If someone were making flash powder for an old fashioned camera's flash lamp, what would the manufacturing process smell like? Would it make the room smell weird? Would it make the neighborhood smell strange, or is it pretty concentrated? How about one's clothes? This is for a novel.
Anonymous
Favorite Answer
Camera flash powder would contain magnesium, nitrate or (per)chlorate, and possibly aluminum and zinc powder with a chance of sulfur being included also.
Without sulfur, unburnt it might smell like metal (see wet spoon ), after being burnt it smells like burnt metal, such as when zinc is burnt when welding.
Including sulfur however it would always smell like hydrogen sulfide, mild when unburnt and so.ewhat strong when burnt.
Manufacturing involves loosely mixing the fine powders together on a piece of paper, its too unstable to use any tools of any kind. If its sulfur containing your clothes will smell a bit. Worse if you are moist. As the sulfur will react with any hydroxide or metal hydrate that forms in the mixture which is why it smells. Its no worse however than sulfur black powder smoke residue smell. Nothing strong or suspicious unless your really messy and up close and its only noticeable in warm high humidity.
jakiela
Flash Powder Ingredients
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