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Science and Technology of Energetic Materials

Vol.75, No.1 (2014)

Research paper

Spontaneous explosion of ammonium nitrate in a contact with an active clorine-containing organic substance
B.S.Ermolaev, A.A.Sulimov, B.L.Korsunskii, H.-N.Presles, B.A.Khasainov, and V.Ph.Martynyuk
p.8-13

Abstract

Results of a complex investigation into behavior and consequences of chemical reactions between ammonium nitrate and an organic substance, disinfectant, sodium dichloroizocyanurate which is incompatible with ammonium nitrate are presented. This substance being dissolved in water releases active chlorine which easily enters into chemical reaction with ammonium nitrate. Interaction between ammonium ion and active chlorinated chemicals triggers a chain of chemical reactions at normal temperature, resulting in heating, formation of explosive gas NCl3 and foaming. Chemical reactions controlling the interaction proceed at a rather low energy of activation, and their conversion level is restricted by attaining the temperature at which the released gas NCl3 explodes (115℃). Mostly, only local explosions happen without involving the total mass of the mixture into the chemical conversion. If there are no conditions providing accumulation of explosive gas in rather large amount, its detonation cannot initiate ammonium nitrate. It seems that the buildup of explosive wave can only be due to the foam which contains solution of active reaction products and has the higher propensity to initiating stimuli in comparison to the pure ammonium nitrate.

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Keywords

ammonium nitrate, sodium dichloroizocyanurate, spontaneous explosion

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