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FrozenGate by Avery

Legality of chemicals in Canada

Joined
Jul 3, 2010
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Hello everyone, I've recently become interested in chemistry and pyrotechnics, and have spent a rather large amount of time trying to find a few essential chemicals, to no avail.

I was wondering if anybody knew if potassium and ammonium perchlorate are legal to import into Canada?
If so, I would greatly appreciate it if anyone could point me to a source of either of these chemicals that does ship to Canada.

I greatly desire potassium perchlorate for use in star compositions, but ammonium perchlorate could be used in its place. Potassium chlorate is also an option, but i'd rather like to avoid this unpredictable oxidizing agent. That being said, I am not sure if either of these chemicals are legal to import or own, and the legislation I have scrutinized is ambiguous and unclear.

Thanks,

AAlasers
 





Hello everyone, I've recently become interested in chemistry and pyrotechnics, and have spent a rather large amount of time trying to find a few essential chemicals, to no avail.

I was wondering if anybody knew if potassium and ammonium perchlorate are legal to import into Canada?
If so, I would greatly appreciate it if anyone could point me to a source of either of these chemicals that does ship to Canada.

I greatly desire potassium perchlorate for use in star compositions, but ammonium perchlorate could be used in its place. Potassium chlorate is also an option, but i'd rather like to avoid this unpredictable oxidizing agent. That being said, I am not sure if either of these chemicals are legal to import or own, and the legislation I have scrutinized is ambiguous and unclear.

Thanks,

AAlasers

I would suggest you go to the Canadian Government website
and look up the legalities.... :beer:

I have this terrible habit of going to the "source" for information
I require...


Jerry
 
I spent several hours looking through 'ambiguous and unclear' legislation, if you missed that in what I said. Unfortunately, there was no specific information that I was able to find.
 
If you are doing small things, I doubt you'd be bothered by anybody.. There are
restrictions on oxidizers and buying them.

Since 2010 Saltpeter / kno3 / potassium nitrate containing products, mainly stump
remover, was pulled from all Canadian stores.

I have read that even something as simple as connecting the fuses of 2 or more roman
candles together with visco fuse is not legal unless you have a lic.

Perhaps try calling a local pyro company and see if they can offer any info. You can
also have a look here > Regulation on Restricted Components | Minerals and Metals Sector
 
Hello everyone, I've recently become interested in chemistry and pyrotechnics, and have spent a rather large amount of time trying to find a few essential chemicals, to no avail.

I was wondering if anybody knew if potassium and ammonium perchlorate are legal to import into Canada?
If so, I would greatly appreciate it if anyone could point me to a source of either of these chemicals that does ship to Canada.

I greatly desire potassium perchlorate for use in star compositions, but ammonium perchlorate could be used in its place. Potassium chlorate is also an option, but i'd rather like to avoid this unpredictable oxidizing agent. That being said, I am not sure if either of these chemicals are legal to import or own, and the legislation I have scrutinized is ambiguous and unclear.

Thanks,

AAlasers

All those chemicals now technically require an authorization to purchase. Ammonium Perchlorate is HIGHLY restricted due to the fact on it's own it can decompose explosively in high heat. Also use to make Ethyl Perchlorate...
KNO3 can be had easily as stump remover at a garden supply store in small amounts.
Ammonium Nitrate is PROHIBITED without a agricultural licence and you can expect a visit from the RCMP if to try and purchase some without one.
I have my name on a list for buying Ammonium Nitrate for a project a couple of years ago,
and actually got a phone call. The store keeps your personal info and licence plate number for RCMP records.
 
KNO3 can be had easily as stump remover at a garden supply store in small amounts.


Not so, it has been pulled from ALL canadian shelves as of 2010.



>>>> http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/minerals-metals/explosives/3155


@ OP

You can however obtain a salt substitute potassium chloride used in water softener systems and covert
via electrolysis.. Both KCLO3 & KCLO4 may be had by this method. Google 'chlorate cell'


http://www.sciencemadness.org/talk/viewthread.php?tid=5050

http://woelen.homescience.net/science/chem/exps/miniature_chlorate_cell/index.html
 
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Hmm, perhaps sodium perchlorate reacted (double replacement reaction) with ammonium chloride/ potassium chloride could get me what I need, as sodium perchlorate does not appear to be restricted.
Out of curiosity, how much ammonium nitrate did you order to get put on a watch-list?
 
Sodium salts are very often hydroscopic...I wouldnt bother with them. ;)
 
Got some before I left for Korea in November. We STILL sell it at GardenWorks and at
Cannor Nursuries. It's common. You can also buy it at a hydroponics store along with 15L -50L of 35%vol H2O2.
Difference is 300g of KNO3, doesn't require you to fill out paperwork and store owner to record your licence plate #, but 15L of H2O2 at 30% or higher certainly does.

.KNO3 is also sold as a preserver for meats as well. Another thing I do is landscaping, and i know the chemicals that I use off by heart.
Most definitely KNO3 is sold as stump remover and is readily able to be purchased without a licence at most stores.


Here are the amounts of the given chemicals that can be sold in Canada without a licence under the explosives act in 2009.

(2) The seller must keep the records under lock
and key when they are not being used and must
make them available only to those persons who need
access to them in the course of their employment.
(3) This section applies to a sale of an amount
greater than
(a) for hydrogen peroxide, I L;
(b) for nitromethane, I L;
(c) for potassium chlorate, I kg;
(d) for potassium perchlorate, 10 kg;
(e) for sodium chlorate, 1 kg;


So there you have it. You may purchase these, but Chlorates and Perchlorates need additional oxidizer certification over and above the explosives act. HAZMAT.
Nitromethane is sometimes used in racing. Used mainly in quarrying and tree blasting.
 
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Hmm, perhaps sodium perchlorate reacted (double replacement reaction) with ammonium chloride/ potassium chloride could get me what I need, as sodium perchlorate does not appear to be restricted.
Out of curiosity, how much ammonium nitrate did you order to get put on a watch-list?

ahhh you had to ask... a big 25Kg bag, made in Haifa Israel and carried by Greenleaf co. actually that's the smallest size it comes in. Not something I will do again. Fun while it lasted. A little bit of it went into a some experimental reactive targets project for a "range" day. A little special magic:wave: powder at 800 mesh may have been added as well.
 
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I would steer away from Ammonium nitrate if you are only into pyrotechnics.

For small amounts (for chemistry), instant cold packs can be used, assuming the kind you have in Canada are Urea instead.

some members @ passfire.com may be willing to ship you certain items.

The following websites are great retailers as well, though you will have to check if they ship to Canada:

skylighter.com (kind of a rip off, but decent for small quantities)
AmericanPyroSupply.com (great prices! tell them you are passfire.com member for access to their wholesale prices, no minimum)
Firechemical.com
Pyrodirect.com
Pyrocreations.com
undergroundgadgets


Hopefully at least one of these ships internationally, I would be more than willing to ship you any non-oxidizers, if you need something passed along. I won't ship oxidizers though, unless I know they are legal to own in Canada :beer:

800 mesh magic powder? Try 2 micron, or even 1 micron, 4800 and 9600 mesh, respectively :evil:

Having less than one gram of 70/30 thump unconfined is pretty narley, never underestimate that stuff...
 
I would steer away from Ammonium nitrate if you are only into pyrotechnics.

For small amounts (for chemistry), instant cold packs can be used, assuming the kind you have in Canada are Urea instead.

some members @ passfire.com may be willing to ship you certain items.

The following websites are great retailers as well, though you will have to check if they ship to Canada:

skylighter.com (kind of a rip off, but decent for small quantities)
AmericanPyroSupply.com (great prices! tell them you are passfire.com member for access to their wholesale prices, no minimum)
Firechemical.com
Pyrodirect.com
Pyrocreations.com
undergroundgadgets


Hopefully at least one of these ships internationally, I would be more than willing to ship you any non-oxidizers, if you need something passed along. I won't ship oxidizers though, unless I know they are legal to own in Canada :beer:

800 mesh magic powder? Try 2 micron, or even 1 micron, 4800 and 9600 mesh, respectively :evil:

Having less than one gram of 70/30 thump unconfined is pretty narley, never underestimate that stuff...

800mesh is about as fine as you want for making "educational targets" for long ranged testing of 300Win mag, 7mm mag... .308... etc :wave: I like something with a little more than a ping when I hit it. A nice shockwave does the trick once in awhile.
Actually as far as I know, none of these companies have the export licence or are permitted by the us govt to ship to Canada. Skylighter I know first hand refused to sell Magnallium (MgAl) power to me for my Uranium separation project. ::(: I ended up using WESTCRAFT Aluminum powder instead.
Worked beautifully. Got 100g of Uranium from UO2 using a thermite-reduction. worked
 
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If all else fails you can make the needed oxidizer yourself.

Check out this guys channel.
Make Potassium Chlorate from Bleach - YouTube

Edit: Also do NOT take his warnings lightly. They are there for a reason!

You be kickin it old school :D You get a near 1:1 ratio in the process of electrolysis
in a very simple process with water softener salts. You can perform the same with table salt
then convert the sodium chlorate into potassium perchlorate, the desired kclo4
which most pyro's prefer.. Have a look at this guys other videos..

25kilos of softener salt substitute runs about 8$ and should last a very very long time.

kclo3


This guy does huge batches, but for the average hobbyist, a small jar
will get you plenty for experiments :san:

Never store mixed, and under 30% water if possible..


kclo4
 
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