Platinum Metals Pyrotechnics - New goals (Patreon)

Ok I finally made some new Patreon goals. We haven't had one since we exceeded the LN2 cylinder at $210. It was difficult to think of projects that could justify the high goal price, because its a lot of money to items! But hey, I thought of some, and will keep thinking (am always open to suggestions too!).

Anyway, I made a new goal for $610, which was a bit above where we were next week. After explaining the vague thought of a plan to the discord, some absolute mad-men went and increased their pledge, exceeding the goal pretty much straight away, so I had to be committed to the plan. Maybe the plan is so stupid they really wanted to see if I could actually do it? Or maybe they're real nice. We shall see.

The plan is noble metal pyrotechnics. Ok so pyrotechnics, it's easy to make a thing burn. Just take an oxidiser, and a thing that burns and mix them. Cool. If that's what I wanted to do, I could do endless combos of oxidizer + reducer and you'd be bored of seeing flames pretty quickly.

So how to make it challenging? Well, maybe my ego got a bit big. Maybe I thought I was a master of fire. My plan is to make a flashpowder using only the noble/platinum group metals. Only the ones circled in the picture. That's both an oxidiser based off of them, say ruthenates? rhenium dioxide?? And then a reducer... will powdered palladium work? Will iridium powder burn if fine enough?? Are hydrides possible???

The metals are 1) very expensive and 2) non-reactive. So this is a serious challenge. Can it be done? Maybe. Has anyone been stupid enough to waste these precious metals in this way to attempt this before? I doubt it.

It's a video plan that will go on in the background for a little while. I'll put some effort into finding a cheap source of the metals, because that means I can get more of each for more testing. Holy heck rhodium is expensive though wow.
Should be some left over for some more serious noble metal chemistry for Extractions&Ire too, which should be great fun.

Anyway, thanks so much to you all for contributing to the madness! Any recommendation of sellers... let me know!

Tom
Explosions&Fire