Explosive balance

The large bond enthalpies of N2 (941 kj/mol), CO2 (2 X 799 kJ/mol), and H2O (2 X 463 kJ/mol) make this reaction enormously exothermic. Nitrt ycerin is an exceptionally unstable explosive because it is in nearly perfect explosive balance With the exception of a small amount of 02(g) produced, the only products are N2, CO2, and H2O. Note also that, unlike combustion reactions (Section 3.2), explosions are entirely self-contained No other reagent, such as 02(g), is needed for the explosive decomposition. 

In the manufacture of explosives, sodium nitrate is used mainly in blasting agents. In slurries and emulsions, sodium nitrate improves stabiUty and sensitivity. It also improves the energy balance because sodium nitrate replaces water, so that more fuel can be added to the formulation. Sodium nitrate reduces crystal size of slurries, which in turn increases detonating speed. In dynamites sodium nitrate is used as an energy modifier. Typical content of sodium nitrate is 20—50 wt % in dynamites, 5—30 wt % in slurries, and 5—15 wt % in emulsions. Sodium nitrate is used also in permissible dynamites, a special type of dynamite for coal (qv) mining. 

You should be able to estimate the quantities of material contained within a section from mechanical and operating data. You should also consider operating conditions, which should be available from the plant mass balance or from actual operating data. Simple hazard models can predict the size of vapor clouds, radiation hazards from fires, and explosion over-pressures. Such models are available from a number of sources. 

Oxygen Balance of Common Explosives and Explosive Ingredients. 

Ammonium nitrate, a colorless Ionic solid used as a fertilizer, explodes when it is heated above 300 °C. The products are three gases molecular nitrogen, molecular oxygen, and steam (water vapor). Write a balanced equation for the explosion of ammonium nitrate. 

C04-0138. Compounds that undergo explosions typically produce large quantities of hot gases from much smaller volumes of highly reactive solids or liquids. Balance the reaction for the decomposition of nitroglycerine, a violent explosive C3 H5 N3 Og(/) N2(g) + C02(g) + H2 0(g) + 02(g)... 

C05-0138. In an explosion, a compound that is a solid or a liquid decomposes very rapidly, producing large volumes of gas. The force of the explosion results from the rapid expansion of the hot gases. For example, TNT (trinitrotoluene) explodes according to the following balanced equation ... 

GP 2[ [R 2[ Safe operation under explosive conditions using pure oxygen was demonstrated in a steel multi-plate-stack micro reactor (e.g. 3 vol.-% ethylene, 50 vol.-% oxygen, balance nitrogen 5 bar 4 1 h 277 °C) ]4, 26,40]. The cross-sections of the various micro channels employed were from 500 x 50 pm to 500 x 90 pm. ... 

Nearly all recognized detonating explosives have oxygen balances between -100 and h-40. Any substance with an oxygen balance higher than -200 should be treated as potentially dangerous and explosibility testing for these compounds should be carried out. 

They are strong oxidants especially when they are combined with sulphuric acid. Ammonium dichromate or chromate (less used) have an oxygen balance(C3= 0 g% for the first one) that makes them likely to be very unstable thermodynamically. This is confirmed by the labelling code 1 (explosive in the dry state) provided by the regulations and attested by a number of accidents. 

High-speed blender fitted with leak-proof glass jar and explosion-proof motor Balances... 

The most important explosives of this class are the ammon gelignites, so called because they are based essentially on ammonium nitrate which is the cheapest and most powerful source of oxygen. Sodium nitrate is sometimes added as well in order to improve the oxygen balance for certain types of these explosives. The ammon gelignites are explosives with... 

When used in detonators, mercury fulminate is frequently mixed with 10 or 20% of potassium chlorate. Such mixtures have a better oxygen balance and therefore give improved and more reliable initiation of other explosives. 

The writer has also dealt in greater detail than many authors would on the more fundamental aspects of his subject. He believes that the reader will be more interested in understanding the bases of the design and performance of explosives than in learning details of individual compounds or devices. If readers consider that the balance is wrong, the writer can only plead that there are no comparable books on the subject with which comparison could be made. 

An extremely explosive liquid, only capable of preparation in minute amounts. Oxygen balance is 100%... 

Explosions occurred dining distillation of this polynitro compound [1]. Though not an endothermic compound, it is of positive oxygen balance and the heat of decomposition (2.80 kJ/g) would give an adiabatic decomposition temperature exceeding 2200°C and a 40-fold increase in pressure [2],... 

The high explosive instability is due in part to the covalent character of the alkyl perchlorates, and also to the excess of oxygen in the molecule over that required to combust completely the other elements present (i.e. a positive oxygen balance). 

Above 140°C its exothermic decomposition to metal and carbon dioxide readily becomes explosive [1], A 1 kg batch which had been thoroughly dried at 50°C exploded violently when mechanical grinding in an end-runner mill was attempted [2], Explosions have been experienced when drying the oxalate as low as 80°C [6], It is a compound of zero oxygen balance. The explosion temperature of the pure oxalate is lowered appreciably (from 143 to 122°C) by application of an electric field [3], The salt prepared from silver nitrate with excess of sodium oxalate is much less stable than that from excess nitrate [4], Decomposition at 125°C in glycerol prevents explosion in the preparation of silver powder [5],... 

Finds employment as an high explosive (oxygen balance —40%). 

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