Lighting Up our World
In 1789, George Washington’s inauguration was also accompanied by a fireworks display. This early fascination with their noise and colour continues today. In 2004, Disneyland in Anaheim, California, pioneered the commercial use of aerial fireworks launched with compressed air rather than gunpowder. The display shell explodes in the air using an electronic timer. The advantages of compressed air launch are a reduction in fumes, and much greater accuracy in height and timing.
Pyrotechnical competitions involving fireworks are held in many countries. One of the most prestigious fireworks competitions is the Montreal Fireworks Festival, an annual competition held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Another magnificent competition is Le Festival d’Art Pyrotechnique held in the summer annually at the Bay of Cannes in Côte d’Azur, France. The World Pyro Olympics are an annual competition amongst the top fireworks companies in the world. It is held in Manila, Philippines. The event is one of the largest and most intense international fireworks competitions.
Ground Fireworks
Although less popular than Aerial ones, create a stunning exhibition. These types of fireworks are created mostly in Sicily, Mexico and Malta. The Maltese ones are the most elaborate and produce a various shapes, ranging from simple rotating circles to huge Stars or even 3D globes. In Sicily, most ground fireworks are simply circles and in Mexico, several shapes rotate over themselves.
The whole firework is run using sets of small jets that produce thrust. These jets, or funtani in Maltese, are normally connected to four or more rods (normally 7) welded together at the center to an iron tube which has a small sprocket attached to it at the other end. A set of gears, and sometimes even a whole gearbox, is used to increase the torque of the jets. The power acquired from the jets and gears depends on the shape and size of the firework.
The shapes are generally circles, universal connectors (produce shapes emerging from the center and moving outwards), chains (color jets moving across a shape using a chain), and 3D globes. Many other shapes exist because the major firework factories always come up with original designs. The jets mentioned earlier on, do not have any colour, just the color of a yellow flame. The colours are produced using an other form of jet, which is attached to the moving parts of the firework (the ones that form the shape). There are several colors; Red, Blue, Green, Yellow, White and another White which makes a loud whistle.
Guinness World Records
As at November 2007 six Guinness World Records stand relating to fireworks. Largest Catherine Wheel A self-propelled vertical firework wheel 25.95m 85ft in diameter was designed by the Newick Bonfire Society Ltd and fired for at least one revolution. The second is the Largest Firework Display and consisted of 66,326 fireworks and was achieved by Macedo’S Pirotecnia Lda. in Funchal, Madeira, Portugal. Next is the Longest Firework Waterfall is the ‘Niagara Falls’, that measured 3,125.79 m (10,255 ft 2.5 in) when ignited at the Ariake Seas Fireworks Festival, Fukuoka, Japan. IMAGINE it!
Firework Rockets
The most firework rockets launched in 30 seconds is 56,405, in an attempt organised by Dr Roy Lowry (UK), executed by Fantastic Fireworks, at the 10th British Firework Championship in Plymouth, England. The Largest Bonfire had an overall volume of 1,401.6 m³ (49,497 ft³). The bonfire was built by Colin Furze (UK) in Thistleton, Leicestershire. Finally, the Tallest Bonfire tondo measured 37.5 m (123 ft) high, with a base of 8 m² (86 ft²) and an overall volume of 800 m³ (28,251 ft³). The event was organised by Kure Commemorative Centennial Events Committee, and lit at Gohara-cho, Hiroshima, Japan, as part of a traditional ceremony to encourage good health and a generous harvest.
Colours in fireworks are usually generated by pyrotechnic stars–usually just called stars that produce intense light when ignited. Stars contain five basic types of ingredients: 1) A fuel which allows the star to burn 2) An oxidizer or a compound that usually produces oxygen to support the combustion of the fuel 3) Colour-producing chemicals 4) A binder that holds the pellet together and finally 5) A Chlorine Donor that provides chlorine to strengthen the colour of the flame. Sometimes the oxidiser can serve this purpose.
The colour of a compound in a firework will be the same as its colour in a flame test. However, not all compounds that produce a coloured flame are appropriate for coloring fireworks. Ideal colourants will produce a pure, intense colour when present in moderate concentration. The brightest stars, often called Mag Stars, are fueled by aluminium. Magnesium is rarely used in the fireworks industry due to its lack of ability to form a protective oxide layer. Often an alloy of both metals called magnalium is used. Catch me tomorrow as we light up the skies!
