Ammonium double nitrates

Explosion of ammonium—sulfate nitrate double salt fertilizer at Oppau... 

The cause of the accident was the blasting with dynamite of about 4,500t of a solidified mass of ammonium sulfate nitrate compound fertilizer (a double salt of ammonium sulfate and nitrate in a mole ratio of 1 2). This process had been practiced under supervision for many years, and about 30,000 blasting procedures had been experienced without accidents until the Oppau disaster. 

Like the double bond, the carbon-carbon triple bond is susceptible to many of the common addition reactions. In some cases, such as reduction, hydroboration and acid-catalyzed hydration, it is even more reactive. A very efficient method for the protection of the triple bond is found in the alkynedicobalt hexacarbonyl complexes (.e.g. 117 and 118), readily formed by the reaction of the respective alkyne with dicobalt octacarbonyl. In eneynes this complexation is specific for the triple bond. The remaining alkenes can be reduced with diimide or borane as is illustrated for the ethynylation product (116) of 5-dehydro androsterone in Scheme 107. Alkynic alkenes and alcohols complexed in this way show an increased structural stability. This has been used for the construction of a variety of substituted alkynic compounds uncontaminated by allenic isomers (Scheme 107) and in syntheses of insect pheromones. From the protecting cobalt clusters, the parent alkynes can easily be regenerated by treatment with iron(III) nitrate, ammonium cerium nitrate or trimethylamine A -oxide. ° ... 

Praseodymium is difficult to obtain in pure compounds buffi because of its scarcity and close resemblance to other elements. The best methods of separation are as follows (1) Hot. out from a double magnesium nitrate scries such fractions us contain only lanthanum and praseodymium continue the fractionation of the same salt or of double ammonium nitrate, Praseodymium appears at the soluble end, but usually neodymium appears there also, even if its presence is unsuNficctcd at first. (2) Remove from the magnesium double nitrate series the fractions which contain only praseodymium and neodymium and continue the fractionation as the manganese double nitrate, when praseodymium separates in the least soluble portions, Other methods used are Crystallization of the oxalates from nitric add of the double ammonium nitrate or double carbonate. 

Ytterbium (or neo-ytterbium) may be separated from lutecium by the fractional crystallization of the ammonium double oxalates in concentrated ammonium oxalate or by the fractional crystallization of the nitrates in nitric adds or by the difference in the volatility of their chlorides. 

A. nitrate, In(N08)a 4 H20, is formed when the metal is dissolved in nitric acid. It crystallizes from nitric acid readily, but not easily from a neutral solution. It forms a double ammonium indium nitrate. If the solution of the simple nitrate is heated, a difficultly soluble basic salt is formed. 

Ceric nitrate, Ce(N03) 4, is not known as a simple salt, but double nitrates of the type Ce(N03)4 2 M N03 are formed with the alkali metals and ammonium. In aqueous solutions these salts are readily hydrolyzed, but they are the most stable ceric salts. The ammonium ceric nitrate is important in the purification of cerium. A series of double nitrates, M (N03)2 Ce(N03)4 8 H2O, is also formed, but they are less stable than the alkali double salts. When ceric hydroxide is evaporated with nitric acid, crystals of the basic salt 2 Ce0H(N03)2 9 H2O are obtained. 

Manufacture. Historically, ammonium nitrate was manufactured by a double decomposition method using sodium nitrate and either ammonium sulfate or ammonium chloride. Modem commercial processes, however, rely almost exclusively on the neutralization of nitric acid (qv), produced from ammonia through catalyzed oxidation, with ammonia. Manufacturers commonly use onsite ammonia although some ammonium nitrate is made from purchased ammonia. SoHd product used as fertilizer has been the predominant form produced. However, sale of ammonium nitrate as a component in urea—ammonium nitrate Hquid fertilizer has grown to where about half the ammonium nitrate produced is actually marketed as a solution. 

Figure 4-15. Axial compressor with fixed stator blades, double-casing design, and forged monoblock rotor. Particularly suitable for compressing nitrous gases. There are no dead spaces provoking buildup of ammonium nitrate salt.

Some commercial electrodes are supplied with a double junction. In such arrangements, the electrode depicted in Fig. 15.1(h) is mounted in a wider vessel of similar shape which also carries a porous disc at the lower end. This outer vessel may be filled with the same solution (e.g. saturated potassium chloride solution) as is contained in the electrode vessel in this case the main function of the double junction is to prevent the ingress of ions from the test solution which may interfere with the electrode. Alternatively, the outer vessel may contain a different solution from that involved in the electrode (e.g. 3M potassium nitrate or 3M ammonium nitrate solution), thus preventing chloride ions from the electrode entering the test solution. This last arrangement has the disadvantage that a second liquid junction potential is introduced into the system, and on the whole it is preferable wherever possible to choose a reference electrode which will not introduce interferences. 

For civilian aircraft the facility for rapid starting is not important and cartridge operation is not often employed, particularly because it involves storing and handling explosives, even though the hazards of these explosives are those of fire and not of detonation. For military purposes, however, particularly for fighter aircraft which are best scattered on an airfield, a rapid start is of considerable importance. Therefore cartridge operated starters are much used for these aeroplanes. In Britain, development has been essentially with propellants based on ballistite, namely double base propellants of the solventless type, whereas in the United States composite propellants based on ammonium nitrate have proved more popular. 

The explosibility of the double salt, calcium ammonium nitrate, is enhanced by... 

Uhde-Hibemia A process for making a mixed ammonium nitrate - ammonium sulfate fertilizer (ASN) - which is less liable to explode than ammonium nitrate. Sulfuric acid is added to aqueous ammonium nitrate and ammonia gas passed in. The double salt crystallizes out. Additives are used to improve the handling characteristics of the product. Developed by Hibernia and licensed to Friedrich Uhde. See also Victor. 

Observe the doubling of the enthalpy of H2O (—57.8 kcal/mole) because this compound has a stoichiometric coefficient of 2 in the reaction. The overall enthalpy of the reaction is —8.7 kilocalories, which means that the decomposition of 1 mole of ammonium nitrate releases 8.7 kcal of heat. The release of heat means that this is an exothermic reaction. The sign of the enthalpy of the reaction reveals the direction of heat flow. See Table 14-2. 

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