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Post by Anders Hoveland on Feb 1, 2011 10:55:06 GMT -8
Explosives which will easily explode by being hit, or by exposure to flame, are known as primary explosives. These types of explosives are potentially very dangerous to work with. While some of these substances can seem moderately safe, many of them are unpredictable in their sensitivity to detonation. Substances which neither burn nor explode when lit with a match, can later detonate from ambient static electricity on a day with low humidity. Substances which do not explode when thrown against a hard surface, can later detonate when they are gently and cautiously mixed, sometimes even when wet. Sometimes an primary explosive will detonate for seemingly no reason when left in storage after several months. But usually, accidents care caused when a lid is removed from a container containing the substance, or when the solid primary explosive is being divided into smaller portions. Even very careful handling of primary explosives can still result in accidents. There are many complicated factors that can greatly increase the sensitivity and danger of a primary explosive substance over time. If a sample of the substance does not easily explode, this does not mean that the substance is safe. The sample could later explode from the slightest touch after hours, days, or even years.
Never work with a quantity greater than 5 grams of any primary explosive.
This in no way implies that 5 grams is a safe quantity!! A safer quantity to work with is closer to about 500 milligrams (one half gram). Keep your hands away from the sample at all times! For less than 2 grams, never touch the substance, even with gloves. For quantities more than 3 grams, keep a distance of at least 20cm away from the sample, and be sure to waer safety goggles to protect your eyes (goggles are actually recommended whenever handling any explosive compound). It is also recommended not to use metal tools or containers for working with potentially sensitive primary compounds, since detonation could send dangerous sharp metal fragments flying out at high speed. If possible, try to use a plastic container. This is not always possible when performing nitrations, since nitric acid may burn through the plastic.
Be sure you know the proper precautions that need to be taken, and the things not to do, before working with any primary explosive. While an accident might be unlikely, many younger people have suffered severe injuries (losing fingers, suffering permanent ear damage, or losing sight in an eye, and even death).
One particular note, while acetone peroxide is very simple to prepare, it is one of the most dangerous primary explosives to handle, being far more sensitive than nitroglycerine. A teenager in Sweden killed himself when handling a over a kilogram of this dangerous substance. Please never prepare or store more than 2 grams of this substance (about the size of a large spoon full)!! Sometimes this substance can be thrown against a hard surface without incident, while other times it can detonate when being cautiously divided with a thin plastic playing card.
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sb15
New Member
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Post by sb15 on Mar 4, 2011 18:56:24 GMT -8
Handling large quantities of primary explosives can be avoided through the use of compound blasting caps. When a sensitive nitric ester is used as the base charge in a cap, a relatively small quantity of primary is needed to initiate detonation. This decreases the risk associated with handling primaries in the open, where they are exposed to ignition stimuli such as electrostatic discharge and friction.
A common cap design is a small diameter cylindrical casing with a 0.5-1.0g ETN, MHN, or PETN base charge pressed in the bottom, and 50-200mg of primary pressed directly on top. These are more reliable and much safer than the large organic peroxide caps often used by inexperienced energetics hobbyists.
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Post by Anders Hoveland on Mar 5, 2011 14:19:19 GMT -8
^^ good advice
Another safety tip is to wear only cotton clothes when handling primaries that are very sensitive to static discharge, and preferably avoid handling such compounds on days when the humidity is very low (when the air is dry).
When moving a small quantity of a highly sensitive primary, the substance can be placed into a large paper bag at the bottom, and the bage can be held away from the body which is carrying it.
In this way, if there is an accidental detonation, there will be plenty of space between the substance and the person carrying it. Keeping your fingers a distance of only 5cm away from a small quantity of sensitive explosive can provide much protection if something should go wrong. To provide confinement for the small quantities of primary, use a small tube made of rolled up paper. Doing this (rather than using a plastic container) will prevent dangerous hard fragments from shooting out if the substance detonates.
Good genral rules: only use very small quantities and keep fingers at least 5cm away at all times. Plastic tableware could be used to manipulate quantities under 0.5g. Something longer should be used for 1-2g.
If acetone peroxide is being stored, use a plastic bag and do not store more than 0.5g of the substance. Be sure the powder is fluffy and loose, and not all piled together in one corner of the bag. In this way, if ambient static charge should ignite the substance, it will be less likely to detonate. This is also a way to seal the substance, otherwise the solid slowly evaporates into the air. Never use a jar or stopper. Crystals could sublime onto the lid and then detonate when the lid is forcefully removed.
Acetone peroxide that is more than a day old can be more dangerous because it has had time to fully dry and possibly crystallize more.
ETN and MHN can be absorbed into a small quantity of nitrocellulose, which makes the compounds more resistant to impact for increased safety. (the liquids can later begin to leak out of the nitrocellulose making the substance as dangerous as before)
Finally, (hopefully this should be obvious) never store primary sensitive compounds near larger quantities of less sensitive energetic material. The primary could spontaneously detonate for a variety of reasons, keeping the two separated will prevent the larger quantity from being detonated. Do not insert the primary until immediately before use, and only after the main charge has been placed on the ground. Ensure that the paper case that contains the primary will easily and effortlessly slide into the main charge. Trying to force the primary into place could be disasterous.
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Post by Anders Hoveland on Aug 8, 2011 12:43:44 GMT -8
Whenever handling potentially sensitive primaries, always act as if it could explode at any time.
Treat the substance as if it has a remote-controlled detonator built into it, and someone that is trying to kill you is holding the remote control and watching you, waiting for just the right moment to set the substance off and inflict maximum damage.
Remember, even one gram can result in serious injury to your hand, or potentially even result in loss of a finger. So wear protective plastic safety goggles at all times, keep a moderately small distance between your fingers and the substance at all times. Never store the substance in a glass, metal, or thick hard plastic container. If it explodes for some reason, the sharp hard pieces of the container are going to fly towards you and cause injury. Never store a large quantity of primary in one place. Ideally, keep the quantities under half a gram.
Acetone peroxide is potentially very sensitive to friction, especially after it has been allowed to become very dry. Certain conditions can allow the substance to crystalize more, greatly increasing the danger.
The double salt, silver acetylide nitrate, Ag2C2·AgNO3, is very sensitive to static electricity. Even peeling off a piece of tape from the outside of a plastic box can cause detonation of the primary inside. Opening a plastic bag of the substance can also set it off.
Treating the substance with graphite spray might be a way to decrease sensitivity to static. (Note that the usual molecular composition is actually closer to Ag2C2·6AgNO3; forming the Ag2C2·AgNO3 requires temperatures slightly above the boiling point of water)
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Post by kemirockarfett on Sept 28, 2011 15:16:11 GMT -8
Whenever handling potentially sensitive primaries, always act as if it could explode at any time. Treat the substance as if it has a remote-controlled detonator built into it, and someone that is trying to kill you is holding the remote control and watching you, waiting for just the right moment to set the substance off and inflict maximum damage. Remember, even one gram can result in serious injury to your hand, or potentially even result in loss of a finger. So wear protective plastic safety goggles at all times, keep a moderately small distance between your fingers and the substance at all times. Never store the substance in a glass, metal, or thick hard plastic container. If it explodes for some reason, the sharp hard pieces of the container are going to fly towards you and cause injury. Never store a large quantity of primary in one place. Ideally, keep the quantities under half a gram. Acetone peroxide is potentially very sensitive to friction, especially after it has been allowed to become very dry. Certain conditions can allow the substance to crystalize more, greatly increasing the danger. The double salt, silver acetylide nitrate, Ag2C2·AgNO3, is very sensitive to static electricity. Even peeling off a piece of tape from the outside of a plastic box can cause detonation of the primary inside. Opening a plastic bag of the substance can also set it off. Treating the substance with graphite spray might be a way to decrease sensitivity to static. (Note that the usual molecular composition is actually closer to Ag2C2·6AgNO3; forming the Ag2C2·AgNO3 requires temperatures slightly above the boiling point of water) Store TATP (acetone peroxide) in acetone. Yes if drying the substance for a long time it become more like greywhite instead of pure white and always detonate under fire instead of just burn fast. The silver acetylide silver nitrate is formed in solutions less then 10 % of silver nitrate. Just have nitric acid in the solution and high temperature 80 degrees C or more to have pE high to oxidize H2S, PH3 and other garbage in the acethylen source. The Ag2C2*AgNO3 is like Pb(N3)2 to static and the problem is negligble if the compound is inside a faraday cage and compressed. I dont think that the salt has anything to do with the 1:6 composition due to litterature, have you some reference claiming this? The 1:6 substance is claimed to not be an explosive ! "ETN and MHN can be absorbed into a small quantity of nitrocellulose, which makes the compounds more resistant to impact for increased safety. (the liquids can later begin to leak out of the nitrocellulose making the substance as dangerous as before)" What is meant with this ? ETN and MHN are not liquids. |
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Post by Anders Hoveland on Sept 28, 2011 18:24:46 GMT -8
MHN is often obtained as a syrupy liquid. Obviously this is not actually pure MHN, some of the hydroxy groups did not get substituted with nitrate groups. It can be rather difficult to prepare MHN as a solid using improvised techniques. To get the syrupy substance to absorb into the nitrocellulose, first dissolve it in acetone. Then after it has been absorbed, allow the acetone to dry out. It is best to use loosly compacted nitrocellulose.
ETN melts at only 61degC, so it can be melted with a hot water bath. The melting point can be further decreased by adding a little xylene in. The melting should only be done using boiling water. If you try to melt it in a test tube over a flame, it will EXPLODE, no matter how cautious you are. Basically dip with low third of a test tube containing ETN into hot water that has just been boiled. The ETN will slowly melt. It is suggested that you first heat the tube using hot water for about two minutes, before you use the boiling water, to avoid too sudden of a temperature change.
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