Ammonium nitrate is a chemical that exists in multiple concentrations and physical forms. It is principally used as
an agricultural fertilizer
, in the manufacturing of first aid products (such as cold packs), and explosives used in the mining and construction industries.
What is ammonium nitrate commonly used for?
Ammonium nitrate has the chemical formula NH4NO3. Produced as small porous pellets, or “prills”, it’s one of the world’s most widely used
fertilisers
. It is also the main component in many types of mining explosives, where it’s mixed with fuel oil and detonated by an explosive charge.
Is ammonium nitrate used in explosives?
Compared to most combustible materials, ammonium
nitrate itself is not exceptionally explosive
. But the compound can contribute to explosions because it belongs to a chemical class known as oxidizers.
Is ammonium nitrate used in weapons?
Although many common chemicals potentially can be used to make explosives into terrorist bombs, ammonium nitrate is by far the most accessible ingredient. … The most frequently used materials are
commercial “low explosives
,” such as gunpowder and fillers commonly found in fireworks.
Is ammonium nitrate illegal?
The
sale of pure ammonium nitrate has been banned in countries
such as Australia, Germany, Ireland, Pakistan, and the United Kingdom, whereas India has reclassified it as an explosive, which has tightened regulations related to handling and storage. This has negatively impacted consumption growth on a global level.
What happens when you mix water and ammonium nitrate?
Ammonium nitrate consists of ionic bonds packed tightly together. When it comes into contact with water, the
polar water molecules interfere with those ions and eventually make them disperse
. It takes energy to do this, which is absorbed from the surroundings and makes the solution cold.
Is ammonium nitrate a good fertilizer?
Ammonium nitrate is
a popular fertilizer
since it provides half of the N in the nitrate form and half in the ammonium form. … Animal farmers like it for pasture and hay fertilization since it’s less susceptible to volatilization losses than urea-based fertilizers when left on the soil surface.
Can Ceric ammonium nitrate?
| Names | Related compounds Ammonium nitrate Cerium(IV) oxide |
|---|
Is ammonium nitrate a salt?
Ammonium nitrate, (NH
4
NO
3
),
a salt of ammonia and nitric acid
, used widely in fertilizers and explosives.
Is calcium ammonium nitrate explosive?
Calcium ammonium nitrate has seen use in
improvised explosives
. … Due to these bans, “Potassium chlorate — the stuff that makes matches catch fire — has surpassed fertilizer as the explosive of choice for insurgents.”
Why is ammonium nitrate so powerful?
Once a temperature of 170 C is reached, ammonium nitrate
starts breaking down
, emitting nitrous oxide, better known as laughing gas. Any sudden ignition causes ammonium nitrate to decompose directly into water, nitrogen and oxygen, which explains the enormous explosive power of the salt.
Can ammonium nitrate explode without fuel?
What is ammonium nitrate? The chemical compound is a white salt and an oxidizer — it fuels fires by supplying oxygen. Without a detonator,
pure ammonium nitrate does not explode
, which is why it is considered safe to use as an agricultural fertilizer.
What are the dangers of ammonia?
Exposure to high concentrations of ammonia in air causes
immediate burning of the eyes, nose, throat and respiratory tract
and can result in blindness, lung damage or death. Inhalation of lower concentrations can cause coughing, and nose and throat irritation.
Why is ammonium nitrate illegal?
Some countries have banned ammonium nitrate
as a fertilizer because it has been used by militant bomb-makers
and since Tuesday’s blast, some governments have been urged to relocate stockpiles. … explosives adviser, said few countries make ammonium nitrate but many use it, often importing it by sea.
Is ammonium nitrate controlled?
Ammonium nitrate is
regulated under two sections of EPCRA
, Sections 311 and 312.
Is ammonium nitrate a strong acid?
Ammonium nitrate is an ionic salt made up of the ammonium cation (NH
4
)
+
and the nitrate anion (NO
3
)
–
. … This salt is
acidic in nature
since it is derived from a weak base (NH
3
) and a strong acid (HNO
3
).
