[cuallito]

So I was wondering if anyone had any ideas on what to replace salt-peter with in incense. Incense is usually made from wood or charcoal with either other organic solids (spices/herbs)added and/or fragrant oils, and a binder such as guar gum. Usually salt peter is added as well to help the incense burn.

Although it's possible to leave the salt peter out, every incense I've made doing that stops burning before it's done.

It works but the problem is salt peter gives off a smell of it's own when it combusts, which is counter productive, so I was wondering what else could be used in place of it that wouldn't give off a smell (or at least a more neutral smell.)

[Arkcon]

Hmm ... tricky, in as much because I wouldn't think potassium or sodium nitrate would have much of an odor when added to something that burns (that don't themselves burn.)  You can try using the bare minimum of oxidizer, or adding more fuel, or maybe change the consistency of what you're making -- more loose to allow more air in.  Or drying herbaceous material more so there's less moisture to inhibit burning, so you don't need oxidizer.  Off hand, I can't think of a cheaper, cleaner, safer oxidizer.

[HEDM]

You can try a mixture of combustible product composed of very high amounts of steam and nitrogen, because steam and N2 is ordorless.

Forexample, triaminoduanidinium dinitramide can burn alone with almost no order, also, an extremely saturated solution of hydroxylammonium nitrate and hydrazinium azide could also combust. however these materials are hard to find.