Polesch
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On Acetylides
I've been doing chemistry for a few years now as a hobbyist, but never felt drawn to chemicals of the explosive kind. I'm pretty much just scared. But
one day when reading a 1940's safety manual on welding gas pipes, they mentioned copper acetylide (C2Cu2) as a potential explosive hazard with
acetylene and copper pipes.
I've always been taught that explosions are a rapid expansion of gas, and I mostly associate explosives with larger organic molecules with some
strained bonds. But on a quick search about copper acetylide, there seemed to be a debate if the detonation had any gaseous products at all, if so, is
it just carbon and copper vapor at high speeds?
Well, it was an intriguing compound, and sources said it was more stable than the silver acetylide, so I went to make a some. And to my experience, it
was quite stable, it would only detonate after about 5 seconds over a bunsen flame. This was about 35 mg: 
But I still haven't found very much information on this, do any of you know more about these types of compounds? Can you think of any more practical
uses? Could it work as a primary explosive, as in a blasting cap? I haven't tried to size these up or to confine the compound, maybe some of you more
experienced could try to see what this compound is capable of? It's also very easy to make, and much cheaper than the silver acetylide. Do you know of
other interesting acetylides with similar properties?
[Edited on 11-5-2013 by Polesch]
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Formatik
National Hazard
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Cuprous acetylide tends to degrade from air and moisture, so it is limited for any application. I also doubt its brisance is even equal to silver
acetylide. Chloratotrimercuraldehyde and the perchlorate are two known other acetylene primary explosives, which do have known initiating action.
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chemcam
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Mood: I will be gone until mid-september, on a work contract.
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SA*DS
I use silver acetylide whenever I can, but have no experience with the cuprous version. SA*DS works well as an initiator and I have not found it to be
too sensitive to anything other than a flame. Instant detonation with an open flame even in milligram amounts. I have quite a few videos dealing with
SA and SA*DS. My favorite application for small amount of the double salt is for the impact bang-snaps, I just love them. In the thread titled
"Relatively safe impact smoke grenade ideas?" I demonstrate it being used for an impact sensitive compound as SA*DS alone, tiny rocks must be added
but many mods are also available.
Here is a link to 5mg SA*DS and 25mg ETN in a tiny impact ball. In the other thread I mentioned more videos can be found dealing with SA.
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Bert
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Mood: " I think we are all going to die. I think that love is an illusion. We are flawed, my darling".
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As far as drawbacks: Silver acetylide is EXTREMELY sensitive to static discharges.
So is Silver azide for that matter- I have witnessed both fireing accidentally during handling on dry winter days with no other apparent cause.
Rapopart’s Rules for critical commentary:
1. Attempt to re-express your target’s position so clearly, vividly and fairly that your target says: “Thanks, I wish I’d thought of putting it
that way.”
2. List any points of agreement (especially if they are not matters of general or widespread agreement).
3. Mention anything you have learned from your target.
4. Only then are you permitted to say so much as a word of rebuttal or criticism.
Anatol Rapoport was a Russian-born American mathematical psychologist (1911-2007).
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Adas
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Copper acetylide does not create any gaseous products. When initiated in vacuum, it just makes a slight pop. With air it reacts to make CO2 and Cu.
Probably if you mixed it intimately with NH4NO3, you would get good results.
Rest In Pieces!
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