The Element
Summer 2022
‘hazard types’: HT1, HT2, HT3 and HT4, with HT1 being the most dangerous. HT1 and HT2 are not sold in common stores.
Chemistry behind fireworks
Concerning the make of a basic firework, gunpowder is needed. There are three reagents which make up gunpowder potassium nitrate, carbon and sulphur. The most important part of the gunpowder is the potassium nitrate as this is what propels the firework into the sky. A fuse is used to light the gunpowder, igniting the firework and thrusting it into the sky.
Fireworks come in all sorts of shapes, colours and sounds, and are used to celebrate different occasions all over the world. Have you ever thought about how they work? Well today, this article will explain the science behind how they work. Historians believe that fireworks originated in ancient China in the second century B.C. It is thought that these natural firecrackers were bamboo stalks that, when thrown in a fire, would explode with a bang because the hollow pockets in the bamboo were overheated. This became a tradition as it was said to ward off evil spirits and is still done today at Chinese New Year.
Other components are required for the firework to shoot into the sky: fuel, an oxidiser, and a binder (not to mention the plentiful supply of oxygen in the atmosphere). The fuel stores energy as it’s a source of electrons and essentially burns up during the explosion ( charcoal is typically used as fuel). Next a chemical reaction (usually combustion) takes place between the fuel and the oxidiser (an oxidising agent oxidises another substance by gaining electrons from the other substance and it itself is reduced). Upon this reaction, the electrons are being transferred between the two substances - creating a lot of stored potential energy which is then ready to be released. The binder is a substance that holds these components in place to ensure the explosion does not go off unexpectedly as well as reducing the sensitivity to both shock and impact. The binder is typically used to engineer the timing of the explosion to coordinate with others in a fireworks display.
(https://www.historyhit.com/the-history-of-fireworksfrom-ancient-china-to-the-present-day/ )
While in the sky, a combustion reaction takes place between the reactants and a detonation explosion occurs. As they react, the products formed are solid potassium carbonate, solid potassium sulphate, nitrogen gas, and carbon dioxide gas. Finally, the explosion spreads out all of the material, all while being under a superheated state.
More and more people have experimented with fireworks and they have evolved to use all types of ingredients and all sorts of styles. Infact, there are 19 different types, all with their own colours. However, with evolution comes danger, and there are now very large and dangerous fireworks; there are four categories of fireworks which are ranked in order of 11
