Make your own Aluminum powder!

Aluminum powder is one of the key ingredients in many pyrotechnics, the most famous
being flash powder. It ranges greatly in grades from flitter to a very fine flaky powder.
The smaller and flatter the particle of aluminum, the more reactive it will be. German
Black is the most common for flash powders and is normally 400 mesh and finer.

Image 1 – Final product

Materials:
The materials required are simple and can be easily found or made.
1. Aluminum foil – Pretty much any brand will work, but the thinner the better!

Image 2 – Aluminum Foil

2. A blender - If you plan on making lots of this, you may want to pick up a used
one from a thrift store.

Image 3 – Blender (no fruit needed)

 3. A rock tumbler with 24 or more steel balls (between ” to 1” in diameter) Note: I
have used lead balls of
” diameter, and those have also worked fine.

Image 4 –Double Ball Mill/rock tumbler

This can be found online, at places such as e-bay. Also check hobby shops and thrift
stores. If you can’t get one, you can always make one by just by hooking a motor up to a
barrel, and putting some ball bearings inside! If your stuck a more expensive alternative
is to order a high quality one from http://www.unitednuclear.com/mills.htm or
http://www.lortone.com/tumblers.html or use the detailed instructions at
http://www.unitednuclear.com/ballmill.htm to build your own.

4. Stearin – Use no more than 5% of the weight of aluminum. Between 3% and 5%

is the most common, although some do not use it at all. It is common in candle
making, and if often found in craft stores. http://www.skylighter.com/ will carry it
as well as e-bay. This is used as a polishing element, and if most used if you are
going to be making bright aluminum powder.

5. Carbon – If you are making dark aluminum powder, about 5% carbon (by mass)
is added. This helps the powder from becoming hard over time. Graphite (a form
of carbon) can be used along with this to help the powder flow better.

6. Gloves – Pretty much anything that will cover your hands just in case you get a
sharp piece of aluminum.

Process:
Once you have all the materials, it is time to get started! The process is simple, but care
still should be taken. First, rip off some strips of aluminum foil, and place them in the
blender. Be careful not to overload the blender. I could fill mine loosely full (NEVER
pack it in) with no problem.
 Image 5 – Loaded Blender
Let the blender run until it has torn the foil into very small pieces. These can get sharp, so
make sure you are using gloves or you might get a splinter!

Next, empty the blender into your ball mill or rock tumbler, and repeat the process of
blending the aluminum until you have enough for your barrel. Now add the steel balls
into the barrel. Try to use at least two-dozen if you can. More will only speed up the
process. I have used smaller lead balls, and it has worked well, but does take longer.

Close up the ball mill, and let it run! I sometimes will set mine at an angle (between 15º
and 25º) as this will aid in the tumbling action of the balls. Let this run for as long as
necessary. This could be only a few days for a more grainy powder, or 2-3 weeks for an
extremely fine and powerful powder.

You should open the barrel up every day or so to let air in and allow the aluminum to
build up it’s protective coating. Failure to do so can ruin your powder. You can use a
mesh filter to sift out the desired size, so you can make multiple grades at once. If you let
this run for its entire time, the powder should be at least just as fine as powdered sugar.
Be sure to use gloves, as this will stain your hands with a light gray tint.

Increasing power for pyrotechnics

If you used stearin in the process above, you can remove it by washing it with 99%
isopropyl alcohol. Using the stearin during the milling process and then removing it will
increase power. Just toss the powdered aluminum into a jar, and pour in the alcohol until
it is about half as deep as the powder. Stir it up well, and drain the alcohol using filter
paper. This is normally done outside, because the alcohol vapor isn’t fun to breath, and it
can explode very violently
Once completed, let the powder dry and your done!
Dark Aluminum is made by mixing a portion of carbon with the fine aluminum
powder. The stearin is normally either not used or is removed prior to the addition of
carbon. Typically, one should add about 5% Carbon by mass. Graphite can be included in
this 5%, and will help it to flow like German Blackhead. Although the addition of carbon
will not increase the powder much if at all, it will allow your powder to be stored in tubes
without becoming hard.

Uses
• Catalysts for Chemical processing
• Used in Ceramics
• High-grade paint, print and toners
• Used in paint pigments, weather resistant paints, and heat resistant paints
• Used in pasts to conduct electricity
• Material surface treatment
• Rocket powders
• Aluminum alloys
• And MORE!

Additional Information
Mesh Micron
7000 1.25
6000 2.5
5000 2.7
4000 3.4
3500 4.5
2500 5
2000 5.5
1800 6.5
1600 8
1300 10
1100 11
1000 12
900 15
800 19
650 21
540 26
460 30
Other methods
Please note that I have not personally tested all of these, although I will include them
here for completeness.

Method 2:

Materials
• Drill Press
• Aluminum rod
• Metal File (the larger flat type)
• Hack saw
• Sheet of paper or paper plate

Procedure
Cut the aluminum rod into manageable pieces.
Fix the rod into a drill press and turn it on.
Hold a metal file at about a 45º angle and press it against the aluminum rod.
Collect the powder on the paper plate or sheet of paper.
*It is often a good idea to run this through a ball mill for a short while if you desire a
flake shape.

Process 3
Following the first process, except cover the blender blades with ethanol alcohol or
vegetable oil. Filter out the aluminum and proceed as instructed above.

Process 4
Materials
• Aluminum foil
• Blowtorch
• Coffee grinder

Procedure
Take a sheet of foil and heat it with the blowtorch. Allow to cool.
Rip the foil into pieces so that it will fit into the coffee grinder
Add the foil to the coffee grinder, and grind it at its finest setting.
Remove the powder.
Word of Wisdom
Aluminum powder has many uses, and is fairly safe to use. However, flash powders are
very dangerous unless you know exactly what you are doing. In fact, making them is
illegal in many places. Be sure to check with you local authorities. A rule of thumb is
“Don’t be stupid, or you might die!”

Sources:
Impact Firecrackers - John Donner 1996
http://www.theodoregray.com/PeriodicTable/Samples/013.13/s12s.JPG
http://www.shroomery.org/images/26004/028502031-foil.jpg
http://www.regcen.com/blenderrecall/blender.jpg
http://i10.ebayimg.com/03/i/000/7a/0c/2b7a_1.JPG