Colored Fire Spray Bottles

Colored Fire Spray Bottles In the pilot episode of Breaking Bad, chemistry teacher Walt White performs a demonstration in which he changes the color of a bunsen burner flame by spraying the flame with chemicals. You can perform the colored fire demonstration yourself. All you need are some common chemicals, alcohol, and spray bottles. Here is a list of metal salts you can use to (safely) color fire. The chemicals have low toxicity and any smoke produced wont be any better/worse for you than normal wood smoke: Colored Fire Chemicals Heres a list of common chemicals and the colors of flames they produce: Dark red lithium chlorideRed strontium chloride (found in emergency flares)Orange calcium chloride (a bleaching powder)Yellow sodium chloride (table salt) or sodium carbonateYellowish green borax (sodium borate, a common insecticide and cleaning agent)Green copper sulfate (found in some pool and aquarium chemicals)Blue copper chloride (lab chemical, but other copper compounds found in algicides and fungicides may work)Violet 3 parts potassium sulfate, 1 part potassium nitrate (saltpeter)Purple potassium chloride (sometimes sold as a salt substitute)White magnesium sulfate (Epsom salts) Prepare the Flame Colorants If you were just coloring a campfire or other wood fire, you could simply sprinkle the dry metal salts onto the fire. Copper chloride is especially nice for this since the sodium that is naturally present in wood causes this chemical to produce a mix of blue, green, and yellow flames. However, for the gas flame in a burner, you need the salts dissolved in a flammable liquid. The obvious choice here is alcohol. Common alcohols found around the home could include rubbing alcohol (isopropyl alcohol) or ethanol (e.g., in vodka). In some cases, the metal salts will first need to be dissolved in a small volume of water and then mixed with alcohol so that they can be spray onto a flame. Some salts may not dissolve, so what you can do is grind them into a fine powder and suspend them in liquid. Do not spray alcohol or any flammable chemical across a flame toward people! Safety Information While the colorants used in this demonstration are generally safe, this project involves flammable materials and flames. There is an innate risk of burns and uncontrolled fire. Be sure to have a working fire extinguisher handy, wear appropriate safety gear, and maintain a safe distance between the demonstration and the demonstrator/audience. Flames involving alcohol may be extinguished with water, by suffocation, or with any fire extinguisher. The demonstrator is advised to wear low-flammability clothing (typically natural fibers) rather than flammable synthetic clothing. A little preparation makes for a safe and memorable demonstration that will raise interest in chemistry! Disclaimer: Please be advised that the content provided by our website is for EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. Fireworks and the chemicals contained within them are dangerous and should always be handled with care and used with common sense. By using this website you acknowledge that ThoughtCo., its parent About, Inc. (a/k/a Dotdash), and IAC/InterActive Corp. shall have no liability for any damages, injuries, or other legal matters caused by your use of fireworks or the knowledge or application of the information on this website. The providers of this content specifically do not condone using fireworks for disruptive, unsafe, illegal, or destructive purposes. You are responsible for following all applicable laws before using or applying the information provided on this website.