# How much explosive in professional fireworks shells?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-explosive-in-professional-fireworks-shells/545739>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 6, 2010, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-explosive-in-professional-fireworks-shells/545739 "2010-07-06T17:22:34Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\
**Post date:** [July 6, 2010, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-explosive-in-professional-fireworks-shells/545739/1 "2010-07-06T17:22:34Z")

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Large (i.e. professionally operated, non-consumer) fireworks of course have a wide variety of configurations, but one that shows up in every show is the percussive explosion that shakes your lungs. No pyrotechnic display about it, just a compact white flash and a sharp, loud “BOOM,” and it’s over.

Question: how much explosive is contained in one of those?

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**Author:** ![Gray\_Ghost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c0e974/32.png) [@Gray\_Ghost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gray_Ghost)\
**Post date:** [July 6, 2010, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-explosive-in-professional-fireworks-shells/545739/2 "2010-07-06T18:04:12Z")

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> [@Joe Frickin Friday](#):
>
> Large (i.e. professionally operated, non-consumer) fireworks of course have a wide variety of configurations, but one that shows up in every show is the percussive explosion that shakes your lungs. No pyrotechnic display about it, just a compact white flash and a sharp, loud “BOOM,” and it’s over.
> 
> Question: how much explosive is contained in one of those?

Looks like your “Boom” type of firework is called a “salute”. Its [wiki](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salute_(pyrotechnics)) describes the largest, 5 inch diameter salutes as

> [@](#):
>
> one of the largest commercial aerial pyrotechnic reports and carries over a kilogram of aluminium-fueled flash powder.

Finding a cite for this claim is proving difficult. Commercial pyrotechnic contractor sites seem loathe to provide even basic specs for their products w/o registration.

Also, not all flash powder is equal. Sites such as [amateurpyro.com](http://amateurpyro.com)’s forums seem to have multiple threads on various pyrotechnics, including salutes. In the thread I glanced at, the participants seemed to get twitchy at dealing with amounts of flash powder over 50g. They were discussing two-inch aerial salutes.

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**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\
**Post date:** [July 6, 2010, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-explosive-in-professional-fireworks-shells/545739/3 "2010-07-06T18:47:31Z")

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> [@Gray\_Ghost](#):
>
> … get twitchy at dealing with amounts of flash powder over 50g. …

Here’s why,

> [@](#):
>
> … Some flash powder formulations (those that use single-digit micron flake aluminum powder or fine magnesium powder as their fuel) can self-confine and explode in small quantities. … Self-confinement occurs when the mass of the pile provides sufficient inertia to allow high pressure to build within it as the mixture reacts. …  
> … (Note: 25 grams of mixture {Aluminum powder (“Dark Pyro” grade, preferably “German Dark”) and potassium perchlorate … the only two components of the pyrotechnic industry standard flash powder.} is enough to explode in open air without constraint other than air pressure.) …[RIGHT][CITE](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flash_powder)[/RIGHT]

CMC fnord!