Making The Strongest Flash Powder Known By Synthesizing Potassium Persulfate

Potassium persulfate as it is a very strong oxidizer. Mixing two rather obtainable chemicals, this oxidizer can be synthesized without too much trouble. It is one of the strongest solid oxidizers available. It is also one of two components (the other magnesium) that is known to produce the strongest flash powder in chemistry.
I initially made a video on this a year ago experimenting on this process, as at the time there simply weren't any videos covering this topic. This is an improved technique after experimenting some more since then.
Previous video: • Making Potassium Persu...
If you’d like to contact me please email at: [e-mail]
Please consider supporting this channel by donating through PayPal. Link is above.
Thank you as even the smallest of donations helps!
Disclaimer: Under no circumstances will Cranial Construction be held responsible or liable in any way for any content, including but not limited to, any errors or omissions in the content, or for any loss or damage of any kind incurred as a result of any content communicated in this video, whether by Cranial Construction or a 3rd Party. In no event shall Cranial Construction, or any name otherwise implied to be used in place of Cranial Construction that redirects to the same, be responsible for any consequential damages or loss connected to reproducing any of this video’s content, descriptions, visual aids, or instructions. Cranial Construction assumes no liability for property damage or injury incurred as a result of any of the information contained in this video. Use any and all information at your own risk. Any injury, damage, or personal loss that may result from the improper use of any tools, equipment, or chemicals, or from any of the information contained in this video, is the sole responsibility of the user and not Cranial Construction.
This video is strictly for demonstration purposes only.

[@cranialconstruction2218]

Please consider helping out this channel via PayPal. Its so very much appreciated. Link is in the description.

[@WaffleStaffel]

Love the pics of the crystals at the end, it's a nice touch.

[@cranialconstruction2218]

Thanks man. I am blessed to have been gifted a really nice, but older, microscope.

[@tracybowling1156]

I really appreciate that you make videos that you rarely see on KZbin. This isn't only the 2nd time.

[@cranialconstruction2218]

Thank you so very much. I really appreciate your continued support.

[@mortlet5180]

7:52 It's the Persulphate decomposing to Sulphate and Oxygen gas. Persulphate is thermodynamically unstable in water, with a temperature dependant decomposition rate that makes it seem like the bubbling stops when it's cold, but in reality it will all still decompose within a few weeks to months (depending on the what the room temperature is) if you left it like that. You can confirm this by bubbling the gas through soapy water and trying to ignite the bubbles. If it was Hydrogen, the bubbles would pop and burn, while Oxygen doesn't do anything in such small quantities.

[@highqualitypyro9075]

Wow I didn’t knew that this is so easy😮 very interesting, thank you for sharing 🙏🏻

[@jamesmorton7881]

Nice lab equipment, Amigo. ❤❤

[@cranialconstruction2218]

Thanks. It's been a slow collection over many years.

[@turkerhazar8184]

Keep it up brother your videos are 🔥🔥🔥

[@cranialconstruction2218]

Thank you!!

[@Psychx_]

I think the bubbles may be persulfate decomposition and oxygen liberation. Hydrogen gas being released wouldn't make much sense, as for this, H+ needs to be reduced, not oxidized. Another possibility may be nitrogen formation via the oxidation of NH4+ to N2 and water. You could test this by holding a lit match into the beaker. If the flame becomes stronger, you produced oxygen - if the flame gets suffocated, it's nitrogen.

[@lqr824]

And while I think you're right that it's not H, your flame test would demonstrate that it was, if it was! Floooof!

[@cranialconstruction2218]

I believe you are correct. When doing the actual video I didn't plan well on how to assess what was happening and it was the first thought that I had. Thank you for your insight.

[@shatunyra]

good job!

[@horsthorstmann2480]

The number of subscribers does not match the quality of ur videos at all 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@BackYardScience2000]

It's an outright travesty.

[@cranialconstruction2218]

I really appreciate that sentiment. In time...

[@papanyanz]

But why don't you try flash with straight ammonium persulfate, it's also a strong oxidizer?

[@cranialconstruction2218]

I have actually and it works pretty well. But, it's not the strongest flash powder known and that's what this video was about.

[@Sir-Dexter]

nice work .

[@cranialconstruction2218]

Thank you!

[@drmarine1771]

Awesome.

[@powertechgrows6093]

I appreciated your walkthrough at the beginning. While nice to watch experiments, knowing what is happening is the important part otherwise might as well watch some special effects.

[@k.k9581]

thanks for ur videos. I need some info pls bro about for perchlorate cell do we need to purify the NaCl before starting to get good product. And is adding few drops of sulfuric acid to the brine will make it goes faster thanks 🙏

[@manman-sg1zt]

Me: How bright is it? Video: Single entierly white frame. Cranial Construction: Yes

[@PlayingWithDanger7866]

What else works well instead of Mg?

[@chrism4621]

Grate video. What was the yield? Theoretical was 118.4. How close did you get?

[@Based_Dept.]

Not it's a chemistry video.

[@cranialconstruction2218]

That's a legit question. I did video weighing it and determining the percent yield, but it got lost in the transfer from my camera phone and my pc. The actual yield was 84.3 gms, so a 71.2% yield. Not great, and not terrible. This is the first time I actually tried these quantities and I need to do some more research to hopefully find out how to increase the actual yield some more.

[@budove58]

Wondering if reducing the water before crashing would increase the yeild.

[@christopherleubner6633]

Potent stuff, everything is available other than a single oxygen for high temp oxidation. With Mg it would be scary. Can use Al. Zr and Ti powders to make flash compositions too. Mixing with Zn dust is not fast, but it makes a beautiful blue long duration flash.❤

[@cranialconstruction2218]

Hey I really appreciate the insight. Thank you.

[@billbrown4466]

the bubbles are the potassium persulfate decomposing and releasing oxygen

[@petevenuti7355]

That rod with you hotplate, what thread is that, mine didn't come with one..

[@cranialconstruction2218]

The bolt is 7/32" and has fine threads with 7 threads per 1/4"

[@teresashinkansen9402]

What is it meant by "strongest"? is it energy content or RE factor?

[@cranialconstruction2218]

Intensity of light per unit time

[@lqr824]

8:00 if you don't know what the gas is, just hold a match to it. You'll find out in about a millisecond whether it's hydrogen gas or not...

[@devrim-oguz]

Make a chemical laser next

[@cranialconstruction2218]

Haha ok. Wish I had the resources though.

[@fnhvh]

I got confused u made potassium per sulfate and then used it to make flash powder, am I right?

[@cranialconstruction2218]

Yes, that's correct

[@harrypeterson9287]

Wouldn't sodium persulfate be an even better oxidizer?

[@cranialconstruction2218]

It has one less oxygen. It's been tested and apparently it's just not as potent.

[@harrypeterson9287]

@@cranialconstruction2218 It has an identical number of oxygen atoms and due to the sodium being a little smaller than potassium and it having a higher density it also has a greater amount of available oxygen by weight and volume. Only problem is that the sodium cations tend to be less reactive than potassium in many cases.

[@wardog5073]

​​Isnt sodium more hygroscopic then potassium also? so i think potassium should be safer​@@harrypeterson9287

[@poolshoesandrandomscrews1156]

Its the brightest maybe, not the most powerful ive seen.

[@TheeThunderGod]

Nice science, i love science but I'll NEVER do this to make flash. Too much science, too many steps, many more chances for mishaps. Must be slow flash cuz it should've banged instead of just a poof. But again thats probably cuz its slower flash which means it has to be contained very well for top performance. Thick wall tube, no small salutes, has to be sealed with more than just an empty paper plug to prevent blowout and get a complete burn.

[@u.s.a1749]

What do you personally recommend as a faster and safer option?

[@NoNo-ne9eb]

Hey, I love pyrotechnic stuff like flash powder, but if you don’t have the proper licenses for making this stuff it is a federal offense. I wouldn’t do this. Stay safe and have fun.

[@TheExplosiveGuy]

It's only illegal if you get caught...

[@call.me.heisenberg6990]

Thx fir the video. Why haven't you made two solutions of persulfate and bisulfate and then just mixed them together? When they are cold the product should crush out immediately.

[@cranialconstruction2218]

I believe you may be correct. However, I started this experiment last year and had to make up everything. Every weight, every measurement, etc. had to be guesstimated. There wasn't any info at all online that I could find. As I progressed I only wanted to change one variable at a time. And once I had some feedback from the experiments, I was able to better determine some of the variables using AI actually. Maybe in the future I can try that out.