Star Formulations 
Red, organically fuelled stars
Shimizu  Bleser  Bleser  McLain Keystone  Lancaster  Lancaster  Lancaster
Potassium chlorate 38 70 64
Potassium perchlorate  66 70 69 70
Strontium nitrate 38
Red gum 13 10 6 12 10 9 13
Strontium carbonate  12 15 8 15 15 19
Charcoal  1 12 6 1 2
Lampblack  2
PVC 2
Hexachlorobenzene 2
Dextrin 5 4 4 5 4 4 4
type cut, rolled  cut, rolled  cut, rolled  cut, rolled pumped cut pill box
solvent 25% alcohol  35% alcohol  35% alcohol  25% alcohol  25% alcohol  25% alcohol  25% alcohol 
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Red, metallic fuelled stars
Lancaster  Lancaster  Lancaster  Veline 
Potassium perchlorate 70 9 55
Strontium nitrate  55 42
Strontium carbonate 12 15
Magnesium 28 30
Magnalium -200 mesh  6
PVC 17 12
Red gum 6 9
Aluminum "bright" 6
Aluminum flitter 80/30 6
Laminac (polyester) 7
Parlon 15
Dextrin + 4
type pill box pressed pressed cut, rolled 
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Blue, organically fuelled stars I
Lancaster  Lancaster  Lancaster  Shimizu  Shimizu  Conkling  Conkling  Bleser  Bleser  Bleser 
Potassium perchlorate 39 60.8 66.5 65 65
Potassium chlorate  68 70 12 65
Ammonium perchlorate 29 68
Barium chlorate 53
Colophony resin 6
Paris green 22 20
Basic copper carbonate  14 12.3 14 8
Black copper oxide 13.4 14 8
Copper oxychloride  12 11
Shellac, 60 mesh 10
Lactose 13
Hexamine 17
Parlon 13.1 5.4 9 10
PVC 5
Hexachlorobenzene  5
Red gum 14 9 9.9 7 6 10
Dextrin 4 4 4.8 4.8 5 5 4 5 4
type pumped pill box  pill box cut, rolled  cut, rolled  cut, rolled  cut, rolled  cut, rolled  cut, rolled  cut, rolled 
solvent 40% alcohol  50% alcohol 50% alcohol 
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Blue, organically fuelled stars II
Jennings-White  Jennings-White  Pihko  Pihko  Pihko  Pihko 
Potassium perchlorate  63 65
Potassium chlorate 65
Ammonium perchlorate  70 60 60
Hexamine 15
Sulfur 17 10 10
Black copper oxide  20 13 20
Cuprous chloride 10 20 16
Strontium carbonate 5
Parlon 14 11
PVC 12
Red gum 6 10 7
Shellac 10
Dextrin 5 10
type cut, pumped, rolled  cut, pumped, rolled  cut, pumped, rolled  cut, pumped, rolled  cut, pumped, rolled  cut, pumped, rolled 
solvent 25% alcohol  alcohol 33% alcohol 33% alcohol  33% alcohol  25% alcohol 
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Blue, metallic fuelled stars
Veline 
Potassium perchlorate  53
Red gum 9
Magnalium, -200 mesh  6
Black copper oxide 14
Parlon 14
Dextrin 4
type cut, rolled 
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Yellow, organically fuelled stars
Lancaster  Lancaster  Lancaster  Shimizu  Perigrin  Pihko 
Potassium perchlorate  70 60 68 70
Potassium chlorate 70 60
Cryolite 15
Sodium bicarbonate  20
Red gum 10 6 18 12
Charcoal 1 2 3
Sodium oxalate 14 26 10
Sodium nitrate 7
Dextrin 4 4 5 5 20
Shellac, 60 mesh 6 14
type pumped cut pill box  cut, rolled  cut, rolled  cut, pumped,
rolled 
solvent 33% alcohol  33% alcohol  alcohol  25% alcohol  25% alcohol  33% alcohol 
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Yellow, metallic fuelled stars
Lancaster  Lancaster  H.W.W. 
Potassium perchlorate  30
Barium nitrate 68
Sodium nitrate 55.5
Red gum 5 4
Ultramarine 19.5
Cryolite 10
Magnesium 17
Aluminum, dark pyro 11
Parlon 12
PVC 27.5
Magnalium, 100 mesh  30
Boric acid 1 0.5
Dextrin 4
Sulfur 5
type pill box pressed cut, rolled 
solvent alcohol 10 tons compression  50% alcohol 
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Green, organically fuelled stars
Lancaster  Lancaster  Lancaster  Shimizu 
Barium chlorate  53 72 48
Barium nitrate 11 28
Potassium perchlorate  48
Potassium chlorate 28 17
Barium carbonate 4 4
Red gum 10 12 17 14
Charcoal 5 8
Parlon 5
Dextrin 4 4 3 5
type pumped cut pill box cut, rolled 
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Green, metallic fuelled stars
Lancaster  Veline  H.W.W. 
Barium chlorate  25
Barium nitrate 25 23
Barium carbonate  4 14 19.5
Potassium chlorate  13
Potassium perchlorate  29 30
Red gum 7 5 4
Charcoal 2
Aluminum, bright 19
Magnalium, -200 mesh  11
Magnalium, 100 mesh 30
Dextrin 5 4 4
Parlon 14 12
Boric acid 0.5
type pill box cut, rolled  cut, rolled 
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White, antimony trisulfide fuelled stars
Davis  Best AFN 3  Best AFN 3 
Potassium nitrate  62 64 30
Antimony trisulfide  17 14 15
Sulfur 17 18 5
Dextrin 4 3 +5
Charcoal, air float 15
Meal powder 30
Titanium, 50 mesh 5
type cut, rolled  cut, rolled  cut, rolled
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White, metallic fuelled stars
Lancaster  Lancaster  Lancaster  Clark Davis  Davis  Davis 
Potassium nitrate  51 67 63 47
Potassium perchlorate  50
Barium nitrate 55 50 8
Strontium nitrate 10 10
Antimony trisulfide 3
Antimony powder  10 12 14
Realgar 7
Sulfur 18 8 8 19 17 26
Meal powder 15 7 13
Aluminum, dark pyro  21 25 37
Zinc dust 7
Barium fluoride 6
Charcoal 3 1
Shellac
Dextrin 3 5 2 2
type pumped pressed pressed cut, pumped, 
rolled 		 cut, pumped, 
rolled		 cut, pumped, 
rolled		 cut, pumped, 
rolled
solvent 25% alcohol  25% alcohol 25% alcohol  25% alcohol  25% alcohol 
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Orange, organically fuelled stars
Perigrin  Perigrin  Perigrin 
Potassium perchlorate  68 68 68
Red gum 12 13 13
Calcium carbonate 11 9 7
Charcoal 2 2 2
PVC 2
Dextrin 5 5 5
Sodium oxalate 3 5
type cut, rolled  cut, rolled  cut, rolled 
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Orange, metallic fuelled stars
Veline  Jennings-White 
Ammonium perchlorate  20
Potassium perchlorate  53 20
Red gum 9 5
Magnalium, -200 mesh  6 15
Titanium, flake, 20-50 mesh  15
Calcium carbonate 14 15
Parlon 14 10
Dextrin 4
type cut, rolled  cut, pumped, rolled 
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Violet, organically fuelled stars
Shimizu  Shimizu  Bleser
Potassium perchlorate  61.3 64 68
Red gum 9.1 9.5
Basic copper carbonate  5
Black copper oxide 5.2 6
Strontium carbonate 7.4 7.8 9
Parlon 12.4 8.7
PVC 11
Dextrin 4.8 4.8 5
type cut, rolled  cut, rolled  cut, rolled 
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Violet, metallic fuelled stars
Bleser 
Ammonium perchlorate  68
Hexamine 7
Strontium carbonate 12
Copper benzoate 8
Magnalium 5
Potassium dichromate  +5
Boric acid +1
Dextrin +4
solvent  25% alcohol 
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Magnesium fuelled stars
Bleser  Bleser  Bleser  Bleser  Weingart 
name  Red magnesium  Green magnesium  Yellow magnesium  White magnesium 
Barium nitrate  55 53
Strontium nitrate  55
Potassium nitrate  12 71
Potassium perchlorate  45
Magnesium, 100-200 mesh  28 18 30 28 29
Parlon 10 12 7
PVC 7 15 10
Cryolite 13
Charcoal 2
type rolled rolled rolled rolled
solvent acetone acetone acetone acetone linseed oil
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Metallic fire dust stars I
Shimizu  Shimizu  Shimizu  Shimizu  Shimizu  Shimizu 
name  Silver wave No.1 Silver wave No.2  Golden wave No.1  Golden wave No.2  Golden wave No.3 Golden 
chrysanthemum 
Potassium perchlorate  50 35
Potassium nitrate 37 37 37 40
Antimony trisulfide 9
Realgar 9 10
Sulfur 9 10
Charcoal, air float 2
Aluminum, flake  50 65 47 47 47 30
Boric acid 1 1 1 1
Dextrin +5 +5 6 6 6 7
type pumped, cut, rolled  pumped, cut, rolled  pumped, cut, rolled  pumped, cut, rolled  pumped, cut, rolled  pumped, cut, rolled 
solvent 35% alcohol 35% alcohol 35% alcohol 35% alcohol 35% alcohol 35% alcohol
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Metallic fire dust stars II
Lancaster  Lancaster  Lancaster  Lancaster  Lancaster  Blankley 
Potassium nitrate  45 13 66
Potassium chlorate  56
Potassium perchlorate 64 64
Barium nitrate 55
Charcoal, air float 13
Aluminum, bright 19 14 24
Aluminum, dark pyro  19 30 21 4
Aluminum, 120 mesh atomized  10
Aluminum, 30/80 flitter 14
Titanium, 60 mesh 8
Sulfur 10 4 8
Meal powder 5
Boric acid 1
Dextrin 6 +5 6 5
Shellac 8 8
type pumped pumped pill box pill box pill box cut
solvent 25% alcohol  25% alcohol  water  10% shellac solution  10% shellac solution  25% alcohol 
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Charcoal fire dust stars
Shimizu Shimizu  Shimizu  Shimizu  Shimizu  Shimizu 
name  Chrysanthemum 6  Chrysanthemum 8  Chrysanthemum of Mystery  Falls  Willow  Tiger Tail 
Potassium nitrate  55 49 45 41 35 44
Sulfur 7 6 4 12 6
Pine charcoal 33 40 50 45 44
Aluminum 49
Dextrin 5 5 5 6 8 6
type  cut cut cut cut  cut cut
solvent 25% alcohol 25% alcohol 25% alcohol 25% alcohol 25% alcohol 25% alcohol
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Black powder-metal fire dust stars
Oglesby Oglesby  Winokur  Winokur  Winokur  Winokur  Bleser  Bleser  Davis 
name  Better Pearl  Improved Snowball  #13 #20 #33 #39 Golden Flitter #13 Silver Flitter #14 Snowball 
Potassium nitrate  47 35 50 48 43 51 36 40
Potassium perchlorate  33
Barium nitrate 10 16 13 19
Sulfur  18 9 17 10 8 10
Charcoal, air float 10 9 9 10 10 19 10
Antimony trisulfide 13 10 12 10
Aluminum, 12 micron 10 10 6 13 8 19 6
Aluminum, dark pyro 30 61
Magnalium, -200 mesh  3 12
Sodium bicarbonate  9 5
Red iron oxide 4 7
Barium carbonate 5
Dextrin 5 8 4 4 4 5 6 6 5
type cut cut cut cut cut cut cut cut cut
solvent 33% alcohol  33% alcohol  33% alcohol  33% alcohol 33% alcohol  33% alcohol  25% alcohol 25% alcohol  25% alcohol 
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Comets
Bleser  Williams  Lancaster  Lancaster 
name  Blond Streamer  No-Antimony White Glitter
Potassium nitrate  45 55 55
Black powder 2
Sulfur 6 7 15
Charcoal, 150 mesh 29 17 1
Charcoal, mixed 25
Dextrin 5 4 5
Red iron oxide 4
Ferrotitanium, 100 mesh  15
Aluminum, spherical, 325 mesh  10
Magnalium, 100-200 mesh  3
type pumped (comet pump)  pumped (comet pump) pumped (comet pump)  pumped (comet pump) 
solvent 25% alcohol 25% alcohol 
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Crackling microstars
Best AFN 3 Best AFN 3 Best AFN 3 
Lead tetraoxide  70 81.8
Bismuth trioxide  75
Magnalium, -200 mesh  15 17.5 9.1
Black copper oxide 10 12.5 9.1
Aluminum, 200 mesh atomized  +5 +5
type cut cut
solvent 10% NC lacquer  10% NC lacquer  10% NC lacquer 
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The Veline Color System
Red  Orange  Blue  Green 
Potassium perchlorate  53 53 53 29
Red gum 9 9 9 5
Magnalium, -200 mesh  6 6 6 11
Strontium carbonate 14
Calcium carbonate 14
Black copper oxide 14
Barium nitrate 23
Barium carbonate  14
Parlon 14 14 14 14
Dextrin 4 4 4 4
type cut, pumped, rolled  cut, pumped, rolled  cut, pumped, rolled  cut, pumped, rolled 
solvent alcohol  alcohol alcohol  alcohol 
Combining the above formulas in different proportions will yield various exotic colors:
Yellow  Chartreuse  Aqua  Turquoise  Magenta  Maroon  Peach  Purple 
Red formula  50 85 25 15
Orange formula  45 20 60 5
Blue formula 20 45 50 15 15 80
Green formula 55 80 80 55
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Strobe stars I

DANGER: Magnesium and ammonium perchlorate can react exothermically, causing spontaneous combustion. Magnesium must be protected by coating with potassium dichromate if used with ammonium perchlorate. Addition of potassium dichromate to the composition will not ensure cessation of the reaction.

DANGER: Copper sulfate can not be used in formulas using ammonium perchlorate to produce a blue strobe. Copper sulfate absorbs moisture readily from the surrounding atmosphere. This moisture would then cause the magnesium and ammonium perchlorate to react producing heat, and eventually spontaneous combustion.
 
Bleser  Bleser  Shimizu  Shimizu  Shimizu  Shimizu  Shimizu 
name  Green strobe  White strobe  Red strobe  Orange strobe  Yellow strobe  Green strobe  White strobe 
Barium nitrate  53 51
Potassium nitrate  7
Ammonium perchlorate  50 60 50 60 60
Magnalium, 100 mesh 12 18 25
Magnesium, atomized, 100 mesh  30 30 40 23
Sulfur 17 19
Hexachlorobenzene 13
Strontium sulfate 20
Sodium sulfate 10
Barium sulfate 17 15
Calcium sulfate 10 
Potassium dichromate  +5 +5 +5 +5 +5
Dextrin 5 5
frequency (hertz) unknown unknown 3.5 6.9 3.5 3.1 9.7
type cut, pumped, rolled  cut, pumped, rolled  cut, pumped, rolled  cut, pumped, rolled  cut, pumped, rolled  cut, pumped, rolled cut, pumped, rolled
solvent 25% alcohol  25% alcohol 10% NC lacquer 10% NC lacquer 10% NC lacquer 10% NC lacquer 10% NC lacquer
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Strobe stars II
Hall  Hall  Kinsei  Kinsei 
name  Green strobe Yellow strobe 
Potassium nitrate  7
Barium nitrate 26 27 40 33
Magnalium, -80 mesh  18 12
Magnesium, -60 mesh  17 18
Aluminum, fine flake  6
Benzene hexachloride 5 11
Sulfur 51 55 30 27
Antimony trisulfide 7 5
Sodium oxalate 5
type cut, pumped, rolled  cut, pumped, rolled  cut, pumped, rolled  cut, pumped, rolled 
solvent  10% NC lacquer  10% NC lacquer 10% NC lacquer 10% NC lacquer
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Gold stars
Lancaster  Lancaster  Lancaster 
Potassium perchlorate  13.5
Potassium chlorate  13.5
Potassium nitrate  15
Meal powder  54 66
Antimony trisulfide  6 8
Lampblack 13 23 49
Charcoal, 150 mesh  20
Red gum 3
Dextrin 7 6
Shellac, 120 mesh 3
type pumped pumped pumped
solvent 33% alcohol  alcohol 33% alcohol 
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Zinc spreader and granite stars
Weingart  Weingart 
name  Zinc spreader 
stars 		 Granite stars 
Potassium chlorate  7.5
Potassium nitrate  14
Sulfur 2.5
Charcoal, 150 mesh  7
Charcoal, 36 mesh 6
Zinc dust 36 40
Potassium dichromate  6
Dextrin 1 1
type pumped cut
solvent 25% alcohol  25% alcohol 
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Primes
Perigrin  Perigrin  Perigrin  Perigrin  Veline  Best AFN 3 Shimizu
name  BP outer prime  Magnalium inner prime  Flitter prime  Perchlorate prime  Veline star prime  Microstar prime  Multi-use prime
Potassium perchlorate  73 33 73 55 74
Potassium nitrate  57.2
Red gum 12 8 11 12
Charcoal, air float  5 5 7 20 11.4 6
Sulfur 11.4
Wood meal, -70 mesh  6
Magnalium, -200 mesh  5
Black copper oxide 1
Red iron oxide 5
Black iron oxide 1
Aluminum, dark 4 10 5.7 3
Black powder, fine  93
Barium nitrate  34
Antimony trisulfide 9
Silicon 11.4
Boric acid 1
Potassium dichromate  5 5 5
Dextrin 2 4 5 5 4 2.9
solvent 50% alcohol 50% alcohol 33% alcohol 33% alcohol 33% alcohol 50% alcohol 50% alcohol 
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Back to the list of formulas 

Back to the Pyrotechnic Formula Page 

Last updated June 30, 1997.
Copyright (C) 1997, Andrew Krywonizka. All rights reserved.

This site has been accessed times since 11/16/97.