Cross section Titanium Salute

[displayfireworks1]

This is a cross section picture of a titanium salute. I never actually took one apart, for some reason I thought it would be just powder. This looks like a combination of powder and rice hulls. Adding the rice hulls must act like cabosil.
http://pl.b5z.net/i/u/6070324/i/inert_4_inch_shell.JPG
http://pl.b5z.net/i/u/6070324/i/Inert_3_inch_shell.JPG
http://lghttp.17653.nexcesscdn.net/808B16/cdn_images/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/p/s/pso500a.jpg
Black powder coated
http://www.skylighter.com/images/how_to/Black-Powder-Coated-Rice-Hulls/adding-black-powder.jpg

[PyroManiacs]

What is the purpose cabosil?

[displayfireworks1]

http://www.tapplastics.com/uploads/products/Cabosil-l.jpg
It helps fluff up a fireworks composition and prevents caking to some degree. It is recommended to fluff up a salute composition as opposed to having a dense pile of powder. Years ago, they use to call Cob-O-Sil “Chemite". These most likely are trades names for the product.
The proper way is to add the Cob-O-Sil to the oxidizer before any fuel is added. Last I heard it is based on a small percent of the total weight you anticipate making. These commercially made salutes must be using rice hulls to fluff up the composition and prevent caking. I never took apart a commercial salute. If I had one that do not go I would just refuse it.

[PyroManiacs]

Interesting, thanks for the info.

[chris v]

Cabosil is a anti caking chem it just pulls water out of the chem that it is in rice hulls are used as a filler to use to take up space and less chems little big shots doesn't use any fillers

[pyromaniac]

My guess the Chinese add rice hulls is to stay under that 250g limit and to maximize profit. And the hulls are not coated with BP, there's no need.