Sciencemadness Discussion Board

A very silly question

aga - 20-5-2014 at 13:39

If you make something that goes BOOM ! what do you do with it ?

Storage is unlikely to end up as a Good Idea, so you must make it go BOOM ! to get rid of it.

Is there something i'm missing ?

Manifest - 20-5-2014 at 13:40

Well, you synthesize said compound in small amounts so you use it quickly, also some explosives store much better than others, ETN showed no signs of decomposition after 5 years for example.

Zephyr - 20-5-2014 at 20:59

Many explosives can be safely decomposed by various means, but that all depends on which explosive one wishes to dispose of.

aga - 21-5-2014 at 12:40

Rather than make and store for 5 years, just make it later ?

I still don't get it.

DraconicAcid - 21-5-2014 at 12:52

If you don't want it to go BOOM, why make it in the first place?

cyanureeves - 21-5-2014 at 16:01

explode a small amount then discard the rest after you are sure you have exercised your right to knowledge and be happy and responsible.

Turner - 21-5-2014 at 18:41

TNT-throw it in the trash
RDX-burn it away
TNP-set a fuse to it with some sort of fuel in an open space and it likely will just burn
AN-throw it in the trash


ETN, PETN and primaries are a little different.

NeonPulse - 21-5-2014 at 18:52

You could mix the AN with water and put it in your garden...

thesmug - 21-5-2014 at 20:15

TNT you could even burn. Same with nitroglycerin dissolved in "dead earth" (aka dynamite). Also why throw away AN? It's very useful!

[Edited on 5/22/14 by thesmug]

aga - 21-5-2014 at 23:12

Quote: Originally posted by cyanureeves  
explode a small amount then discard the rest after you are sure you have exercised your right to knowledge and be happy and responsible.


Now that answers the question for me.

Thanks.

Bert - 22-5-2014 at 06:39

ALLWAYS begin with an end in mind...

I'm thinking that post synthesis/testing energetic material disposal or safe decomposition of "leftovers" is worth a section in the energetics storage thread.

Why this thread isn't in beginnings or detritus, although it could use a bit of cleanup and formalization.

BTW, the only "silly question" is the one you were too embarrassed to ask, then learned the answer by dying instead.

[Edited on 23-5-2014 by Bert]

Manifest - 22-5-2014 at 16:05

The answer to this question seemed like common sense to me.

Aga, are you English? Is it your first language? I remember you saying about being a limey living in spain.
Just curious

[Edited on 23-5-2014 by Manifest]

Motherload - 22-5-2014 at 20:47

I know this doesn't directly relate to EM's but ..... I am having a hard time to find ways to safely dispose of heavy metal precipitates.
Like a ended up with a seizable quantity of PbCl2 during my prep of Pb(NO3)2 due to dilution with tap water. Duh.
I can't just throw it away. But how does one get rid of it safely ?
Another thought I had was to recycle it via dissolving in hot water ... Adding a soluble carbonate ..... Filtering the PbCO3 and make nitrate or acetate from that.

markx - 22-5-2014 at 23:12

Quote: Originally posted by Motherload  
I know this doesn't directly relate to EM's but ..... I am having a hard time to find ways to safely dispose of heavy metal precipitates.
Like a ended up with a seizable quantity of PbCl2 during my prep of Pb(NO3)2 due to dilution with tap water. Duh.
I can't just throw it away. But how does one get rid of it safely ?
Another thought I had was to recycle it via dissolving in hot water ... Adding a soluble carbonate ..... Filtering the PbCO3 and make nitrate or acetate from that.


Could you not take that to a hazardous waste disposal company? I do not know if you have that option available, but that would probably be the best solution. Slushing around with sizeable amounts of lead containing solution to win back the dissolved salts is not the healthiest thing to be engaged in. The reward from it will definately not outweigh the (potential) damage you can do to your health.

Motherload - 22-5-2014 at 23:36

No such place in Canada that I know of.
It rather be me than the environment which effects everyone .... I accumulated the mess .. My responsibility.


[Edited on 23-5-2014 by Motherload]

AJKOER - 14-8-2014 at 17:16

Kerosene infused with N2O shouldn't be a problem to store in a sealed container, just keep it cool to limit gas buildup. I would not let vapors of N2O infused kerosene collect either and definitely avoid exposure of such vapors to an electric fuse as the vapors could explode, but not the infused Kerosene itself. Otherwise, for the most part, it just acts like kerosene.

It can only be detonated with a powerful primer, an unusual safe explosive so do or not do as you wish.

Now, the primer, that's another story.

[EDIT] As to why the N2O infused fuel behaves this way, per my limited understanding/speculation is that on being super heated under pressure, there is an angle shift in the N2O creating a chemically more poweful oxidizer. This is in a manner similar to what happens to NH4NO3 which on heating is molecularly altered into a unstable HE (NH4NO2?), as it is otherwise safe.

[Edited on 15-8-2014 by AJKOER]