
  

       You could do this with wood pellets also.
FarmerJohn, Oct 22 2002
  

       General -- I suggest you try Canadian notes. They burn prettily, and are quite inexpensive.
ldischler, Oct 22 2002
  

       I've done something similar with pine cones and my chemistry set when I was 12. Neat colors and the pine cones provide sound effects as well.
phoenix, Oct 22 2002
  

       Across the valley from my house, there is a factory that makes chipboard, and a cadbury's. These constantly pour smoke into the air, and this would make the sight alot more interesting.
Bugsy, Oct 22 2002
  

       We did this, albeit a long while ago, but I remember all the pyromaniacs in the group commenting on what burns what color, and then I believe it headed in the usual potty direction and ended up with people urinating on the fire, I think.
blissmiss, Oct 22 2002
  

       The different chemicals or salts required for coloring flames are:   

       Magnesium Sulphate (Epson Salts) for WHITE flames
Lithium Chloride or Potassium Permanganate for PURPLE flames
Barium Nitrate for BLUE flames
Sodium Chloride (table salt) for YELLOW flames
Baronsalts (Borax) for YELLOW-GREEN flames
Copper sulphate (blue vitrol/Bluestone) for BLUE-GREEN flames
Copper Chloride or boric acid for GREEN Flames
Calcium Chloride (Bleaching powder) for ORANGE Flames
Strontium chloride for RED flames
  

       So sez the Pine Cone Lady. (link)
waugsqueke, Oct 23 2002
  

       How could we possibly forget.
sufc, Apr 21 2003
  

       //Don't forget how much the human chemistry enjoys strontium.//   

       Do you mean the radioactive strontium-90 isotope?   

       Nevetheless, you might violate local regulations, so the coal could only be distributed on a local basis (bad economics).   

       Alternatively, you could sell additive packets that would color the flames but not require mixing with the coal.   

       The only question remaining is: is the flame temperature of coal gas high enough to combust the additive?
FloridaManatee, Apr 22 2003
  

       yes... yes it is
Skip, Apr 27 2003
  

       I immediately thought of <radio show>Blue Coal(r)</radio show> when I saw this.
galukalock, Jul 13 2003
  

       FIREWORK FIRE
0_owaffleo_0, Jul 27 2003
  

       Mmmmm, cobalt.
sartep, Jul 27 2003
  

       They used to sell something similar that came in what looked like a grated parmesian cheese can. You'd shake some out on the fire, and you'd get a bunch of colors while it burned. Think they discontinued this item over fears of the damage you could do to your body by inhaling the fumes (real or imagined).
Arduen, Feb 29 2004
  

       So Baked They have made this product for years. They have a product like this that you can buy at Sears for gosh sakes. Its cupric (cant rember last part of name) or copper (same thing) but very baked and been made for some time
Bearer, May 15 2004
  

       Mix a little powdered aluminium with fine rust, and see what pretty colours the grating, refractory bricks, concrete, re-bar & subsoil make.
Ling, May 15 2004
  
      
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