Ammonium nitrate commercial blasting explosives

According to an O.S. amendment sheet, the procedure as described [1] is dangerous because the reaction mixture (dicyanodiamide and ammonium nitrate) is similar in composition to commercial blasting explosives. This probably also applies to similar earlier preparations [2]. An earlier procedure which involved heating ammonium thiocyanate, lead nitrate and ammonia demolished a 50 bar autoclave [3], TGA and DTA studies show that air is not involved in the thermal decomposition [4], Explosive properties of the nitrate are detailed [5], An improved process involves catalytic conversion at 90-200°C of a molten mixture of urea and ammonium nitrate to give 92% conversion (on urea) of guanidinium nitrate, recovered by crystallisation. Hazards of alternative processes are listed [6],... 

Commercial blasting explosives contain ammonium nitrate, wood meal, oil and TNT. A mixture of ammonium nitrate, water and oily fuels produces an emulsion slurry which is also used in commercial blasting explosives. Small glass or plastic spheres containing oxygen can be added to emulsion slurries to increase its sensitivity to detonation. 

TNT. Aluminium is also used in some commercial blasting explosives, particularly in water-based slurry explosives, which contain a high percentage of ammonium nitrate. 

Ammonium nitrate [6484-S2-2J, NH NO, formula wt 80.04, is the most commercially important ammonium compound both Hi terms of production volume and usage. It is the principal component of most iadustrial explosives and nonmilitary blasting compositions however, it is used primarily as a nitrogen fertilizer. Ammonium nitrate does not occur Hi nature because it is very soluble. It was first described Hi 1659 by the German scientist Glauber, who prepared it by reaction of ammonium carbonate and nitric acid. He called it nitrium flammans because its yeUow flame (from traces of sodium) was... 

It is strongly recommended that our procedure1 not be used to prepare guanidine nitrate. Mixtures of ammonium nitrate and organic materials not much different from the mixture in the procedure are now used extensively as commercial explosives. The aqueous mixture of Note 101 is similar to some aqueous mixtures used in sizable quantities for rock blasting a confined mixture of this sort is especially hazardous. Only a few laboratories devoted to explosives research have the barricades and remote control devices needed to run this preparation of guanidine nitrate without risk. 

Other commercial expls described in our Encycl include Agriculture and Forestry Explosives (Vol 1, p A112-R) (Ref 8), Ammonium Nitrate Blasting Explosives (Vol 1, p A341) and Ammonium Nitrate Dynamites (Vol 1, p A335)... 

Ammonium nitrate Ammonia, Nitric acid Low explosive. Primary ingredient in many types of commercial blasting materials (i.e., ANFO, dynamite, etc.)... 

Non-cartridged commercial explosives which can be poured into boreholes, mostly ammonium nitrate explosives containing anticaking agents. When ammonium nitrate became commercially available as - Prills (porous pellets), ANFO blasting agents could also be utilized in the free-flowing form -> also Pellets. 

Usually explosives can be categorized as military, commercial and homemade (HME) explosives. HMEs are energetic formulations that can be created at home . The term HME has been used to cover a wide range of materials from pure explosive compounds, such as triacetone triperoxide (TATP), that can be synthesized from readily available articles of commerce or pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN), as pentaerythritol can be purchased in bulk for paint use to home-made variants of explosive formulations, such as ammonium nitrate fuel oil (ANFO), that are used in very large commercial blasting operations. 

Federal law regulates the sale of explosive-grade ammonium nitrate, which is used for 95 percent of all commercial blasting in road construction and mining. However, the wide availability of large quantities of ammonium nitrate and other substances that enhance its explosive power make it possible for anyone who is so-inclined to construct a bomb. The bomb that destroyed the federal building in Oklahoma City is estimated to have contained 4000 pounds of ammonium nitrate and fuel oil, which was set off by another small explosive device. 

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