The Chemist's Corner ARTICLE #1: EXPLOSIVES By Zaphod Beeblebox/MPG Rewritten by the Gray Mouser Call the Thieves' Guild at (203) 274-1395 This article deals with the instructions for creating some dangerous explosives. If you intend to make any of these explosives, do so in small amounts only, as they are all dangerous and could seriously injure or kill you if done in larger amounts. If you don't know anything about chemistry, don't do these experiments! I am not joking in giving this warning. Unless you have a death wish, you shouldn't try any of the following unless you have had prior experience with chemicals. I am not responsible for any injury or damage caused by people using this info it is provided for use by people knowledgable in chemistry who are interested in such experiments and can safely handle such experiments. I. Common "Weak" Explosives. A. Gunpowder 75% Potassium Nitrate 15% Charcoal 10% Sulfur The chemicals should be ground into a fine powder (seperately!) with a morter & pestle. If gunpowder is ignited in the open, it burns fiercely, but if in a closed space it builds up pressure from the released gases and can explode the container. Gunpowder works like this: The potassium nitrate oxidizes the charcoal and sulfur, which then burn fiercely. Carbon Dioxide and sulfur dioxide are the gases released. B. Ammonal Ammonal is a mixture of ammonium nitrate (a strong oxidizer) with aluminum powder (the 'fuel' in this case). I am not sure of the % composition for ammonal, so you may want to experiment a little using small amounts. C. Chemically ignited explosives 1. A mixture of 1 part potassium chlorate to 3 parts table sugar (sucrose) burns fiercely and brightly (similar to the burning of magnesium) when 1 drop of concentrated sulfuric acid is placed on it. What occurs is this: when the acid is added it reacts with the potassium chlorate to form chlorine dioxide, which explodes on formation, burning the sugar as well. 2. Using various chemicals, I have developed a mixture that works very well for imitating volcanic eruptions. I have given it the name 'MPG Volcanite' (TM). Here it is: Potassium Chlorate + Potassium perchlorate + Ammonium Nitrate + Ammonium Dichrmoate + Potassium Nitrate + Sugar + Sulfur + Iron filings + Charcoal + Zinc Dust + Some coloring agent. (Scarlet= Strontium Nitrate, Purple= Iodine crystals, Yellow= Sodium chloride, Crimson= Calcium Chloride, etc...). 3. So, do you think water puts out fires? In this one, it starts it. Mixture : Ammonium Nitrate + Ammonium Chloride + Iodine + Zinc Dust. When a drop or two of water is added, the ammonium nitrate forms nitric acid which reacts with the zinc to produce hydrogen and heat. The heat vaporizes the iodine (giving off purple smoke) and the ammonium chloride (becomes purple when mixed with iodine vapor). It also may ignite the hydrogen and begin burning. Ammonium Nitrate: 8 grams Ammonium Choride: 1 gram Zinc dust: 8 grams Iodine crystals: 1 gram 4. Potassium Permanganate + glycerine when mixed produces a purple-colored flame in 30 secs-1 min. Works best if the potassium permanagnate is finely ground. 5. Calcium Carbide + Water releases Acetylene Gas (Highly flammable gas used in blow torches...) II. Thermite Reaction The Thermite Reaction is used in welding, because it generates molten iron and temperatures of 3500 C (6000F+). It uses one of the previous reactions that I talked about to start it! Starter=Potassium Chlorate + Sugar Main Pt.= Iron (III) Oxide + Aluminum Powder (325 mesh or finer) Put the potassium chlorate + Sugar around and on top of the main pt. To start the reaction, place one drop of concentrated sulfuric acid on top of the starter mixture. Step Back! The ratios are: 3 parts Iron(III) Oxide to 1 part aluminum powder to 1 part potassium chlorate to 1 part sugar. When you first do it, try 3G:1G:1G:1G! Also, there is an alternative starter for the thermite reaction. The alternative is potassium permanangate+glycerine amounts: 55G Iron(III) Oxide, 15G aluminum powder, 25G potassium permanganate, 6ml glycerine. III. Nitrogen-Containing High Explosives A. Mercury(II) Fulminate To produce mercury(II) fulminate, a very sensitive shock explosive, one might assume that it could be formed by adding fulminic acid to mercury. This is somewhat difficult since fulminic acid is very unstable and cannot be purchased. I did some research and figured out a way to make it without fulminic acid. You add 2 parts nitric acid to 2 parts alcohol to 1 part mercury. This is theoretical (I have not yet tried it) so please, if you try this, do it in very small amounts and tell me the results. B. Nitrogen Triiodide Nitrogen Triiodide is a very powerful and very shock sensitive explosive. Never store it and be careful when you're around it-sound, air movements, and other tiny things could set it off. Materials- 2-3G Iodine 15ml concentrated Ammonia 8 sheets filter paper 50ml beaker Feather mounted on a two meter pole Ear plugs Tape Spatula Stirring Rod Add 2-3g iodine to 15ml ammonia in the 50ml beaker. Stir, let stand for 5 minutes. Do the following within 5 minutes! Reatin the solid, decant the liquid (pour off the liquid but keep the brown solid...). Scape the brown reisdue of nitrogen triiodide onto a stack of four sheets of filter paper. Divide solid into four parts, putting each on a seperate sheet of dry filter paper. Tape in position, leave to dry undisturbed for at least 30 minutes (preferably longer). To detonate, touch with feather. (Wear ear plugs when detonating or cover ears - it is very loud!) C. Cellulose Nitrate (Guncotton) Commonly knwon as smokeless powder, nitrocellulose is exactly that- it does not give off smoke when it burns. Materials- 70ml concentrated Sulfuric Acid 30ml Concentrated Nitric Acid 5g Absorbent Cotton 250ml 1m Sodium Bicarbonate 250ml beaker Ice Bath Tongs Paper Towels PLACE 250ML BEAKER IN THE ICE BATH, ADD 70ML SULFURIC ACID, 30 ML NITRIC ACID. DIVIDE COTTON INTO .7G PIECES. WITH TONGS, IMMERSE EACH PIECE IN THE ACID SOLUTION FOR 1 MINUTE. NEXT, RINSE EACH PIECE IN 3 SUCCESSIVE BATHS OF 500ML WATER. USE FRESH WATER FOR EACH PIECE. THEN IMMERSE IN 250ML 1M SODIUM BICARBONATE. IF IT BUBBLES, RINSE IN WATER ONCE MORE UNTIL NO BUBBLING OCCURS. SQUEEZE DRY AND SPREAD ON PAPER TOWELS TO DRY OVERNIGHT. D. Nitroglycerine Nitroglycerine is a *very* dangerous shock sensitive explosive. It is used in making dynamite, among other things. I am not sure as to the proportions and amounts of chemicals to be used, so I shall use estimates. Materials- 70ml conc. Sulfuric Acid 30ml conc. Nitric Acid 10 ml Glycerine Ice Bath 150ml beaker Put the 150ml beaker in the ice bath and make sure that it is very cold. Slowly add the 70ml sulfuric and 30ml nitric acids to the beaker, trying to maintain a low temperature. When the temperature starts to level off, add about 10ml glycerine. If it turns brown or looks funny, *RUN LIKE HELL*. When Nitroglycerine turns brown, that means it's ready to explode... if it stays clear and all works well, keep the temperature as low as you can and let it sit for a few hours. You then should have some nitroglycerine, probably mixed with nitric and sulfuric acids. WHEN YOU SET IT OFF, YOU MUST NOT BE NEARBY. NITROGLYCERINE CAN FILL 10,000 TIMES ITS ORIGINAL AREA WITH EXPANDING GASES. THIS MEANS THAT IF YOU HAVE 10ML'S OF NITROGLYCERINE IN THERE, IT WILL PRODUCE SOME 100,000ML'S OF GASES. TO MAKE IT INTO DYNAMITE, THE NITROGLYCERINE MUST BE ABSORBED INTO SOMETHING LIKE WOOD PULP OR DIAMAECEOUS EARTH (SPELLED SOMETHING LIKE THAT). IV. Other Stuff A. Peroxyacetone Peroxyacetone is extremely flammable and has been reported to be shock sensitive. Materials- 4ml Acetone 4ml 30% Hydrogen Peroxide 4 drops concentrated Hydrochloric Acid 150mm Test tube Add 4ml acetone and 4ml hydrogen peroxide to the test tube. Then add 4 drops concentrated hydrochloric acid. In 10-20 minutes a white solid should begin to appear. If no change is observed, warm the test tube in a water bath at 40 celsius. Allow the reaction to continue for two hours. Swirl the slurry and filter it. Leave out on filter paper to dry for at least two hours. To ignite, light a candle tied to a meter stick and light it (while staying at least a meter away). B. Smoke smoke smoke... The following reaction should produce a fair amount of smoke. Since this reaction is not all that dangerous you can use larger amounts if necessary for larger amounts of smoke. 6G Zinc powder 1G Sulfur powder Insert a red hot wire into the pile, step back. A lot of smoke should be created. ==-==-==-==-==-==-==-==-==-==-==-==-==-==-==-==-==-==-==-==-==-==-==-==-==-== _ _ \ (_><_) And if you enjoyed this Text-file, Call: \_______[]_____ The Works "914's Text-file BBS" at (914)/238-8195 _\ 300/1200 N,8,1 1200 baud only from 6:00pm to 12:00mid ___________ \>\ 10 Megabytes on-line Anti-RBBS and Networks / > \ SysOps: Jason Scott & Terror Ferret / ======= (900) Text-files on-line! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- The following names compose a monument to last forever in the electronic highway: Patrizia Bravi Alessandra Bravi Glenda Frank Marcelle Dumont Donna Reznik Valentina Bravi Britt Warner Jennifer Gruen --=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--