Salute (pyrotechnics)

In pyrotechnics, a salute is a device designed to make a loud "report" i.e. a bang accompanied by a bright flash of light.

All "salutes" are made with flash powder mainly comprised of potassium perchlorate and dark flake aluminum powder. [1] Potassium nitrate may be used as a substitute for potassium perchlorate in the making of slow flash for small color shells 2" and under. This substitute is employed to tame the blast wave so as to not disintegrate color stars upon deflagration. Potassium Perchlorate based flash mixtures have a very fast burn rate unlike slow flash and black powder. To amateur hobbyists, the most widely used flash mixture is 70% potassium perchlorate with 30% dark flake aluminum powder. This binary mix is only one out of many formulas, some of which are considered too unsafe to mix and handle. To the novice, all flash mixtures are unsafe.

To those experienced, it's always: "Which one sounds the heaviest without compromising too much safety in the process?" Salutes may be fired on the ground (ground salute) or launched into the air from a mortar or stick rocket. Due to the nature of flash powder, the larger 1.3 pro firework salutes are some of the more hazardous fireworks. For example, a simple M-80 will contain only 3 grams of flash while a 3" shell may exceed that number well over 30 times. At night from a distance, an observer will always see the flash of light before hearing the bang due to light traveling faster than the speed of sound. Salute cakes, mortars & rockets may carry titanium flakes to create a quick spark effect. These sparks always appear to be gold or silvery white. They are commonly referred to as "titanium salutes".

The duration of this aerial visual effect will last no longer than 1 second but may last long enough to touch ground when the builder selects the wrong mesh which can indeed pose a huge fire hazard. It is a widely accepted rule of thumb in fireworks that Perc/Al based flash powders should NEVER be used as a primary burst charge for (star shell) type fireworks of any size. A slow flash mix is always the preferred method to prevent stars from being disintegrated upon detonation. Slow Flash: 50% Potassium Nitrate, 30% Bright Al Powder & 20% Sulfur.

Any shell larger than 2" diameter or 2"x6" should only contain black powder as the primary burst with a small increment of flash at the very center. The flash in the center is simply a boost when used in this way. Stars bound by phenolic resin, dextrin or gum Arabic all have their breaking point. It is said that phenolic resin is best suited and there for is the most widely used resin in the industry of fireworks.

Two examples of flash powder that makes a very deep boom:

BLUE THUNDER

70% Potassium Perchlorate

30% Blue Aluminum

+10% Dark Flake Aluminum

+10% Sulfur

TPA NO.1

70% Potassium Perchlorate

15% Dark Flake Aluminum

15% TPA Terephthalic Acid

Thorough list of ground salutes:

Cherry bomb

Diameter 1"

1 Gram

Color: Red, Rose, Magenta or Hot Pink

Silver Salute

Length 1-1/2"

Diameter 1/2"

Wall 1/16"

1.5 Grams

Color: Silver

M-80

Length 1-1/2"

Diameter 9/16" to 5/8”

Wall 1/16"

3 – 5 Grams

Color: Red

M-100

Length 2"

Diameter 3/4"

Wall 3/32"

10 Grams

Color: assorted

M-250

Length 3”

Diameter ¾”

Wall 3/32”

15 Grams

Color: Red

1/4 Stick (M-1000)

2-1/2" x 1” or 3-1/2” x ¾” or 6” x ¾”

Wall 3/32” to 1/8”

25 Grams

Color: assorted

1/2 Stick

Length 4"

Diameter 1"

Wall 1/8"

50 Grams

Color: assorted

3/4 Stick

Length 4"

Diameter 1-1/4"

Wall 1/8"

75 Grams

Color: Red or Black

Full Stick

Length 6"

Diameter 1"

Wall 1/8"

100 Grams

Color: assorted

M-5000

Length: 6"

Diameter 1-1/4"

Wall 3/32"

130 Grams

Color: assorted

All ground salutes over 50 mg and air salutes over 130 mg are restricted by the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the Child Protection Act of 1966.

Examples of salutes

• Cherry bomb
• M-80
• M-100
• Quarter stick