Sciencemadness Discussion Board - Urea nitrate-how to detonate

Urea nitrate-how to detonate

MeshPL - 4-8-2017 at 01:50

I made a few grams of urea nitrate. I just mixed some urea and dilute nitric acid and chilled it with ice water., than filtered and dried it. In the end I got a few grams of urea nitrate. I wanted to detonate a small amount, but just like with ammonium nitrate it is not easy. Heating it or trying to light it up just makes it fizz and leave no residue.

How can I detonate ammonium nitrate with ease in small amounts? Would mixing it with aluminium powder help?

[Edited on 4-8-2017 by MeshPL]

XeonTheMGPony - 4-8-2017 at 03:47

There is this nifty thing called a search engine, I found the answer very shortly by simply searching it.

Now how do you know it is the UN and not your cap that is the issue? is it a proper compound cap, is it single or double stage?

Is your casing a good enough containment for the UN, is it pressed? is it dead pressed (If it can be)

With out details you may as well simply ask if it is wet! well what is wet and what is doing the wetting!

PHILOU Zrealone - 4-8-2017 at 08:10

Quote: Originally posted by MeshPL

I made a few grams of urea nitrate. I just mixed some urea and dilute nitric acid and chilled it with ice water., than filtered and dried it. In the end I got a few grams of urea nitrate. I wanted to detonate a small amount, but just like with ammonium nitrate it is not easy. Heating it or trying to light it up just makes it fizz and leave no residue.

How can I detonate ammonium nitrate with ease in small amounts? Would mixing it with aluminium powder help?

[Edited on 4-8-2017 by MeshPL]

By mixing AN or UN with:
-hydrazine
-nano Cu
-nano Al
-hexamine diperchlorate
-Cu(hexamine)diperchlorate
-TACuP
-TACuN
-KMnO4
-NaNO2
-Nitrourea
-guanidine nitrate
-guanidine perchlorate
...
Zillions of possibilities

Ah yes and of course a real effective detonator and maybe a booster charge...

Chisholm - 8-8-2017 at 10:05

"In experiments by the FBI, charges [of urea nitrate] were detonated in amounts as small as 1 lb (~450 grams) in weight with [only] a blasting cap." ---Kirk Yeager, Forensic Investigation of Explosions, 2nd Edition.

If even the FBI's explosives laboratory has trouble setting it off in amounts less than 400 grams without a booster, suffice it to say that you probably won't manage it. At least, not without adding an adulterant or two.

Possibility 1: Addition of finely-ground chlorate (whether potassium or sodium) vastly increases the sensitivity of UNi, as do powdered metals such as aluminium, magnesium, and zinc. If you go one or more of these routes, only mix the powders immediately prior to use.

Possibility 2: If you're up for an experiment, you could try addition of powdered TCCA pool chlorinator. Mixing powders of ammonium nitrate and TCCA (trichloroisocyanuric acid) starts a reaction that eventually, after a few minutes, produces nitrogen trichloride, which detonates from the heat of reaction. It's possible that something similar occurs when powdered TCCA and UNi are mixed.

Vikascoder - 15-8-2017 at 09:07

Quote: Originally posted by MeshPL

urea nitrate will never be detonated by heating. To detonate urea nitrate you must detonate it by using a blasting cap in a tightly shield container most probably you're blasting cap will be able to detonate it when you are using either a great amount of primary explosive or you're blasting cap should have a booster. urea nitrate is very difficult to detonate it's very very less sensitive to shock .in my personal experience i would say its easy to detonate ammonium nitrate as compared to urea nitrate

simply RED - 16-8-2017 at 00:04

A mixture of AN and UN becomes much more sensitive by addition of FLAKE aluminum powder. Paint grade flake works fine and 2 grams PETN is enough to set AN/UN/Al off. Of course, you can not store such mix.