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Mr. Wizard
International Hazard
Posts: 1042
Registered: 30-3-2003
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
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Ammonium chlorate is a precursor in the electrolytic production of the Per-chlorate. It is very unstable in the sense it tends to ignite anything
combustible. Workers have told me stories about splashing the solution on their pants, boots or shirt and then the clothes would catch fire later
from the friction of rubbing them. Wooden pallets would catch fire when they were touched. There WAS an Ammonium Perchlorate plant where I
lived, and as you can see by the attached URL, even the per-chlorate can be rather unpredictable.
http://www.apechild.com
then go to the archives
then go to Feb 2004
look at the pepcon video
This was a big ass explosion, watch for the second, even bigger explosion. Sorry about the convoluted links, but a direct link doesn't seem to
work.
[Edited on 27-3-2005 by Mr. Wizard]
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hodges
National Hazard
Posts: 525
Registered: 17-12-2003
Location: Midwest
Member Is Offline
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I tried this again using an alternate synthesis (KClO3 and NH4ClO4, the KClO4 is much less soluable than any other product). I again found that the
resulting salt was not explosive when heated. Instead, it decomposed somewhat vigorously - about like ammonium dichromate or silver oxalate.
Certainly no bang or anything though. I'm guessing that this salt is not all that energetic unless mixed with something else (which would of
course be the case when it was produced acidentally in fireworks compositions). I think the real danger is probably its instability - i.e. it tends
to decompose by itself after a period of time, releasing chlorine dioxide which would ignite any organic matter nearby. I burned all the ammonium
chlorate I made but later will try making a small amount and keeping it around in a small disposable plastic cup in the sink to see if it ever
decomposes and if so how violently.
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