smoke bombs by The Mortician More things to do with Potassium nitrate (besides gun powder). Well a great thing to do is to mix it 50% with sugar and put it in a tin can with the top sawed off. Mix it well then light a match and throw it in while it is still flaring. Get back it will get very hot and make a lot of smoke. It will melt can to the ground. For the purists what is happening is the Potassium Nitrate is oxidizing the sugar which and good Bio student knows has high energy in it!!! So watch what is happening in your body and a slightly accelerated speed.