Crackling pea

This article describes a small pyrotechnic throwable object. The fruits of the snowberries (Symphoricarpos albus) are also referred to as "snap peas".

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colorful snap peas

Content in exploded and new condition

A Knallerbse (also Knallteufel ) is a small pyrotechnic article about the size of a pea that triggers a bang when thrown to the ground .

Mode of action

In a cover made of paper , which is rolled up like a wick at one end, there is a mineral granulate made of small grains ( sand ), which are mixed with a small amount of silver fulminate (fancy silver). The sand acts as a friction agent . As a result of the friction that occurs on impact, the unstable flawless silver explodes into carbon monoxide , nitrogen and silver , with the pressure of the resulting gases tearing the paper envelope. The silver is partly deposited as a black coating on the grains of sand and scraps of paper.

safety

For safety reasons, cracked peas are transported and traded in small numbers in cardboard packaging that is filled with a shock-absorbing material (usually sawdust ).

Situation in Germany

Snap peas are subject to the Explosives Act and, according to the classification by the legally responsible Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM), belong to the class F1 fireworks (small fireworks), according to the transport regulations to the dangerous goods of class I. According to the German Explosives Act (status 2014) they may contain a maximum of 2.5 mg silver fulminate and may be given all year round to people aged 12 and over. According to international transport regulations (as of 2019), which the BAM also refers to, snap peas may only contain up to 1.6 mg silver fulminate. Like all pyrotechnic products , snap peas must be approved by the BAM in Germany and have their approval mark on the packaging. Unauthorized products, which are imported in large quantities every year, especially from China and Southeast Asia , are potentially dangerous and can cause extremely serious injuries if regulations are not complied with. Therefore, the import by private individuals as well as the use of untested products is a criminal offense.

See also

• Dog bomb

Web links

Commons : Knallerbse  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Georg Schwedt: Chemical basics of pyrotechnics , examples of fireworks from category 1 , Springer Spectrum, Berlin, Heidelberg, 2019, pages 67-75, ISBN 978-3-662-57985-5 .
2. ↑ BMI: First Ordinance on the Explosives Act. Retrieved January 17, 2020 . 
3. ↑ OTIF: Convention on International Carriage by Rail (COTIF) Appendix C - Regulations for the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Rail (page 122). Retrieved January 19, 2020 . 
4. ↑ Federal Government: Safe through New Year's Eve. Retrieved January 18, 2020 .