TheDealio - 27-12-2013 at 16:02
Whats good guys? I've been on this site often and cycled through many different names. I will stick with this one from here on out. ANYWAYS, to
reintroduce myself I am a Chem Eng. student, with an inclination to Energetics. Which brings me to...
I have about a 40 gram batch of TNT, and a small amount of Picric Acid (lost alot of yield but fuck it).
The sensitivity of the TNP, I've noticed, has been widely debated but I figure it's safe to say it's no good for a "primary". I've toyed with the idea
of converting it to DDNP, or maybe Lead Picrate. I also have some NC, how effective is that as a booster? Suggestions?
My last inquiry is converting the TNT to Ammonal. Every recipe I've read, requires Ammonium Nitrate, but I wonder if any Nitrate salt would work
(since the point is to provide the Oxygen to more effectively oxidize the Carbons). Has anyone used anything BESIDES Ammonium Nitrate?
[Edited on 28-12-2013 by TheDealio]
[Edited on 28-12-2013 by TheDealio]
[Edited on 28-12-2013 by TheDealio]
roXefeller - 27-12-2013 at 19:44
You should use the search engine more for questions regarding primaries and such. Don't forget the E&W forum also. As homework you should find
out why NC isn't good for a booster.
The more pertinent question is what is the purpose of the ammonium nitrate, which could also be searched for. You may want to read the detonation
article just posted here (https://www.sciencemadness.org/whisper/viewthread.php?tid=52...). A simple answer is, detonation waves move through material at a rapid speed e.g
6000m/s depending on the material/composition. The character of the material and geometry (among other things) dictates if the detonation front can
be maintained. After the front passes through leaving everything in its wake unstable and in the density of a solid phase, the actual chemical
reactions happen where carbons are oxidized, etc. The release of gases then occurs which, similar to propellants, propels things. Black powder uses
KNO3 because it doesn't detonate, it burns and creates a cloud of gases. Ammonium nitrate on the other hand when sensitized in various compositions,
does detonate, i.e. it has that special ability to support a detonation front. If you blended a metal nitrate in the TNT instead of the ammonium
nitrate, what effect do you think this would have on the detonation speed, or if it detonates at all?
By the way, welcome. Its a very interesting branch of chemistry that doesn't get all the documentation that pharma gets, so it adds to the mystery.
[Edited on 28-12-2013 by roXefeller]