How Are Sparklers Made?
Sparkler Basics Sparklers are fireworks you can hold in your hand. Instead of exploding, they create colored sparks from the end of a metal rod. One end of the metal rod has no combustible material, and the other is coated with a chemical compound. When the chemical end is lit, it gives off colored sparks until all the chemicals have burned. Chemical Compounds The chemicals on the end of a sparkler are a combination of powdered potassium chlorate, aluminum granules and charcoal. The charcoal and the aluminum are fuel. When the sparkler is lit, the fuel keeps the rod on fire. The potassium chlorate is what causes the sparks. Strontium nitrate is added to the dry ingredients to make the sparks red, and barium nitrate is used for green. Iron can be added for orange sparks, and ferrotitanium, for gold. To make it possible to coat the wire, water is mixed with dextrin or nitrocellulose, and added to the dry ingredients. Dextrin holds the chemicals together on the end of the rod. The water c
