Who doesn’t love a loud, colorful explosion? To mark every special occasion, we want to add a dash of color here and there. Using Pyrotechnics to celebrate independence, a wedding, or even a birthday party adds excitement to our special days. This begs the question, are there any differences between fireworks and pyrotechnics?
Fireworks are not the same thing as Pyrotechnics. Fireworks are a smaller subset in the field of Pyrotechnics. Pyrotechnics is an entire area of work that includes more than just fireworks. A pyrotechnist works with several things, including; marine flares, paintball & airsoft pyro, airbags, ejector seats, mole smokes, explosive bolts and disconnectors, etc.
What Are Fireworks?
Fireworks are devices that contain gunpowder and other combustible chemicals. These chemicals cause explosions when ignited. The color of the explosion and the patterns that it makes depends on the way the chemicals react with each other.
Since the chemicals react in unique ways, different fireworks explode differently. This causes diversity. Fireworks are typically used in celebrations or to commemorate special events.
How Do Fireworks Function?
They are made of small pellets of black powder called ‘stars.’ This black powder explodes when it is ignited. Adding certain elements and metals to the black powder gives fireworks displays their varying colors.
What Are Pyrotechnics?
Pyrotechnics is an adverb. It is an entire field of work that involves the creation of pyrotechnical equipment. This equipment can be used for aesthetic purposes, i.e., fireworks. But it can also be used for some military operations, i.e., flares and signals.
How Does Pyrotechnics Work?
In technical terms, Pyrotechnics are devices capable of sustaining combustion even without air. They typically consist of solid fuel and an oxidant. Fuels include metals such as magnesium and iron and non-metals such as carbon and sulfur. These are mixed with oxidants, i.e., oxides and peroxides, to create the flame.
Some Fundamental Differences
Here are the key differences between the two.
The Level Of Expertise
A person who works in the field of Pyrotechnics is known as a pyrotechnician. They require a certain level of expertise to do their job. It is a professional field where skill is needed. In contrast, a firework can be set off by anyone, even with minimal experience.
The Diversity Of Use
Fireworks are mainly used for entertainment and aesthetic purposes, whereas Pyrotechnics serve various functions ranging from military use to the automobile industry.
Safety Of Use
Fireworks are a class of Pyrotechnics that are not safe at all in close proximity since they fall under the category of explosive pyrotechnics. Other categories of pyrotechnics have a different nature of combustion and are safer even when you are close to them.
An example of this is lighting an oxygen candle. Oxygen candles are also a form of pyrotechnics, but you can be in close proximity to one when using them.
The Bottom Line
While it is easy to mix the two and not know the difference, it is also essential to understand that there is so much more to Pyrotechnics than just the mere display of fireworks. As fascinating as fireworks can be, understanding the full potential and the functioning of the pyrotechnics industry opens doors to a brand new world.
