Michael A. Stecker
|
Michael
Stecker in basement of
18231 Stoepel, Detroit,
Michigan. The cement
sink (labeled in red) was destroyed with one
weighted Silver Salute
firecracker when it sunk
to the bottom of the
water filled sink and
exploded. A good
example of how
uncompressible
water is
and how it facilitates the transfer of energy to the walls of a vessel. This principle was used by
the British in World War
II to destroy German
dams (ref.).
. Silver Salutes The Silver Salutes of today are far less powerful than the ones I used in the 1950s. Like Cherry Bombs and M80s their explosive fuel is flash powder -- a mixture of Potassium Perchlorate (oxidizer) aluminum powder and sulfur. My "homemade" firecrackers used a more powerful flash powder because the aluminum powder was replaced with magnesium powder. This metal produces more energy (heat and light) when burned than aluminum. . photo: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Silver_Salute_Ash_Cans_Predating_1966_(Authentic).jpg ref.: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_Salutes#Silver_Salute_or_Ashcan This was also the location where I first made and tested nitroglycerin. |