Re: Expriment producing sparks with aluminium foil wraped round two balls banged together.

I'd bet it's something like the "blaster ball" toys that have been around
for quite a while. In the US version of teh blaster balls, one ceramic ball
is coated with sulfur & binder, the other is coated with potassium chlorate,
catalyst, and binder. Bring two together and a snap results. My best guess
would be that the balls were coated with chlorate and the foil provided the
fuel. Either that, or they are single composition balls, such as those
described in Jorge Ferrando's article in Pyrotechnica XIV (14) (Austin:
Pyrotechnica, 1992) and the alumium foil might just contribute a bit of
light output.

"Eamonn" <eamonnhughes@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:1130615245.916194.39460@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>I remember seing Lee Marek do this on the David Lertterman show.
>
> I have tried to repeat it with no success.
>
> He had two balls, they looked quite heavy, which he wrapped in
> aluminium foil. When banged together sparks were produced.
>
> I thought it might be the same reaction as thermite the balls may have
> been iron with a coating of rust and banging them together providing
> the energy for a localized thermite reaction.
>
> Eamonn
>


.

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