Green world, green eyes, green wood – going green seems just to be the new fad in town. Come this July 4, and there will be a new addition of feather in the cap. Any guesses? Well, it's green fireworks.
Gone are the days when fireworks, flares and other so-called 'pyrotechnics' which included potassium perchlorate as the oxidizer, a material that provides the oxygen that fireworks need to burn, were used by people.
This time, the 4th of July will see 'green fireworks' – the latest kind in the lot. These will work just like any other fire work, but the difference, it will have, is that it'll brighten the sky in an eco-friendly way in the US.
Researchers, for long, have been developing a new pyrotechnic formulas that replace environmental pollutant in the firecrackers with nitrogen-rich materials that burn cleaner and produce less smoke. And they hit upon the idea of green fireworks. Perchlorate, however, is an environmental pollutant with potential adverse effects on people and wildlife. Pyrotechnics contain other ingredients, such color-producing heavy metals, with a similar potential.
Studies have shown that perchlorate from community fireworks displays conducted over lakes, for instance, can lead to perchlorate contamination of the water. Researchers, however, have developed new pyrotechnic formulas that replace perchlorate with nitrogen-rich materials or nitrocellulose that burn cleaner and produce less smoke, according to an article in ACS's weekly newsmagazine, Chemical & Engineering News (C and EN).
In the article, the editor, Bethany Halfor, further talks about these nitrogen-rich formulas, which is suppose to use fewer color-producing chemicals, dramatically cutting down on the amount of heavy metals used and lowering their potentially toxic effects.
So far, some of these fireworks have already been used at circuses, rock concerts and other events, but none have been used at large outdoor displays. So far, all seem to be well except the money-part. According to the article, the big challenge in launching these 'eco-friendly' pyrotechnics into the sky is making them cost-competitive with conventional fireworks while maintaining their dazzle and glow.
AGENCIES
Gone are the days when fireworks, flares and other so-called 'pyrotechnics' which included potassium perchlorate as the oxidizer, a material that provides the oxygen that fireworks need to burn, were used by people.
This time, the 4th of July will see 'green fireworks' – the latest kind in the lot. These will work just like any other fire work, but the difference, it will have, is that it'll brighten the sky in an eco-friendly way in the US.
Researchers, for long, have been developing a new pyrotechnic formulas that replace environmental pollutant in the firecrackers with nitrogen-rich materials that burn cleaner and produce less smoke. And they hit upon the idea of green fireworks. Perchlorate, however, is an environmental pollutant with potential adverse effects on people and wildlife. Pyrotechnics contain other ingredients, such color-producing heavy metals, with a similar potential.
Studies have shown that perchlorate from community fireworks displays conducted over lakes, for instance, can lead to perchlorate contamination of the water. Researchers, however, have developed new pyrotechnic formulas that replace perchlorate with nitrogen-rich materials or nitrocellulose that burn cleaner and produce less smoke, according to an article in ACS's weekly newsmagazine, Chemical & Engineering News (C and EN).
In the article, the editor, Bethany Halfor, further talks about these nitrogen-rich formulas, which is suppose to use fewer color-producing chemicals, dramatically cutting down on the amount of heavy metals used and lowering their potentially toxic effects.
So far, some of these fireworks have already been used at circuses, rock concerts and other events, but none have been used at large outdoor displays. So far, all seem to be well except the money-part. According to the article, the big challenge in launching these 'eco-friendly' pyrotechnics into the sky is making them cost-competitive with conventional fireworks while maintaining their dazzle and glow.
AGENCIES
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