Cool blue dime!!!!!!!

Here's a pic of some copper sorbate, next to a PCGS box lid, for color comparison. I make CuSorbate and use it in pyrotechnics. It makes the most beautiful, deep blue (in the right formula) in aerial fireworks.

 

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Okay, I'm filing that note away. When I was actively fiddling with pyro mixtures, I was only using metal powders as fuels, or metal nitrates (mostly) as colorants.

That was a long, long time ago, but I've still got the "OXIDIZERS" bin out in the garage, and tubs of metals on a distant shelf. If I do anything again, it'll likely be non-aerial, though -- we like living in the trees, and our suburb is dense enough to frown on overhead fire.

 

You can make copper sorbate using a double replacement reaction with CuSO4 and K sorbate. You can also use Na benzoate in place of the sorbate, but the orange/yellow of sodium flame likes to wash out or ‘outshine’ the copper blue - even after rinsing it a few times with distilled water (which we thoroughly discussed in another recent post ). Any residual potassium (using K sorbate and after a few rinses) may only add a light purple to the flame, which usually won’t detract as much from the blue.
If you do get that far, a 2:1:7 mix of CuSorbate:Cl donor:KClO4 is the formula I use. It will give a very nice blue from a fountain also, but stars made of this formula are IMO the most beautiful deep blue as the burn falling thru the sky.

Ok, you’ve probably figured out my other hobby by now.

 

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