Content

• Steps
• Advice
• Warning
• What you need

Campfires often emit yellow and orange flames because the firewood contains iron. By adding other chemicals, you can color the fire to suit special occasions or simply change the color of the fire for fun. You can sprinkle chemicals on the fire, pour chemical waxy cake or soak the firewood in water and a chemical solution. Fire coloring is a fun activity, but always be careful when exposed to fire and chemicals.

Steps

Method 1 of 4: Choose chemicals

1. 

   Determine the desired flame color. Although you can turn a flame into a variety of colors, it's important to determine which color you like best to know the chemicals to use. You can make fire blue, turquoise, red, pink, green, orange, purple, yellow, or white.

2. 

   
   
   Determine the right chemicals based on the color they can produce. To create the desired flame color, you must choose the right chemicals. Use powdery chemicals, and do not replace them with chlorates, nitrates or permanganates as they will produce toxic by-products when burned.
   • To create a blue flame: use copper chloride or calcium chloride.
   • To create a turquoise flame: use copper sulfate.
   • To create a red flame: use strontium chloride
   • To create a pink flame: use lithium chloride
   • To create a light green flame: use borax (borax).
   • To create a green flame: use alum (alum).
   • To create an orange flame: use sodium chloride.
   • To create a purple flame: use potassium chloride.
   • To make a yellow flame: use sodium carbonate.
   • To create a white flame: use magnesium sulfate.

3. 

   
   
   Buy the necessary chemicals. Some flame-colored chemicals are not common household ingredients, so look for them at grocery, hardware, or gardening stores. You can buy other chemicals at chemical stores, fireworks or online.
   • Copper sulfate is often used by plumbers to kill roots, so you can find them at home repair or appliance stores.
   • Sodium chloride is table salt that you can buy from your grocery store.
   • Potassium chloride is commonly used as a water softener salt. This can be purchased at many hardware stores.
   • Borax is often used to wash clothes, so you can find it in the laundry product section of most supermarkets.
   • Magnesium sulfate is present in epsom salts, which you can buy at many pharmacies.
   • Copper chloride, calcium chloride, strontium chloride, lithium chloride, sodium carbonate and alum can be purchased from chemical stores, fireworks, or from online retailers.
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Method 2 of 4: Sprinkle chemicals on fire

1. 

   
   
   Campfire. Sprinkle chemicals directly on a campfire is usually most effective. Wait for the fire to burn until there is a layer of embers underneath and the flames cool down a bit.
   • For best results, wait for flames about 30 cm high.

2. 

   Sprinkle a small amount of chemicals over the embers. Start with a small pinch of the chemical test and make sure no adverse reactions occur. Remember to stand back a little while sprinkling powder in the fire to prevent malfunction.
   • Sprinkle chemicals on the edge of the fire instead of in the middle of the fire. This will reduce the risk of a dangerous big fire.
   • Wear protective glasses and fireproof gloves when spraying chemicals in fire.
   • Smoke from many of these chemicals can be serious irritants, especially for people with breathing problems. You should wear a respirator when spraying chemicals in the fire, and be aware of the direction of the smoke.

3. 

   Continue adding chemicals until fire changes color. The first sprinkle may not change the color of the fire, so keep adding chemicals until you see color change. Usually you will see the fire change color after about 1 minute. advertisement

Method 3 of 4: Making wax cake

1. 

   Melt the paraffin wax in a water bath. Place the heat-resistant bowl in a saucepan of boiling water over medium heat. Place a few pieces of paraffin wax in a bowl and heat until completely melted.
   • You can buy wax blocks to mold in grocery stores or scraps of candles.
   • Do not melt the wax in an open flame, lest it catch fire.

2. 

   Stir the chemical powder into the wax. Once the wax is completely melted, remove the bowl from the water bath. Add 1-2 tablespoons (15-30 g) of chemicals and mix well until the chemicals are mixed with the wax.
   • If you don't want to mix chemicals directly with the wax, you can wrap the chemicals in a used laundry scent sheet and place them on the bottom of the container where you plan to pour the wax.

3. 

   Allow the mixture to cool and pour into a paper cup. After mixing the chemicals with the wax, wait for 5-10 minutes for the mineral to cool, then pour into the cupcake paper mold while the mixture is still liquid to form a wax cake.
   • You can also use small paper cups or egg cartons to make wax cakes.

4. 

   Wait for the wax to freeze. After you have poured the paraffin wax into the cupcake paper mold, you need to wait for the wax to harden again. It takes about 1 hour for the wax to fully solidify.

5. 

   Throw the wax cake into the fire. Once the waxy cake has solidified, you can peel off the outer layer of paper and throw it into the hottest part of the fire. As the wax melts, the flames change color.
   • You can put a lot of wax cakes in the fire with different chemicals at the same time, but be sure to throw them in different areas of the fire.
   • Wax cake suitable for campfires or fireplaces.
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Method 4 of 4: Soak firewood in chemicals

1. 

   Set of dry, light fire-ignition materials. Wood materials such as shavings, wood chips, pine cones and firewood are good options. You can also use curled newspaper.

2. 

   Dissolve chemicals in water. Dissolve 450 g of the chemical of your choice with each 3.8 liters of water in a plastic bucket. Stir well to dissolve the chemical powder faster. For best results, dissolve each chemical in a separate bucket of water.
   • You can use a glass container, but avoid metal, as metals can react with chemicals. Be careful not to break glass in a campsite, near a fire or fireplace.
   • Remember to wear goggles, rubber gloves and a respirator when mixing chemical solutions.
   • It is best to mix the chemical solution outdoors, as some chemicals can contaminate the work area or generate toxic gases.

3. 

   Soak firewood in a chemical solution for a day. Pour the solution into a large container, such as an old ice bin or plastic container. Put firewood in a mesh bag (such as an onion or potato bag) and soak in the solution. Use a brick or other heavy object on the wood bag to sink and soak for 24 hours.

4. 

   Remove the wood bag from the solution and dry. Pick up the bag of firewood, wait a bit for the water to drip down into the container, then pour the wood chips onto newspaper or hang them in a dry, windy place. Leave firewood for 24 hours or more to dry.
   • Remember to wear safety glasses when removing firewood from the chemical solution.
   • If not dried, these wood chips will be very difficult to burn when placed in the fire.

5. 

   Burning treated firewood in the fire. Make a campfire or make a fire in the fireplace. Once the fire has burned and the fire has subsided, throw the treated firewood on the fire to burn it. Color flames will appear after a few minutes.
   • If you are burning a fireplace indoors or in a camping tent, make sure chimneys, vents, and smoke valves are working properly for a well ventilated environment.
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Advice

• Some types of firewood will produce a colored fire without chemical treatment. Firewood that is washed ashore often produces purple and blue flames. If stored for at least 4 years, the wood will produce colorful flames.
• Remember to use protective clothing such as goggles and gloves when coloring the fire.

Warning

• Handle chemicals carefully according to the instructions on the package. Even seemingly harmless chemicals like sodium chloride can cause skin irritation or burns if used in large quantities.
• Store hazardous chemicals in sealed glass or plastic containers. Keep children and pets away from chemicals.
• If you add chemicals and a fireplace, make sure your heater is well ventilated so that your home is not covered with chemical fumes.
• Fire is not a toy and is never considered a game. Needless to say, everyone knows how dangerous flames are and how quickly they can get out of control. Always have a fire extinguisher or plenty of water nearby.

What you need

• Chemical
• Wax or paraffin
• Coffee box
• Pans
• Country
• A muffin or cupcake paper mold
• Firewood, pine, newspaper
• Containers made of glass or plastic
• Goggles
• Gloves
• A facemask or respirator
• Aprons or gowns for shielding when working with chemicals and waxes
• Mesh bag
• Brick or stone