a cabinet of chemical curios - photographic flashlight powder

From: donald j haarmann (donald-haarmann_at_worldnet.att.net)
Date: 07/28/04 

Date: Wed, 28 Jul 2004 23:19:41 GMT

Photographic Flashlight Powder.
Act-Ges. f. Anilinfabr. Fr. Pat. 340,459, Feb 15, 1904.
In:— The Journal of the Society of Chemical Industry. 16 [23] 836. Aug. 31,
1904.

Two parts of magnesium or aluminium powder are mixed with two parts of cerium
or thorium nitrate, and with one part of zirconium nitrate ; the double salt of these
nitrates with other nitrates may also be employed. These flashlights are said to
burn with practically no smoke, giving a flash of great actinic power, and of much
shorter duration than have been prepared with chlorates peroxides.

"Why does the livinging room rug now glow in the dark?"

[Homeland Security and the EPA would not approve of this!] 

-- 
donald j haarmann
----------------------------
Chemical engineering: The practice of doing for
a profit what an organic chemist only does for fun.
                                Anon.