Product Description

For centuries fireworks have been a source of delight and amazement in cultures around the world. But what produces their dazzling array of effects? This book, a fully revised, extended and updated second edition explores the chemistry and physics behind the art of pyrotechnics. Its scope ranges from the history of gunpowder and fireworks in the UK, to the chemical characteristics of gunpowder, the form and functioning of all the main types of fireworks, special effects, fireworks safety and current fireworks legislation. This second edition is aimed at students with A level qualifications or equivalent wanting to follow the essential principles of pyrotechnics. The style is concise and easy to understand and readers will gain a clear understanding of the science of fireworks in terms of recognised scientific principles.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #100225 in Books
• Published on: 2008-11-11
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 166 pages

About the Author
Michael S Russell is a Chartered Chemist and a member of the RSC. His experience lies in the design of pyrotechnic devices mainly for fire or explosion suppression or military applications. He acts as a Consultant for explosives safety and safety training courses. He has also developed pyrotechnics, smokes, flares, rockets and gas generators.

Customer Reviews

A technical book containing a lot of mathematical formulas
This book would probably be very useful to a proffessional pyrotechnist as it contains a lot of formulas for calculating things like the height a shell of a given weight will acheive with so much black powder etc. A fairly solid understanding of chemistry and mathematics would be helpful when reading this book. It should also be noted that it contains only a few pyrotechnic compositions and very few fireworks diagrams, but would be a very good book for the proffessional pyro.

For someone who likes to know how and why fire "works"
This book has few fireworks compositions, but teachs you how to do things right, offering the background formulas you need to make things the way you want them. Chemistry background knowledge is needed.

Fine book but errors...
Some errors remain. For example, in Chapter 2, Equations 2.9 and 2.10 set k, the rate constant for a reaction, equal to t, the time until ignition. The rate constant will increase with a temperature rise, whereas the time to ignition must decrease. Perhaps this was a transposed equation that could be easily corrected in a future printing. While this volume can be improved, it does offer a starting point for the beginning student of pyrotechnics and chemistry.