ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄż
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ŔÄÄÄÄÄÄÄŮ
By: Paul Miller
One of the greatest feelings in the world is knowing you have the
technology to wipe out your whole neighborhood. Not that anyone would want to
destroy a neighborhood in one fell swoop, but bombs are good clean fun if used
in the proper context of insanity. It is obvious that people enjoy fire and
explosions and things, and many people are not satisfied with a safe and legal
extravaganza every 4th of july. That's why they stuff matchheads into metal
pipes and increase their surgeon's income while wondering what went wrong.
Everyone has been told not to make bombs forever. That attempt at prevention
of accidents is futile. This book tells exactly what to do and what not to do
in order to keep the shrapnel out of your face and the skin on your hands.
This book tells how to make it, how to use it, and where to get the stuff
you need. Nitro from battery acid and drugstore chemicals, nerve gas, contact
explosive, blasting powder, etc, etc, etc.
Behave yourself, and happy bombing!
Additional copies of this book can be ordered directly from the publisher.
Send $15 in check, cash, or money order to:
Pyrochem
Box 5386
Rockford, Il. 61125
Enclose 75› extra for first class mail delivery. Wholesale inquiries are
invited. Prices are subject to change without notice.
Preface
~~~~~~~
The explosion for which I was arrested was definitely impressive. The
discarded 55 gallon oil drum dissapeared as the blast echoed several times
from the facing concrete walls of Aldeen Dam. The blast rattled windows all
over the Rockford College campus; about a quarter mile away. I was told that
it was heard for four miles around.
Seeing as how we were very proud of our accomplishment, Gary insisted that
we return with the barrel as an indication of our pyrotechnic prowess to our
friends on campus. This barrel was a wonderful treasure. It looked markedly
like a gargantuan kernal of metallic popcorn. I would have preferred to donate
it anonymously to Clark Arts Center as a specimen of pop art. It would have
looked nice next to their four foot sheet metal skull.
I conceeded to return to the dorm, barrel in hand. This was our most stupid
decision of the evening because the wrong person, specifically billy bird, saw
us coming with the suspicious remnants of the blast.
We two had a long, worrying, wearying night at the police station. Cops
walked into the room and got a thrill looking at the mutilated oil drum and at
the array of confiscated homemade pyrotechnics on the table. Throughout the
intermittent interrigation procedure, officers related their various
experiences and philosophies. Every other one had a story about "When I was a
kid...". I talked to one cop who used to make firebombs with gasoline, liquid
saop, and shotgun powder. Another one used to be fond of putting shotgun shells
in the ground and shooting BB's at them until they fired. In a world of
robberies, traffic tickets, and unlawful drunkenness, I think some of them
enjoyed having a couple of fun loving bombers for a change.
On the other hand, we were both at the prime rioting age of 19, and they
were rather paranoid about radicals with our chemical technology. By the next
morning, Friday, February 27, 1976, we had been charged with possession if
explosives (a felony punishable by up to ten years in prison and/or a $10,000
fine) and gotten bailed out for $500 each.
I was walking on eggshells for about two months until we finally got off on
a reduced charge of reckless conduct with no penalty. We got off more easily
then we might have because we had only a small quantity of low explosives (tee
hee). We were also lucky to have an excellent lawyer and an understanding
judge.
It is the sequence of events leading to and folloeing this explosion which
prompted me to write this book.
I am most grateful to Attourney Armour Beckstrand for helping Gary and me
out. I am also grateful to Craig, Barb, and Ann for a timely disappearing act
in the advent of the police search, and to Bill for the use of his Advent
speaker box. I am thankful to my parents for not discouraging my pyrotechnic
efforts. Thanks to Ledlie and Palmer for offering to beat the Bird, but no,
thanks. Lastly, thanks to all the cool people who helped me out through my
post-explosion ordeal.
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE AND UNPURPOSE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I want to make it perfectly clear that I do not believe in violent
subversion. This is not intended as a handbook for destruction by radicals or
vandals. It is intended for peaceful people like myself who enjoy pyrotechnics
in a powerful but non-destructive context.
Many people are against gun control. I am also against explosives control;
at least to a point. If used thoughtfully, carefully, and with consideration
for others, explosives can be a lot of fun; just like sex, drugs, and
roadracing.
I sincerely hope that no one will be needlessly blown up because of this
book. The perpetual trend amoung school kids is to make pipe bombs and such
with match heads and similar primitive or unduly dangerous materials. Hopefully
this book will give people a better idea of what not to do in order to stay in
one piece.
I beseech you, please do be careful for your own sake, and especially for
the safety of others. Test explosives far away from any unconcerned people,
animals, or damageable property. Be sure any shrapnel or other debris will
not fly far enough to cause damage. Use paper casings whenever practical.
Walls, banks, etc. are good for stopping shrapnel. Remember that a very large
explosion can break glass at a distance just by the shock wave.
If a bomb fails to go off, I recommend leaving it for up to an hour
depending on it's nature, before retrieving or refusing it. Unexploded bombs
should not be left lying around where some curious half-wit can find it and
blow himself up. A friend of mine left a Dr. Pepper bottle full of a rather
unstable mixture lying on the ground after the fuse failed. The poor boob who
found it tried to dig the composition out of the bottle in order to return it
for deposit, and he consequently got his hand and face badly maimed and
burned.
This bomb contained a horrendous hodge-podge of chemicals. It is most
definately an unwise practice to make an exlposive with lots of different,
possibly uncompatible chemicals if you are not sure that they will be stable
together.
High explosives should be made as pure as possible. Contaminants can
decrease stability. Gritty particles in any explosive make it more sensitive
to friction, and other chemicals can cause spontaneous decomposition.
In the intrest of safety, credibility, and the advancement of
pyrotechnology, I will be glad to answer any correspondence including a self
addressed stamped envelope. I would love to hear from any fellow bomber. Send
any correspondence to:
Paul Miller
RFD 2
Barre, Vt. 05641
Bear in mind that explosives, even firecrackers, are illegal almost
everywhere. If you are not careless, incosiderate, or too noisy in populated
areas, you are not likely to get in trouble. Don't bring back the barrel.
Part One: Chemicals
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
fp-flash point(temperature at which a chemical will emit fumes which burn in
the air)
at-autoignition temperature(temperature at which a chemical will ignite on
contact will air)
mp-melting point
bp-boiling point
dp-decomposition point
d-density
NOTE : ALL TEMPERATURES IN CELCIUS
Acetylene mp:-82ř bp:-84ř fp:-18ř at:335ř
~~~~~~~~~
Acetylene is a colorless gas with no odor, but the gas made from calcium
carbide usually is contaminated such that it has an objectional odor. A
concentration of 2.5 to 80% by volume in air is explosive. It can explode in
air down to four degrees centigrade. It is an endothermic compound and is
explosive by itself when under a pressure of more than two atmospheres. The
gas itself is not very toxic, but impurities found in acetylene may be
poisonous. Anyone exposed to an excessive amount of acetylene should be removed
to fresh air and treated for lack of oxygen if necessary.
Acetylene should be stored so that if it escapes it will not fill a room or
enclosed space where it may explode. It may be safely stored at pressures
exceeding two atmospheres only if it is dissolved in acetone.
It can be made by reacting calcium carbide and water, and it can be bought
in cylinders for welding.
Aluminum mp:660ř d:2.7
~~~~~~~~
Aluminum dust is an extremely useful additive for many compositions. It is
a very fine gray or silvery powder. It is usually so fine that it may appear
to smoke when agitated because the particles float in the air. It can also turn
your skin temporarily silver.
The dust ignites very easily and burns extremely hot. Therefore it will make
an explosive when mixed with almost any oxidant. The finest dust makes the best
explosive. An aluminum flame is very bright, and the metal in any form reacts
with hydroxides to librate explosive hydrogen gas. The dust is somewhat
irritating to the lungs and eyes.
Aluminum dust should be kept away from flame because it can act as an
incendiary. If aluminum dust is involved in a fire, water should not be thrown
on it because an exlposion may result. The fire should be smotheres with sand
or something.
Ammonium dicromate dp:170ř d:2.15
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ammonium dicromate is not often used in explosives, but is a favorite
chemical for producing beautiful displays of orange sparks and minature
volcanoes. It is yellow or orange crystals which decompose before melting. It
is not easy to ignite, but it is flammable and can explode when mixed with
other substances.
Ammonium perchlorate d:1.95
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ammonium perchlorate is a white solid which does not melt. When heated to
high temperatures it decomposes exothermically. This decomposition is violent
enough that the compound can be used as a propellent by itself. All the
products of combustion are gaseous. This results in a theoretically more
powerful explosive than can be made with potassium perchlorate, although it
would be slower burning. Enerjet rocket engines used a solid propellant
composed of ammonium perchlorate and polyurethane. This propellant was two or
three times as powerful as black powder.
Because ammonium perchlorate can burn violently alone or explode when
confined, it should be treated as a relatively safe explosive.
Ammonium chlorate is more hazardous. It explodes at 102řC. Ammonium
periodate is a sensitive explosive.
Calcium carbide mp:2300ř d:2.22
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Calcium carbide is the grey solid used in old fashioned carbide lamps. It
is practically inert and harmless when dry, but it releases acetylene when it
contacts water. It should be stored in a dry ventilated place to prevent the
accumulation of explosive acetylene gas. It should be free from such metals as
copper and silver because it may form explosive acetylides.
Carbon disulfide mp:-108.6ř bp:46ř fp:-30ř at:100ř d:1.26
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Carbon disulfide is a clear, almost odorless, flammble liquid. It can
explode in air at concentrations of 1 to 50% by volume. The vapors are 2.4
times the density of air and can be ignited by such a mild stimulus as a spark
of static electricity or a hot light bulb.
The vapors can cause intoxication. It should be used with ample ventilation.
Large quantities can be stored most safely under water. It is used as a solvent
and can be used in incendiary devices.
Glycerine mp:18ř bp:290ř d:1.26 fp:160ř at:393ř
~~~~~~~~~
Glycerine is a colorless or yellow syrupy liquid with a sweet taste and no
odor. It will burn, but is not hazardous. Keep it away from permanganates. It
is not toxic.
Glycerine can be used to make nitroglycerine and dynamite. It has lots of
legitimate pharmaceutical uses, and it can be bought at any drugstore without
a prescription.
Hydrazine mp:2ř bp:113.5ř d:1.0
~~~~~~~~~
Hydrazine is a colorless, fuming liquid, soluable in water. It is caustic
and will burn skin or eyes. Eyes should be washed off with plenty of water and
then with boric acid solution,
It is very unstable, and the vapors are explosive. It must be stored away
from heat. Goggles should be worn when using it.
Hydrazine is used alone or with nitric acid as a rocket fuel/
Hydrogen peroxide mp:-89ř bp:152ř d:1.46
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hydrogen peroxide is a colorless liquid, usually sold dissolved in water.
The 3% solution that you can buy at a drugstore is harmless and worthless as
an explosive ingredient. More concentrated solutions, up to and exceeding 60%
can be used as an oxidant in rocket fuels and such. Hydrogen peroxide can
decompose violently with certain catalysts such as iron, copper, chromium, and
their salts. This decomposition is violent enough so that a very concentrated
solution can be used as a rocket fuel alone.
Concentrated hydrogen peroxide is sensitive to light and should be kept in
the dark. It should be kept away from fuels and free from catalytic metals and
organic materials.
Magnesium mp:651ř d:1.74
~~~~~~~~~
Magnesium is a grey or silvery metal. It can be used in just about any
pyrotechnic application in place of aluminum. Magnesium ribbon or strips are
difficult to ignite, but they burn with intense heat and white light. Magnesium
powder is easily flammable and can cause explosions. Therefore, it should be
stored away from fire in closed containers. Magnesium fires should be
smothered. Water, foam, carbon tet, or carbon dioxide should not be used.
Explosives are easy to make with magnesium, but they may be very sensitive.
Sparklers can be made by simply sticking magnesium powder to a stick with a
flammable glue.
Nitric acid mp:-42ř bp:86ř d:1.502
~~~~~~~~~~~
Nitric acid is a clear or yellowich liquid. Very concentrates acid gives
off suffocating fumes. It is used in making most high explosives and as an
oxidant in rocket fuels. Pure nitric acid will eat anything, including silver
spoons, tables, chairs, clothing, and people. In contact with easily oxidizable
materials, it may cause fires or release toxic gasses. The fumes from
concentrated acid are poisonous and can cause symptons several hours after
contact. Skin or eyes that have been touched with nitric acid should be washed
with plenty of water.
It can be stored in glass or in metal or in metal containers of special
stainless steel or certan other alloys. It is sensitive to light, so the very
concentrated acid should be stored in the dark.
Most commercial concentrates nitric acid is about 70%. Pure nitric acid,
which is needed for the synthesis of most explosives is not as easy to find or
buy. A friend of mine once got some from a senile druggist who didn't really
know what he was doing. I hear the poor old man was ultimately busted by the
feds for witlessly selling illegal drugs to users without prescriptions.
Anyways, if your neighborhood lacks a well meaning senile druggist, you can
still make nitric acid with battery acid from an auto supply shop and saltpeter
from the drugstore. The battery acid, which is in the neighborhood of 30%, can
be boiled down until it is 98% sulfuric acid. Then add an equal weight of
sodium or potassium nitrate to the concentrates acid, and distill in a vacuum.
The boilng point of pure nitric acid at atmospheric pressure is high enough to
decompose the acid, but in a vacuum, it can be readily distilled. The nitric
acid should be caught in a glass container packed in ice. The most concentrated
acid is decomposed by light, so it is best to protect the apparatus from light.
My first attempt to do this was soley in the intrest of proving that it can
be easily done. I was successful except that the pure acid was so strong as to
eat the first rubber stopper and the metal thermometer dripped nitrate goop
into the first flask, but this did not signifigantly contaminate the distilled
product. The stopper in the the receiving flask was unharmed because the acid
never touched it, and it was cold enough not to fume signifigantly.
A vacuum pump can be made by any clever gadgeteer by reversing the valves in
a tire pump, or you can buy one from a scientific supply company. A hand vacuum
pump from Edmund Scientific company costs about thirty bucks.
The concentration of nitric acid can be increased by distilling it in a
vacuum apparatus with twice it's volume of sulfuric acid, or by adding some
dry formaldehyde. Fuming nitric acid, specific gravity 1.52 to 1.53, can be
made by distilling pure nitric and 95% sulfuric acid at 20 mm. of mercury
pressure.
Oxygen mp:-218.5ř bp:-183ř d:1.43
~~~~~~
Pure oxygen adds spice to any gas explosion. Hydrogen peroxide will release
oygen when a catalyst is added. A little sodium carbonate and cobalt chloride
dumped into 3% hydrogen peroxide will release oxygen.
You can get oxygen by heating potassium chlorate. It is best to add some
maganese dioxide as a catalyst to the chlorate. This makes it easy to decompose
the chlorate by heating it in a test tube.
Perchloric acid bp:203ř(72.4%)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Perchloric acid is colorless, fuming, hygroscopic liquid. It is a strong
acid and oxidizing agent. It is extremely unstable when it is more concentrated
than 72%. Perchloric acid can cause fires or explosions on contact with
flammable material. At room temperature the 72% acid acts as a strong
non-oxidizing acid, but at temperatures above 160 degrees it becomes a very
strong oxidizing agent. When mixed with any fuel it becomes a dangerous
explosive.
Anhydrous perchloric acid can be prepared by distilling a mixture of dry
potassium perchlorate with an excess of 95% sulfuric acid in a vacuum. The
receiver should be in an ice bath. Ice made from salt water is colder, and
therefor preferable. This anhydrous acid is unstable at room temperature. It
tends to change from pale yellow to brown and then explodes. No organic
material should be used in the distilling apparatus. Rubber tubing, stoppers,
and grease in joints can oxidize and explode. Everything that touches the acid
should be glass.
A way to make less concentrated acid is by mixing ammonium perchlorate,
nitric acid, and hydrocloric acid. The ammonium perchlorate and nitric acid
will not react without hydrochloric acid. The resulting solution can be boiled
down to a concentration of 72.4% with a boiling point of 203ř. The chlorine
given off is very poisonous. The nitrous oxide is known as laughing gas.
Perchloric acid is dangerous and shouls be stored in glass away from
oxidizable material. Anhydrous perchloric acid has to be kept cold. I don't
recommend making it. If you do make the diluted acid by first making the
anhydrous acid, it shoul be diluted immediately aftrt distillation.
Phosphorus yellow- mp:44.1ř bp:280ř d:1.82 at:30ř
~~~~~~~~~~ red- bp:280ř at:260ř
Phosphorus comes in two allotropic forms. The yellow or white form is the
most dangerous because it can ignite spontaneously when it is exposed to air.
It has been used in incendiary devices. It is a colorless waxy solid.
Amorphous red phosphorus is less dangerous. Although it will not ignite
spontaneously, it burns readily. This is a reddish brown powder and is used
in the striking surface of safety matches. Red phosphorus is made by heating
white phosphorus. White phosphorus can be made by condensing the vapor of red
phosphorus.
When phosphorus burns it gives off great white smoke, phosphorus pentoxide.
Therefor it is used in some smoke bombs. It is very poisonous, and it glows in
the dark. It can be safely stored under water.
Potassium chlorate mp:356ř dp:400ř d:2.32
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Potassium chlorate is used to a small extent in pharmacology and is very
important ingredient in explosives. It is usually sold as a white powder.
Besides being a powerful oxidant, it is an endothermic compound which can be
detonated alone. Explosions have resulted when buildings containing potassium
chlorate burned.
A mixture of potassium chlorate and sulfur is an unstable explosive, as
these chemicals may react when stored together. A mixture of potassium
chlorate and sugar is explosive and sensitive to friction. Any mixture
containing potassium chlorate can ignite on contact with concentrated sulfuric
acid.
Sodium chlorate, which is used as a weed killer, is very similar to
potassium chlorate except that the sodium compound is very hygroscopic and
therefore inferior for explosive mixtures.
Potassium nitrate mp:334ř dp:400ř d:2.1
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Potassium nitrate is usually a white powder, sometimes white or colorless
crystals. It is the oxidant used in black powder. Besides being a common
ingredient in low exlosives, it can be used in making nitric acid. It is also
a great diuretic. A quarter teaspoon of saltpeter will send anyone scurrying
to the bathroom. It can be bought at drugstores without a hassle.
Potassium perchlorate dp:400ř d:2.52
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Potassium perchlorate is a white powder. It is an excellent oxidant. It is
superior to chlorates in that it is more stable and will not react with sulfur
during storage. It has been used to replace potassium nitrate in black powder.
This results in a faster burning and more powerful explosive. Perchlorates are
less stable than nitrates and are therefore somewhat more dangerous. A mixture
of 75% potassium perchlorate and 25% asphalt oil has been used as a rocket
fuel.
Potassium permanganate dp:240ř d:2.7
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Potassium permanagnate is a purple or gray solid which forms a beautiful
purple solution with water. It also stains skin, clothing, etc. brown. It is
used extensively in labs as an oxidizing agent. It will ignite glycerine on
contact.
Potassium permanganate can be used as an oxidant in pyrotechnic
compositions. The distinguishing thing about it is the brown smoke produced by
the maganese content. Potassium permanganate reacts with some organic compounds
to form manganese dioxide, which can react spontaneously with magnesium or
aluminum. Therefore, it is best not to use it with aluminum, magnesium, or
organic compounds. I recommend using nitrates and perchlorates in almost any
composition.
Sodium mp:97.5ř bp:888ř d:0.97
~~~~~~
Sodium is a silvery white metal and is soft at room temperature. It can
easily be cut with a knife. The suface of sodium oxidizes in moist air. Finely
divided sodium powder will burn on contact with air. It reacts violently with
water to liberate hydrogen gas and lots of heat. It should be stored immersed
in a liquid which doesn't contain oxygen, such as kerosene or toluene.
Potassium and lithium should be stored in the same way.
Sodium is produced by electrolizing molten sodium chloride. This is not easy
to do in one's home because the salt must be heated to 800ř to melt it. Some
ding-a-lings once tried to do this at my high school by heating a coffee can
full of salt with a propane torch. They did not succeed in melting the salt,
but they did succeed in melting the can apart at the seams.
Sodium Hyroxide mp:318.4ř bp:1390ř d:2.13
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sodium hydroxide is essentially similar to potassium hydroxide. It is a
white deliquescent solid. It is very caustic and can cause chemical burns. The
neat thing about sodium or potassium hydroxide is their affinity for water.
They suck water out of the air. A solution of these hydroxides will eat
aluminum, liberating hydrogen gas.
Sulfur mp:113ř bp:445ř d:2.07
~~~~~~
Sulfur is yellow, usually a powder. It is not toxic in itself, but the dust
is rather unpleasant to breathe. It burns easily, emitting poisonous sulfur
dioxide. This is why it is a favorite stink bomb ingredient amoung vandals of
the olfactory. The main hazard frin a sulfur fire is the sulfur dioxide fumes.
Sulfuric acid d:1.83 mp:10.49ř bp:330ř
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sulfuric acid is a colorless, oily, thick liquid. It is a very strong acid,
and, like nitric acid, it eats almost anything and burns skin. If it is spilled
on your body, wash it off with plenty of water. Spills can be neutralized with
a carbonate or hydroxide, but this results in the release of lots of heat.
Therefore, neutralizing chemicals should not be applied to the skin until it
has been thoroughly flushed off with water. Sulfuric acid releases heat when
it combines with water, so it is preferable to smother fires involving sulfuric
acid, rather than using water.
The acid is usually contained in iron or glass. It is wierd, but dilute
sulfuric acid eats iron whereas the concentrated acid does not.
Sulfuric acid is used in the synthesis of many explosives. It can also be
used to make pure nitric acid.
It can be bought from almost any chemical supply companym or from a gas
station as a battery electrolyte. The acid used in car batteries is not pure,
but the water can be boiled away until the concentration reaches 98% and the
boiling point rises to 330ř.
Zinc mp:420ř bp:907ř d:7.14
~~~~
Zinc is a bluish white metal that burns with a green flame, emitting
poisonous zinc oxide. Zinc dust should be kept away from flame and is
extremely explosive.
Part Two: Low Explosives
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Low exposives, sometimes called propellants, don't detonate. They
deflagrate; that is they burn rapidly. They seldom require a detonator or
booster charge, but this frequently does make them more effective.
Most of them are made by simply mixing the ingredients together. The
ingredients should be ground together as finely as possible before mixing. This
mixing should be done with extreme care. No metal tools should be used for
mixing because they may spark. Wood or plastic is ideal.
I am writing on a sample of the miriad of effective explosive combinations
one can make by simply mixing oxidizing and reducing agents, as a theoretical
chemist would call. Many combinations will work well, and many will not. Some
unproven combinations may work too well or too soon with subsequent detriment
to the adventuresome pyrotechnician's career.
ALL PROPORTIONS ARE BY MASS UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED
Bangor
~~~~~~
This powder, or some similar composition, is used in most commercial
firecrackers. It is an unaesthetic grey color, stable, and effective. A friend
of mine completely pulverized a cinder block with a small film can full of
bangor in one experiment. He also blew fifty five gallon oil drums pretty high
into the air with it. Incidentally, discarded oil drums are great things to
blow up. They help to stop shrapnel from small bombs, and they can resonate to
make a louder boom. You can measure the effectiveness of the explosion by the
condition of the barrel and by how high it flies. It's a fun way to protest
high oil prices, too, if you're really into protesting things. However, a
barrel can add shrapnel to the blast from a very large bomb.
Bangor is made of: Potassium nitrate 60%
Aluminum 30%
Sulfur 10%
I have also found the following to work well, too:
Potassium nitrate 66.6%
Aluminum 16.7%
Sulfur 16.7%
Berge's blasting powder
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This yellow powder is easy to make, safe, and powerful. It can easily packed
into casings. It works well when it is set off by another charge or detonator.
It consists of: Potassium chlorate 40.8%
Sugar 18.4%
Potassium chromate 4.1%
Beeswax 36.7%
The potassium chromate apparently acts as a catalyst to speed up the
cumbustion. The two potassium salts are mixed first. Then the sugar is added.
This is the onlt part that comes close to being dangerous. Finally the was is
cut up into teensie weensie pieces and mixed in. Regular candle wax can be
used. It is hard, and therefore hard to mix. It can be melted down and then
mixed in more easily. The wax functions as a water repellant and
densensitizer, and it can be left out. The waxless powder is more sensitive to
sparks, heat, friction, etc. Potassium chromate can be replaced with potassium
dichromate. This makes a pretty orange powder. I have used the following in
many successful firecrackers: Potassium chlorate 62.4%
Sugar 31.3%
Potassium dicromate 6.3%
This mixture is pretty sensitive, and should be treated carefully. It
becomes relatively insensitive if wax is added.
Substituting molasses or honey for sugar makes a gooey fast burning mess
called molex. I have found this goop to be very useful fo sticking fuses
together, lighting rocket engines, and so forth.
This powder can ignite on contact with concentrated sulfuric acid.
Black powder
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Potassium Nitrate 75%
Charcoal 15%
Sulfur 10%
Black powder is made in the form of fine powder, large grains or pellets, or
anything in between. It is usually black, but may be brown or grey, depending
on composition. When no confined it will burn quickly, producing lots of heat
and sparks. When confined it explodes. It can be exlpoded by concussion if a
thin layer is hit sharply with a hammer. It can be easily ignited by a spark.
Black powder is used for blasting, but it has been largely replaced by
modern blasting materials. It is used to produce sparks, as a rocket
propellant, and in firecrackers.
It can be made by simply grinding the seperate components and then mixing
them as thoroughly as possible. The individual ingredients are safe by
themselves, but after mixing they require tender loving care. They should not
be mixed with stone or metal tools.
Homemade powder powder frequently works better if the amount of nitrate is
reduced. A much faster burning powder is made using aluminum dust in place of
charcoal. Sodium nitrate can be used, but is slightly inferior. The gunpowder
used in some primers and fuses is made with no sulfur so that it will not
react with chlorates.
Black powder can be bought at gunshops, but it is hard to find, sometimes.
In most locations you need no liscense or permit to but it. The going price is
about $15 a pound. Model rocket engines from Estates, Centuri, and the like
can be cut apart. Grind up the propellant, and you've got gunpowder.
Chlorate/sulfur mixture
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chlorates and sulfur do not get along well together. I have always accepted
this as a proven fact, after almost blowing myself up once, and I don't usually
bother with the mixture. When chlorates and sulfur are mixed they may form
unstable products during storage, and this can be messy.
However, I do have a friend who is a firm believer in this mixture, and I
have seen impressive displays of acoustic vandalism performed with his magical
concoction. He mixes equal volumes of sulfur and finely ground potassium
chlorate and sets the mixture off with a firecracker. In the most successful
attempt I have seen he set off a beer can full of it with a homemade
firecracker which contained about a cherry bomb's equivalent of explosive.
Apparently this works so well because of the mixture's sensitivity to shock.
This guy also likes to melt sulfur and mix in potassium chlorate. Then he
molds the mixture into marble size pellets which exlpode when they are thrown
against a hard surface. Melting this down is not easy as it tends to blow up
shortly after it melts.
Maganese dioxide and gritty particles will make this mixture even more
sensitive.
Match heads
~~~~~~~~~~~
Match heads are the first source of explosive for many juvenile basement
bombers. They will work, but they make a lousy explosive. They don't burn fast
enough, and they are generally deficient in oxygen. The chemicals from safety
matches are not so hazardous, but those from the strike anywhere variety are
very dangerous. They tend to go off when being packed into casings. Cutting
the stuff off the matches is a laborious process.
Nevertheless, kids persistantly will use this composition for fireworks,
bombs, and rockets. A tiny rocket can be made by straregically enveloping a
wooden match head in aluminum foil. This is safe. Bigger rockets are made by
stuffing match heads into carbon dioxide cartridges. This is totally
ineffective if the hole in the rear of the improvised engine is too large. It
is suicide if the hole is small enough for an effective nozzle. This device is
essentially a primitive, unpredictable hand grenade. I have seen on explosde
unexpectedly, and I know many people get hurt or even killed by them.
Perchlorate mixtures
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Perchlorates are more stable than chlorates, and they are compatible with
sulfur. Perchlorates can be substituted for nitrates in just about any
composition. This results in a more powerful and shattering explosive.
My favorite explosive for firecrackers is: Potassium perchlorate 66.6%
Aluminum 16.7%
Sulfur 16.7%
I also like to use it in boosters for large low explosive charges. This is a
pretty sensitive mixture, but it is pretty stable and safe if treated
tactfully.
Ammonium perchlorate is theoretically better than potassium perchlorate
because all the products od combustion are gaseous. It should make a more
powerful explosive mixture, but according to my experience it burns slower if
no booster charge is used. This makes a very powerful explosive:
Ammonium perchlorate 80%
Aluminum 20%
Zinc/sulfur
~~~~~~~~~~~
This mixture is a popular rocket fuel for many amateur rocketeers. It is
very safe, but i would advise treating it with the same care as black powder.
It is widely used even though it has a lousy specific impulse. It is made by
simply mixing: Zinc dust 66.7%
Sulfur 33.3%
Part 3: High Explosives
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The exceptional effectiveness of high exlposives is a resuolt of their
ability to detonate. A detonation is not just a fast burning as in low
explosives. A detonation is practically instantaneous. It travels as a shock
wave through the charge. The explosive is instantly converted into combustion
products at the wave front which travels at the rate of several thousand
meters per second.
Although they are generally more powerful, high explosives are frequently
safer the low explosives [Yeah right]. Dry mercury fulminate is very hazardous,
but TNT can be used as a golf ball without exploding.
All proportions are by mass unless otherwise specified. Temperatures are in
degrees centigrade. Density is in grams/cc.
Ammonium Nitrate d:1.725 mp:169.6 rate of detonation:2500m/sec
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ammonium nitrate is a white compound, frequently in the form od small
pellets. It is very stable, in fact it is very difficult to make it explode. It
can be detonated under high pressure at high temperature. A ship full of it
accidentally blew up on April 16, 1947 and wiped out Texas City. As I
understand it, a fire broke out in the cargo hold of a ship full of ammonium
nitrate. The ship was equipped with a newfangled steam firefighting system
which works pretty well on the average fire. They sealed up the hatches and
started pumping in steam to smother the flames. As I said, ammonium nitrate
can explode at high temperature and pressure. The sealed, steam pressurized
cargo hold made a very effective bomb casing.
Ammonium nitrate can be detonated by subjecting it to a large explosion. A
stick of dynamite will do it. It is harder to detonate when it is densely
packed. Addition of up to 8% carbonaceous material such as wood pulp, oil, or
wax sensitizes ammonium nitrate. Adding 1 to 10% nitroglycerine sensitizes
ammonium nitrate considerably. Sometimes aluminum powder is added. Amatol is
made of 80 to 50% ammonium nitrate and 20 to 50% TNT.
It is used as a fertilizer and in blasting agents. It is also decomposed by
heat to make laughing gas.
Nitrogen tri-iodide contact explosive
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This reddish brown or black compound is the least stable explosive in this
book. Sometimes it can be detonated by brushing it with a feather.
It is made by adding iodine crystals very slowly to ammonia solution. The
precipitated nitrogen tri-iodide is filtered on filter paper. Then it should
be disolved in ether so that it will be relatively safe. Be sure it all
dissolves because any residue may explode at the slightest touch.
This solution can be painted on things so that the ether will evaporate,
leaving the explosive behind. I heard of a plot in the Evabaton, Illinois high
school to paint the faculty johns with this explosive. I don't believe the plan
was executed. A more acceptable trick is to paint a door casing so that it will
bang ferociously when the door is shut.
Cyclonite mp:205ř d:1.8
~~~~~~~~~
Cyclonite is colorless crystals. It is an extreemly powerful explosive and
is very stable. It is more sensitive to percussion than TNT. Cyclonite is made
by slowly adding one part hexamethylene tetramine (hexamine) to 11 parts of
100% nitric acid. This must be stirred vigorously while keeping the temperature
at 30 degrees or less. Then cool the mixture to zero degrees. Stir for 20
minutes and drown it in ice water. It is washed with water to free it from
acid and recrystalized from acetone.
Plastic explosives can be made by mixing about 88 parts cyclonite with 12
parts lubricating oil or some other material like wax.
Lead azide rate of detonation:4500m/sec
~~~~~~~~~~
Pure lead azide is colorless crystals. Dextrinated lead azide is yellowish
white. It is a sensitive high explosive like mercury fulminate, but it is
easier to make, and safer. It is used in detonators, as are fulminates, and it
is a more effective detonator even though it has less explosive power. It can
be stored for 15 months at up to 80ř without decomposition. It is sensitive to
heat, impact, friction, and stab action, but less so than fulminates. Mercury
azide is more sensitive than mercury fulminate.
Crystalline lead azide is made by slow addition of dilute sodium azide to
dilute lead acetate or lead nitrate with constant stirring. Rapid mixing of
more concentrated solutions makes amorphous lead azide, which is more stable.
Dextrinated lead azide is made by adding a solution of sodium azide containing
a little sodium hydroxide to a solution to a solution of lead nitrate or
acetate and dextrin. The precipitated lead azide is washed with water and
stored like mercury fulminate. It should contain at least 20% water when it
is stored.
A friend of mine helped to make and test sine home brewed lead azide. They
made the mistake of making the crystalline form instead of the amorphous form.
It was so unstable as to ignite while being scraped off the filter paper. It
also worked very well. The master mind of the operation was fond of wrapping
the explosive in aluminum foil and setting it on the stove to demonstrate it's
power.
Lead styphnate
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lead styphnate is a fine orange or reddish brown material. It is less
sensitive to impact or friction than lead azide or mercury fulminate but more
sensitive to heat. It explodes loudly when you hit it or throw a spark on it.
Basic lead styphnate can be made by mixing solutions of lead acetate and
sodium or magnesium styphnate. This is pretty worthless as an explosive, but
it can be made into the normal salt by treatment with dilute nitric acid. The
normal salt can also be made by treating a solution of lead nitrate with
sodium styphnate in the presence of acetic acid. The normal salt is used in
blasting caps. It can be stored under water or under a mixture of water and
alcohol.
Mercury fulminate d:4.42 rate of detonation:4500m/sec
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pure mercury fulminate is white, but in it's usual form it is gray crystals.
It is very sensitive to impact, friction, stab action and heat. It is usually
stored soaking wet in cloth bags under water or wet sawdust. It should be
stored at 20 degrees or below to prevent decompositionm but 99.75% pure
fulminate should last for a couple years at 50ř. Here is how it's made:
One part of mercury is added to 8-10 parts of nitric acid (68%). The mixture
is kept at 55-60ř overnight in a water bath until all the mercury is disolved
and the solution turns green. It may not actually take this long. Then the
mixture is slowly added to 8-10 parts of 95% ethyl alcohol in a cold water
bath. White fumes will form. They are toxic and flammable. If colored nitrogen
oxide fumes appear, the reaction is slowed down by adding more alcohol. After
1« hours the mixture is cooled to room temperature and the crystallized
fulminate is filtered out. The product is washed with cold water to remove
left over acid and impurities. The yield is about 120 parts per 100 parts of
mercury if you're lucky.
Mercury fulminate is a likely candidate for home synthesis because the acid
used is only 68% nitric acid and 32% water. This is the approximate
concentration of most commercial nitric acid, and it can be bought much more
easily than pure acid. Most explosives require more concentrated acid.
Nitrocellulose rate of detonation:5500m/sec (wet);7300m/sec (dry guncotton)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nitrocellulose is a fibrous white solid resembling the cotton or wood pulp
cellulose from which it was made. It is used in manufacturing laquers,
plastics, gunpowder, and gelatin type dynamites. I would not tend to trust
homemade nitrocellulose because it's stability is very dependant on purity.
Impure nitrocellulose explodes whenever it takes notion, not just when you
tell it to.
There are different grades of nitrocellulose, depending on the degree of
nitration. The biggest and baddest is guncotton, made with 25% nitric acid,
64% sulfuric acid, and 11% water. A lesser degree of nitration is achieved
with 35% nitric, 45% sulfuric, and 20% water. About five parts of mixed acid
is used for every part cellulose. The cellulose, as dry as possible, is rapidly
dunked under the acid and stirred for about 30 minutes to prevent local
overheating. Then the product is seperated in a centrifuge and dumped into a
tub of water. It is purified by washing and boiling it in several changes of
water and dilute sodium carbonate until it doesn't turn blue litmus paper pink.
An alternate method is to mix 125 grams of potassium nitrate with 160mL of
98% sulfuric acid. When this is cooled, add 120 grams of cotton. Then proceed
as in the previous synthesis.
The ingredients in both syntheses should be as pure as possible. Impure
nitrocellulose has been known to explode during storage. It is much safer if it
is stored wet with water or alcohol. It will work when it is wet, but it is
harder to detonate when it contains water.
Most smokeless powder contains nitrocellulose. One might use this powder
with nitroglycerine to make blasting gelatin. Smokeless powders usually
consist of high nitrated cellulose (guncotton) whereas low nitrated cellulose
is preferable for gelatinizing nitroglycerine. You can buy smokeless powder
at sporting goods stores for about $24 a pound. You don't usually need any kind
of liscense.
Small unconfined quantities of nitrocellulose can burn quietly, but it can
be easily detonated with a blasting cap. According to Abbie Hoffman, black
powder is superior to smokeless powder for making bombs. This is generally
true, but he really doesn't know shit about the technology of explosives. I
heard of one guy who pressed smokeless powder into a pipe with a hydraulic
jack. I believe he used a cherry bomb as a primer in this pipe bomb. The
results were reportedly spectacular.
Nitroglycerine mp:13ř d:1.59 rate of detonation:8000m/sec
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nitroglycerine, a dearly beloved explosive to many, is a clear oily liquid.
It is frequently yellow because of impurities. It generally fumes when it's
container is opened. The fumes can cause headaches. It is very unstable to heat
and shock. It is more stable at low temperatures and most stable when frozen,
however while in the process of thawing it is most unstable. Under some
conditions it may freeze in a liable form at 2.2 degrees. This form will
gradually change to the more stble form.
Nitro is miscible with acetone, ther, benzene, chloroform, nitrobenzene,
acetic acid, and methonal. It mixes very well with nitrocellulose as in some
flashless gunpowders. Nitro can be carried much more safely by mixing 30 parts
nitro with 70 parts acetone. Acetone can be evaporated in the air to recover
the nitro, or adding lots of water will make nitro seperate.
Nitro is made by slowly adding 1 part of glycerine to 4.3 parts mixed acid.
Do this real slow: a drop at a time. This anhydrous acid is half nitric and
half sulfuric. It is constantly stirred and cooled to 25ř or les. This reaction
liberates lots of heat. White fumes may be given off. This is OK, but if red
fumes are evolved the whole charge should be immediately dumped into a large
drowning tank full of water. Mistakes are expensive. Keep the acid in an ice
bath while you add the glycerine. If the temperature rises to 30ř, dump it in
the drowning tank. After the addition is complete the mixture is stirred and
cooled to 15ř. The nitro will float to the top and can be removed (carefully).
It contains about 10% acid. Mixing it with water removes most of the acid.
After settling out the nitroglycerine is washed additional times with water
and 2% sodium carbonate solution until the nitro is neutral to litmus. That is,
if it turns blue litmus paper pink, keep washing. The purified product looks
milky because of water content. It should turn clear in storage. If it gives
off red fumes, it should be dumped immediately, if not sooner.
Nitro is mixed with materials such as kieselguhr to make dynamite. 40%
dynamite is equivalent to 40% nitro and 60% inert material like kieselguhr.
Dynamite is relatively safe when it is in good condition, but if it decomposes
it may become very dangerous. Common signs of deterioration are excessive
hardness or softness, dicoloration, leakiness, or crystals forming on the
ouside of the casing.
Nitroglycerine as such is easily detonated with a fuse if it is confined.
Dynamite is not so easily detonated and requires a detonator of lead azide or
something. When dynamite is simply lit, it ordinarily will burn quietly with a
bluish flame.
Blasting gelatin is made of 88 to 92 parts nitroglycerine and 12 to 8 parts
nitrocellulose mixed together and warmed to form a jelly-like mass.
I know of a couple friends who made nitro once. I suspect their mistake was
in adding the glycerine too fast, and in not purifying the product. They soaked
up the nitroglycerine with cotton and put it in a carboard tube. Then one of
the pair took it out in the country where he could safely test it. I suspect
that the excess acid in the product may have nitrated the cotton cellulose to
make impure unstable nitrocellulose. Actually, the explosive worked very well,
and it went off in the guy's car when he drove over the railroad tracks. He
was only slightly burned, but I hear he is out of the bomb business now.
Nitroguanidine d:1.72 mp:232ř
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nitroguanidine is a white solid. It is about as powerful as TNT and very
insensitive. It is harder to detonate than TNT.
Nitroguanidine can be made by dehydrating guanidine nitrate with sulfuric
acid. This is done by cooling 500 mL of 95% sulfuric acid on ice and adding
400 grams of dry guanidine nitrate. The acid should be stirred, and the nitrate
should be added slowly so that the temperature stays below 10ř. As soon as the
nitrate dissolves, pour the mixture into 3 liters of crushed ice and water.
Keep it cold until the nitroguanidine precipitates out. The explosive can be
filtered off, washed with cold water, and purified by recrystalizing from
water.
Pentaerythritol tetranitrate mp:141ř d:1.77 rate of detonation:8300m/sec
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This explosive is used in detonators and as a bursting charge. It is les
sensitive than nitroglycerine, but it is the most sensitive explosive used as
a military bursting charge. It is 1« times as powerful as TNT.
It is made by nitrating pentaerythritol with 95% nitric acid. One part of
pentaerythritol is added to 4« parts of acid whilst keeping the temperature at
20-23ř. After mixing they should be stirred for 20 minutes before being dumped
into about 10 parts of water. The explosive can be filtered out and washed with
water. Then it should sit in dilute sodium carbonate solution to neutralize
acid before filtering and washing in water again. If you're a real nut for
purity, then more acid can be neutralized by dissolving PETN in acetone at 50ř
with a little sodium bicarbonate. It can be recovered by adding cold water to
the acetone. Then the acetone should be washed out of the explosive with water.
This is a sensitive explosive and should be stored wet with water, like
lead azide or mercury fulminate.
Picric acid mp:122ř rate of detonation:7250m/sec
~~~~~~~~~~~
Picric acid is a yellow, crystalline, extremely bitter compound. It ignites
at 260ř. It is very stable and powerful explosive, much like TNT. In fact,
their chemical structers are almost identical. It combines with many metals
such as lead and iron to form sensitive explosive salts. This can cause
problems if it is kept in a metal container. Picric acid is used as a yellow
dye and as a chemical reagent. It can be bought from many chemical companies.
It is made by first sulfonating phenol by pourin 1 part of hot molten
phenol into 4 parts of sulfuric acid. The mixture is kept at 95ř and stirred
occasionally for 6 hours. The phenol sulfonate is then mixed with nitric acid
with vigorous stirring. Two parts nitric acid is used for every part of phenol.
This is started at 20ř and the temperature is allowed to gradually rise to 70
or 80 degrees. It is agitated for a couple hours. The picric acid is then mixed
with water, filtered off, and washed with water to remove acid.
Ammonium picrate is a stable, safe explosive made by mixing picric acid with
hot water in which it will not dissolve, and adding ammonia. 74.8 grams of
ammonium picrate is soluable in 100 grams of water at 101 degrees, but only 1
gram is soluble at 20ř, so the picrate formed will dissolve and recrystallize
on cooling. Ammonium picrate will not react with metals to form dangerous salts
as picric acid will. Ammonium picrate is comparable to TNT in stability and
power.
Tetranitromethane d:1.65 mp:14.2ř bp:126.7ř
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tetranitromethane is an ultra-hairy compound. The pure compound is
colorless. It is volatile, and the fumes are poisonous. It is stable and
considerably safer than nitoglycerine. It is not so stable in the presence of
moisture or even damp air, and it should be kept high and dry in a tightly
closed bottle. As one can see from the formula, it has lots of extra oxygen.
When it is mixed with a fuel such as alcohol, toluene, or ether, it becomes a
very powerful and hazardous explosive. 40 grams of tetan and 10 grams of dry
alcohol will make a lot of noise. Once 15 grams of tetranitromethane-toluene
mixture exploded in a lab, killing 10 people and injuring 20. These compounds
are stable before they are mixed, however.
Tetan can be made like this:
Put 150 mL of ice cold fuming nitric acid (specific gravity 1.52; this is
super strong acid) in a flask with glass chips in the bottom. Pack the flask
in ice and add 325 mL of acetic anhyride slowly while keeping the temperature
at 15-20ř. Let the stuff sit for a long time; up to a couple weeks. Keep it on
ice all the time. Then add 1.5 liters od cold water and seperate the oily goop
from the bottom. This is crude tetan. This should be washed with cold 5% sodium
carbonate solution and then with cold water. Then it should be dried with
sodium sulfate.
Trinitrotoluene mp:70-80ř d:1.65 rate of detonation:6950m/sec
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TNT is a very stable explosive yelloe crystalline compound. If an unconfined
pile of TNT is lit it will burn with a hot and smokey flame, but won't explode.
As much as a ton of TNT has been known to burn away quitely. You can fire a
rifle bullet through it or hit it with a hammer without detonating it. It can
be detonated with other explosives such as lead azide or mercury fulminate.
Crystals of TNT are more sensitive than cast TNT. It is about equivalent to 40%
dynamite in power. Amatol is made by mixing 50 to 80 parts ammonium nitrate
with 50 to 20 parts TNT. TNT melts at about 75ř, so TNT or amatol can be melted
and cast into casings. Whereas TNT is oxygen deficient and produces a lot of
smoke, amatol is smokeless.
TNT is generally made by the three stage nitration of toluene. First,
mononitrotoluene is made by mixing 100 parts toluene with 170 parts acid. This
acid is 2 parts nitric (70% concentration) and 3 parts sulfuric (100%). They
are mixed gradually and stirred below 30ř. When the temperature no longer tends
to rise, the mixture sets for 30 minutes and seperates. The mononitrotoluene
is seperated and 100 parts of it is mixed with 215 parts of acid. (1 part pure
nitric and 2 parts pure sulfuric) The temperature is kept at 60 to 70ř while
they are slowly mixed. The temperature is raised to 90-100ř and it is stirred
at this temperature fo half an hour. Then the mixture is seperated. 100 parts
of the seperated dinitotoluene is added to 225 parts of 20% oleum (pure
sulfuric acid with 20% extra dissolved sulfur trioxide) and 65 parts pure
nitric acid. They are heated to 95 degrees for an hour and then to 120 degrees
for 1« hours. After sitting a while, the TNT is seperated and sloshed around
in hot water to remove acid, and then it is dried. It can be purified by
soaking the powder in alcohol or benzene or a similar solvent to dissolve
impurities or by recrystallizing it from the same solvents.
TNT and other insensitive explosives should not be stored with sensitive
explosives which may detonate them.
Part 4: Miscellaneous
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Casings
~~~~~~~
Many high exlosives and all low explosives work best when properly
confined. Most commercial fireworks have paper casings. One can roll black cat
type firecrackers much like one rolls a joint. I never had need to roll a
joint, but i believe my experience at rolling firecrackers would be valuable
if i were to start smoking.
More substantial casings can be made by rolling paper around a dowel rod
and gluing. Ends can be folded over and glued or plugged. Some people sell
good paper casings. Expended model rocket engine casings work well. If you're
going to punch a hole for the fuse, do this before adding the explosive, ok?
Fiber tape is safe and effective for reenforcing casings. This tape is really
strong in only one direction, so wrap the casing twice so that the fibres
cross. Cloth or plastic tape can help, too, but fiber tape is the best.
The charge should completely fill the casing. Most explosives work better
when densely packed [bullshit!]. The principle is to get the particles of
explosive as close together as possible, so the whole charge will ignite as
instantly as possible. The theoretically perfect casing is a sphere in which
th charge is ignited at the center. Putting the fuse in the middle of a long
casing, instead of at the end, can decrease burning time by 50%.
In general, a stronger casing means a bigger bang. The ultimate casing is a
steel pip with screwed on end caps. An expended carbon dioxide cartridge makes
a good casing. While paper casings are pretty safe, metal ones are prone to
throw shrapnel. Any bomb with a metal casing should be respected as equivalent
to a hand granade. Wrapping a small bomb in several layers of cloth helps to
stop shrapnel. Metal can throw sparks, so if you're going to pack the stuff,
pack it with a wooden rod.
I have seen bomb casings made or root beer extract bottles, olive jars,
match cases, and stoneware clay. All of these casings worked with varying
efficiency, and they all have the potential of throwing shrapnel. The clay
casings contained about five grams of waxless Berge's Blasting powder. Pieces
of clay became embedded in boards 5 feet away when it was tested.
Chokno
~~~~~~
Chokno is a cheap mixture that I always like to have on hand. It is simply
a 1 to 1 mixture of potassium nitrate and sugar. It burns very hot and
produces a considerable amount of smoke. One can use it in smoke bombs and as
a priming charge to start some less sensitive charge burning. I have never
known chokno to explode [i have]. It can be melted down (carefully) and cooled
into a solid mass. It must be stirred while being melted to prevent local
overheating. This can be done more safely by melting down the sugar
seperately. Then the heat source can be removed, and the nitrate can quickly
mixed in before the mixture cools.
I have used Chokno to propel minature torpedoes, but the smoke looks like
hell for the water ecology, so I don't recommend this if you want to stay on
friendly terms with the fish.
Detonators
~~~~~~~~~~
Many high explosives such as dynamite and TNT are insensitive enough as to
require initiation by another explosive if they are to detonate properly. These
explosives are detonated by blasting caps in all blasting operations. Blasting
caps consist of a metal tube containing a sensitive high explosive like lead
azide, tetryl, PETN, of lead styphnate, and either a fuse or electric firing
device. The cap is inserted in the charge to be fired and detonated electically
or with the fuse crimped into the end of the cap.
Like any other explosive, blasting caps should be kept cool, and dry, and
they should no be stored with other explosives. Electric caps are especially
dangerous. When they are used in the ground they can be set off by stray
electric currents from underground electric equipment or lousy insulation. The
waves from nerby radio transmitters may set them off.
Some blasting agents, like ammonium nitrate, are so difficult to detonate
that they require a larger detonator than a blasting cap. They may be set off
by a stick of dynamite which is in turn detonated by a blasting cap.
The effeciency of many low explosives can be enhanced by using a booster
charge similat to a detonator. A charge of some explosive like Berge's blasting
powder can be set off very effectively by putting a cherry bomb, M-80, or
equivalent in the center. The fuse to the booster has to be wrapped in several
layers of tape or something to prevent the main charge from going off first,
course. This will result in a more instantaneous, more shattering, and louder
explosion.
The pipe bomb shown here contains a very fast burning explosive in the
center. The flash from this explosive instantly ignited the slower explosive.
The two fuse holes were staggered so as not to weaken the pipe in any one spot.
When this bomb was testedm it was buried to prevent any danger from shrapnel.
This safety measure was effective, but rather disappointing because the dirt
muffled the sound of the explosion. Instead of an earsplitting "BLAM", we got
a stifled "poof".
Drying
~~~~~~
Chemicals that contain a small amount of water can be dried with anhydrous
hyroscopic chemicals. A little sodium or potassium hydroxide, calcium carbide,
or anhydrous sodium sulfate can be simply dumped into a liquid or solution
with which it won't react to dry it out. Sodium sulfate is usually best for
not reacting with most chemicals, including explosives. Usually the drying
agent should sit in the liquid for several hours.
Another way is to put a chemical, usually a solid, to be dried in a closed
container with, but not in contact with, one of these drying agents. Once a
huge firecracker of mine with a paper casing was damp and refused to go off.
After sitting overnight in a flask with a few grams of calcium carbide, it was
dry and magnificiently loud.
Larger quantities of water will evaporate from most solid chemicals in the
open air. The atmospheric drying can be sped up by putting the chemical in an
oven or under a heat lamp, but remember that explosives tend to be heat
sensitive. Putting the chemical in a vacuum apparatus may help.
Flares
~~~~~~
Flares come in two basic kinds; illuminating and signalling. Signalling
flares use some fuel as aluminum, magnesium, sugar, charcoal, or sulfur mixed
with an oxygen provider like a nitrate or chlorate. A coloring agent can be
added, or the oxidant can give color. A sodium compound gives yellow light,
barium gives green, strontium gives red, and arsenic gives blue. Zinc dust
gives a green light.
Illuminating flares almost always use magnesium or aluminum. A 1 to 1
mixture of aluminum dust with potassium nitrate makes a good bright flare, as
well as being a decent flash powder. The composition can be stuck together
and desensitised with soft wax, glycerine, oil, or anything that will stick.
After was or any other desensitising binder is added, these compositions are
hard to ignite, so igniting composition like gunpowder is needed.
Flash powder
~~~~~~~~~~~~
The essential ingrdient of flash powder is aluminum or magnesium dust,
which burns very hot and bright. One part magnesium or aluminum mixed with one
to two parts oxidizing agent such as potassium nitrate or potassium
perchlorate makes good flash powder.
The purpose of flash powder is to create a brilliant burst of light. It can
also work as an explosive, so beware! A trick used by many special effects
people to create a flash on stage is to remove the glass from the top of an
electric fuse and stuff the cavity with flash powder. The fuse is screwed into
a socket, and when the socket is turned on the fuse blows and ignites the
powder to create a bright and harmless flash. A friend of mine worked in a
theater in Woodstock, Illinois, and he told me about this trick. One day their
adventuresome special effects man decided to replace the glass top on the fuse,
thinking it would just blow off harmlessly. The result was an efficient
anti-personnel bomb which showered the stage with glass and shredded the
curtains. This is an example of the potential of flash powder when it is
confined in a strong casing. No one was hurt, but it was an unexpectedly
expensive experiment.
Fuse
~~~~
Fuse comes in all kinds. The traditional firecracker fuse is simply a
twisted strip of tissue paper holding ground black powder. You will find this
fuse on most firecrackers, skyrockets, and other fireworks. It is easy to
light, but it is not very dependable, especially in damp weather.
Jetex makes a similar fuse. Jetex fuse, or Jet Wicks, are thin metal wires
coated with flammable chemicals. They are designed for use with Jetex toy
propellant engines, and can be bought at many hobby shops. This is lousy fuse
for pyrotechincs and explosives. It is expensive, and the chemicals are prone
to fallings off the wire.
The best fuse money can buy is safety fuse, or cannon fuse. According to my
nitroglycerine friend, red cannon fuse is superior to green cannon fuse, but I
have never detected any appreciable difference. This fuse consists of black
powder wrapped in a waterproof fabric sheath. It is about 2.5 mm thick and
resembles old fashioned electrical wire. This fuse will burn underground,
underwater, and in strong winds. If it is sharply bent, however, it may stop.
It tends to dissolve in, and thereby be rendered useless by gasoline and
similar solvents.
A detonating fuse called primacord is used in blasting. It consists of high
explosive PETN wrapped in a waterproof covering similar to safety fuse.
Primacord is usually yellow or black. It is set off by a detonator, and it
detonates at a rate of 8000 meters per second or more. It is used to detonate
several charges simulataneously.
I have made fuse with a mixture of 10 parts molasses, 10 parts potassium
chlorate, and 1 part potassium dicromate. This composition will stick to a
string to make a passable fuse, but it is not very satisfactory because it is
so sensitive to atmospheric moisture. A more dependable, faster burning fuse
can be made by diluting straight molex, with water and soaking a cotton string
in it.
Another technique is to soak paper or string in a solution of some oxidizing
agent like potassium nitrate or chlorate. This is most suited as a time delay
fuse. A cigarette makes a fair ten minute delay fuse.
One can make fuse by dipping string in glue and then in gunpowder or a
similar composition. This fuse can be made waterproof by the skillful
application of tape. Abbie Hoffman recommends tying a rock to the end of this
fuse and dropping it in the gas tank of a cop car. This impresses me as being
a rather unethical practice as well as being physically dangerous.
Your fuse should give you plenty of time to get to safety, but sometimes a
fuse which is very long may give some unconcerned dumb-fuck time to stumble
upon your explosion. If you are making a bomb which is very important to you,
it might be wise to use two fuses, side by side. No fuse is foolproof. Keep
your fuse dry.
Gasses
~~~~~~
One can make rather impressive explosions with gasses. If you have an
acetylene welding rig and are desperate for a cheap thrill try this. Fill one
balloon with oygen, one with acetylene, and one with both gasses. Then touch a
flame to each one. You should get a pop, a firery poof, and a BANG,
respectively.
Bombs can be made with containers (balloons, coffee cans, or whatever) full
of any flammable gas and air or oxygen. They are, naturally, bulky for their
power and impractical for anything but non-pragmatic experiments. One trick I
learned from my father (who was a minister, a very peaceful, thoughtful person,
and a terrific guy) was to put calcium carbide in a metal can with a
recloseable top. When you spit on the carbide it releases acetylene gas. You
put the lid on and hold a match next to the holw which you have previously
punched in the side of the can. This can result in a very satisfying bang. It
can also conceivably result in flying pieces of tin can and a singed body.
Hydrogen is another very reactive gas. Remember the Hindenburg? You can get
hydrogen by dumping sulfuric acid on iron or steel, or hydrochloric acid on
zinc or magnesium. You can also get it by dumping sodium hydroxide solution on
aluminum. This diagram shows the apparatus i used for filling hydrogen balloons
in college. I didn't realize it, but although the chemicals and hydrogen were
legal, I was committing a felony simply by posessing the syringe.
Hydrogen is lighter than air, and it makes balloons float. Acetylene and
natural gas float, too, but not as well. An aquaintance of mine used to amuse
himself by launching garbage bags full of natural gas by O'Hare airport in
Chicago.
Electric ignition
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Most commercial blasting is done electrically. An electric blasting cap
contains a high resistance wire which heats and fires a sensitive explosive
when current passes through it. This current is supplied by a hand generator
or a battery.
Model rocket manufacturers insist that the only safe way to set off model
rocket engines is electically. This is bullshit. However electric ignition is
pretty effective if it's done right. Instead of fuse, an uninsulated high
resistance wire is placed inside the charge. This wire should be pretty short;
a centimeter at the most. Highly conductive wires (like copper) should lead
from the ends of this heating wire to the outside of the charge. You will need
a minimum of six volts to fire this device. A car battery is good. If you want
to be sure there is no power deficiency, you can plug it directly into an AC
outlet, but one is usually not available. Such power overkill is intresting.
The wire iteslf explodes with a shower of sparks. Disconnect the system
immediately after the blast to avoid blowing fuses or burning out wires. You
can use electric ignition to set off several charges simultaneously. Connect
them in parallelm not in series. Remember, more charges means you need more
current.
You can get high resistance wires made of nicrome or some similar metal from
old toasters, wire resisters, etc. Model rocket companies sell nichrome
igniters.
Nerve gas
~~~~~~~~~
These nerve gasses cause a sudden loss of sense of muscular control. A large
dose is instantaneously fatal. Hydrogen cyanide can be dissolved in water to
make hydrocyanide acid which is very poisonous and has a bitter almond smell.
If these gasses are to be made, it should be done outside or under a laboratory
hood.
Hydrogen cyanide can be made by adding sulfuric acid to sodium cyanide.
Cyanogen gas, can be made by adding sodium cyanide solution to coppper
sulfate solution.
All cyanides are very poisonous, so keep your fingers out of them. Avoid
getting the slightest smell of these gasses.
Pyrotechnic cement
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This cement can be used where a fireproof adhesive or putty type goop is
required. Mix equal parts of calcium carbonate ans zinc oxide. Thes can be
stored indefinately after mixing. Then add sodium silicate soultion (water
glass, gettable at a few drug stores). This should be the concentrated syrupy
stuff, not the watery kind used as a label adhesive. The consistency of the
cement depends on how much sodium silicate you add. After this is added it
will clump up and harden, so it should be used soon. You can water it down to
make it runny, and it will come off if it is soaked in water.
Recrystallization
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This technique is used to purify chemicals. The chemical is dissolved in a
minimum amount of hot solvent. Then the solution is cooled and the chemical
crystalizes out of solution. When it is filtered much of the impurities will
stay in the solvent and be disposed of.
Smoke bombs
~~~~~~~~~~~
There are many ways to make smoke bombs. Just a bunch of matches rolled up
in a wad of paper can be effective. Chockno makes a good smoke bomb.
A very potent smoke bomb can be made with carbon tetrachloride and zinc
dust. Here's one formula: Carbon tetrachloride 40%
Zinc dust 40%
Potassium chlorate 20%
I have also found it to be rather unstable one say, and I haven't mixed any
more since then. A similar formula is: Carbon tetrachloride 45%
Zinc Oxide 45%
Aluminum 10%
The reason these mixtures work so well is that ther form zinc chloride
particles. These particles suck up water from the air to become larger and
more opaque.
Phosphorus is used in smoke bombs. It produces a white cloud of hygroscopic
phosphorus pentoxide. Phosphorus is dangerous and expensive.
It is easy to produce a cloud of harmless smoke by heating ammonium chloride
over a flame. Ammonium chloride won't burn, but it decomposes easily when
heated.
Spontaneous combustion
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Spontaneous combustion is well worth knowing about. It can be used in fancy
igniting devices by the clever gadgeteer. A knowledge of spontaneous combustion
can also prevent the experimental mixing of the wrong chemicals.
1. A few drops of glycerine dumped onto a pile of potassium permanganate will
burst into flames in a few seconds.
2. Lithium, sodium, and potassium will react violently with water to form a
hydroxide and hydrogen gas. If the sodium is held in one place on the water,
or if the piece is big enough, the hydrogen will ignite or exlpode. I once
conversed with a college counsellor who in his younger days was found of
throwing a whole pound of sodium into the river and watching it explode. This
always got a hasty reaction from the populus of the community. My only personal
objection to this practice is that the sodium hydroxide formed is hell for the
fish, ducks, or anything in the water.
Potassium is more violent than sodium and invariably explodes on contact
with water. These metals all float.
3. Sulfur 20%
Zinc dust 40%
Ammonium nitrate 20%
Ammonium chloride 20%
This mixture will emit ammonia gas and catch fire when ater is added. Bear in
mind that ammonium nitrate is a deliquescent compound; that is, it sucks up
water from the air. Therefore this mixture will go off if it is left uncapped
on a humid day.
4. An Equal weight of aluminum dust and iodine crystals will ignite when water
is added.
5. White phosphorous catches fire when it is exposed to warm air. Phosphorus
can be dissolved in a small bottle of carbon disulfide. When the bottle is
broken the carbon disulfide evaporates and the phosphorus ignites it.
6. Pyrophoric lead is a finely divided lead powder which ignites spontaneously
in air, when it works. When it doesn't work it just sits there. It is made by
decomposing lead tartrate by heating it in a test tube. Lead tartrate can be
made by mixing solutions of lead acetate and tartaric acid. The precipitated
lead tartrate can be filtered out and dried.
7. A mixture of potassium chlorate and a fuel such as sugar will ignite on
contact with concentrated sulfuric acid.
Stink bombs
~~~~~~~~~~~
Sulfur is the staple of many stink bombs. A mixture of sulfur and an
oxidizing agent like potassium nitrate will release noxious sulfur dioxide gas.
A mixture of sulfur and wax will emit hydogen sulfide when it is heated, which
smells like rotten eggs. One can even buy sulfur candles. These are essentially
candles made with sulfur instead of wax. They are used to fumigate buildings
because when they burn they emit an enormous quantity of sulfur dioxide.
The old German stink bomb is made by mixing an ounce of sulfur, and ounce
of potassium sulfide, and an ounce of calcium hydroxide (slaked lime) with a
quart of wtaer and boiling the mixture down to a pint. When a vial of this
mixture is thrown in a fire it gives off a nauseating gas.
Thermit
~~~~~~~
Thermit is a mixture of aluminum and iron oxide powder used in welding and
incendiary devices. It is about: Iron Oxide 75%
Aluminum 25%
It burns with intense heat, leaving a mass of molten iron and aluminum oxide
slag. A thermit bomb will burn through or melt just about anything. I heard of
a bunch of vandalous fraternity members whom once set thermit bombs under the
wheels of a trolly car, thereby welding it to the tracks.
Thermit is hard to ignite and requires a hot igniting charge. I have found
that the following mixture makes a fast burning fake thermite that is pretty
easy to ignite: Manganese dioxide 66.7%
Aluminum 33.3%
Magnesium or aluminum powder can react spontaneously with wet manganese
dioxide, so a combination thereof should not be stored. A nitrate is much
safer as an oxidant. Better safe than incinerated.
Vacuum distillation
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A vacuum distillation apparatus is the essential apparatus for making pure
nitric of perchloric acid. It is not hard to set up or use. With a hand vacuum
pump from Edmund, Educational Modules, or some other company you can pull a
sufficient vacuum to make pure nitric acid. A better pump is necessary to make
the most concentrated fuming acid. Just create as much vacuum as possible with
your pump, then start boiling. An all glass thermometer is preferable;
especially when boiling acid. Very volatile liquids can be boiled this way at
room temperature. This is safer for flammable chemicals then boiling them at
atmospheric pressure.
Washing
~~~~~~~
Chemicals can be washed by dumping them into the washing liquid, usually
water, and mixing them up. Then a solid can be filtered out or a liquid can be
poured off after the liquid phases seperate.
A solid can be left in filter paper in a funnel and washed by pouring water
through the filter paper and chemical.
Distilled water is preferable to tap water for synthesis and washing. Rain
is a cheap source of fine distilled water.
Sources of supplies
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There are lots of companies who sell chemicals only to other corporations.
The solution is obvious: start your own company. You can get letterheads
printed up at any print shop. The country is full of one man corporations.
Because chemicals are sometimes hard to buy, people are sometimes compelled
to rip them off. Please have compassion for the rightful owner of these
supplies. If you must steal, do so in moderation, and leave an appropriate
compensation when applicable. After reading this book, you should be able to
make or almost honestly buy all the pyrotechnic goodies you ever want.
I should also make add a note on the sources of information. There are many
books available about explosives. Ninety percent of these do not tell the
average bomber what he wants to know. The only other book that I recommend is
THE ANARCHIST COOKBOOK by William Powell. Because of the useful nature of this
book, it is hard to find, but is worth reading if you can get it.
Bibliography
~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE ANARCHIST COOKBOOK, William Powell, Lyle Stewart, Secaucus, NJ, 1971.
BRITISH TEXTBOOK OF EXPLOSIVES, Donald B.McLean, Normount Technical
Publications, 1969.
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY, Interscience Encyclopedia, inc., NY, 1947.
HANDBOOK OF CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS, CRC Press, 1947.
HANDBOOK OF DANGEROUS MATERIALS, N.Irving Sax, Reinhold Publishing Corporation,
NY, 1947.