chemistary 101
A Good Explosive Recipe
HMTD
WARNING: HMTD is dangerous and sensitive to FRICTION, SHOCK, HEAT OR FLAME.
Handle with great care !! Even wet HMTD is dangerous and will detonate with
ease.This is a dangerous explosive! If this explosive is let to sit in the
sun, IT WILL DETONATE! If you do not have experience with explosives DO NOT
MAKE THIS.
Due to the extreme sensitivity to heat, shock, and friction make HMTD a poor
choice for the lesser skilled chemist.
Information on HMTD:
HMTD is a very unstable primary explosive compound that can be made from
hexamethylenetetramine, hydrogen peroxide, and citric acid.
With this explosive it is possible to create a blasting cap. This primary
shock wave will detonate the base charge in the caps. The base charge of the
cap is normally R.D.X. or some other high explosive. The base charge needs
to be powerful and stable, but still sensitive to the primary detonation
wave. The 6700 M/sec. plus base charge detonation velocity, will set off the
main charge.
HMTD is a high performance initiating explosive. It is one of the better
initiating explosives but has some definite drawbacks. HMTD is not stable at
even slightly elevated temperatures. Room temperature will even cause a
decrease in performance with storage time. As one would imagine, due to the
extreme excess of oxygen, the corrosion of metals in contact with the
peroxide is a problem. The metals that will cause problems are aluminum,
zinc, antimony, brass, copper, lead and iron. These metals in contact with
the HMTD even when dry, will cause corrosion.
DETONATION VELOCITY: 4511 M/sec. @ 0.88 G/cc
5100 M/sec. @ 1.10 G/cc
FRICTION SENSITIVITY: Very Sensitive!!!
BEHAVIOR TO FLAME: Small quantities flash like guncotton Large
accumulations will detonate.
Materials Sources
----------------
Hexamethylenetetramine C6H12N4 - solid fuel tablets for camping out
available at army surplus stores. Also known as urotropine, hexamine,
methenamine, etc.
Hydrogen Peroxide 6% H2H2 - or stronger. It can be purchased at a beauty
supply store. It is sold as hair bleach. I asked them for hydrogen peroxide.
They said that they don't sell pure H2H2 but they gave me a product that was
used in the process of lightening hair. I got the strongest number. If you
look at the back of the bottle is shows that H2H2 is the main ingredient.
Citric Acid C6H8O7 - Available at Drug or Food stores, known as "sour salt"
(I ordered it from "The King Arthur Flour Baker's Catalogue)
Containers, (I used empty yogurt containers)
Coffee filter
Teaspoon and 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoons
Pan
Distilled water
Procedure
---------
Measure 9 teaspoons of hydrogen peroxide into a container. In 3 portions,
dissolve 2.5 teaspoons of crushed hexamine in the peroxide. Keep the
solution cool for 30 minutes by placing the container in a pan of cold
water. In 5 portions, dissolve 4.5 teaspoons of crushed citric acid in the
hexa-peroxide solution. Permite solution to stand at room temperature or in
the refrigerator until solid particles for at the bottom of the container.
Note: Complete precipitation will take place in 8-24 hours
Filter the mixture through a coffee filter into a container to collect the
solid particles. Wash the solid particles collected in the coffee filter
with 6 teaspoons of distilled water by pouring the water over them. Discard
the liquid in the container. Allow to dry. In a COOL dry place. NOT IN THE
SUN! Place these explosives in a container.
Note: Handle dry explosive with great care. Do not scrape or handle it
roughly. Keep from open sparks or flames. Store in a cool, dry place. You
can see what happened bellow when left in the sun.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bellow is a picture of an accidental detonation of HMTD. The coffee filter
with the HMTD was drying after filtration. I was not thinking and I left it
in the sun. The HMTD went off from the intense heat from the sun, making an
enormous BOOM! It sounded like a CO2 bomb. The only reason why it was so
powerful was that it was spread out over the entire filter. You can see what
damage it did to the bench it was laying on. The hole that was blown in the
bench was about eight inches across. If the HMTD went off while I was
working on it, I would have been a goner.
[hmtd_boom.gif (154720 bytes)] [hmtd_boom2.gif (75975 bytes)]
You can see how dangerous and unstable HMTD is. Extreme caution would be
taken when making HMTD.
Some of the chemicals needed for HMTD:
[hmtd_chem.jpg (85138 bytes)]
READ THIS! When the complete precipitation has taken place a filmy layer
should have formed. I have noticed sometimes there will be less or almost
no film in the container. When this happens BE CAREFUL it usually means
that it is a LOT more powerful then usual.
Chemical Equivalency list
Acacia..................................................Gum Arabic
Acetic Acid................................................Vinegar
Aluminum Oxide..............................................Alumia
Aluminum Potassium Sulphate...................................Alum
Aluminum Sulfate..............................................Alum
Ammonium Carbonate.......................................Hartshorn
Ammonium Hydroxide.........................................Ammonia
Ammonium Nitrate........................................Salt Peter
Ammonium Oleate.......................................Ammonia Soap
Amylacetate............................................Bananna Oil
Barium Sulfide...........................................Black Ash
Carbon Carbinate.............................................Chalk
Carbontetrachloride.................................Cleaning Fluid
Calcium Hypochloride..............................Bleaching Powder
Calcium Oxide.................................................Lime
Calcium Sulfate...................................Plaster of Paris
Carbonic Acid..............................................Seltzer
Cetyltrimethylammoniumbromide........................Ammonium Salt
Ethylinedichloride.....................................Dutch Fluid
Ferric Oxide.............................................Iron Rust
Furfuraldehyde............................................Bran Oil
Glucose.................................................Corn Syrup
Graphite...............................................Pencil Lead
Hydrochloric Acid....................................Muriatic Acid
Hydrogen Peroxide.........................................Peroxide
Lead Acetate.........................................Sugar of Lead
Lead Tero-oxide...........................................Red Lead
Magnesium Silicate............................................Talc
Magnesium Sulfate.......................................Epsom Salt
Methylsalicylate..................................Winter Green Oil
Naphthalene..............................................Mothballs
Phenol...............................................Carbolic Acid
Potassium Bicarbonate..............................Cream of Tarter
Potassium Chromium Sulfate..............................Chromealum
Potassium Nitrate.......................................Salt Peter
Sodium Oxide..................................................Sand
Sodium Bicarbonate.....................................Baking Soda
Sodium Borate................................................Borax
Sodium Carbonate......................................Washing Soda
Sodium Chloride...............................................Salt
Sodium Hydroxide...............................................Lye
Sodium Silicate..............................................Glass
Sodium Sulfate......................................Glauber's Salt
Sodium Thiosulfate.............................Photographer's Hypo
Sulfuric Acid.........................................Battery Acid
Sucrose.................................................Cane Sugar
Zinc Chloride.......................................Tinner's Fluid
Zinc Sulfate.........................................White Vitriol
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" KNOW WHAT YOUR HANDLING "
Within this booklet you will find descriptions of almost 150 chemi-
cals that are used in Fireworks, Explosives, Rocket Fuels or are
Explosive in themselves. This list is not complete and is not in-
tended to be complete. All of the uses are not given and only the
related purposes of each are stated.
Whenever possible we explain which grades are thought to be best, the
chemical formula, melting temperature, decomposition temperature,
form (liquid, powder, crystal, etc.), if it will explode, if it is
poisonous and its usage. Some of these chemicals cannot be purchased
and are offered as a guide for information purposes only.
Chemicals have a certain purpose to perform in fireworks and
can be classified into four groups.
GROUP I These chemicals are the chemicals which produce the oxygen and are called oxidizers.
GROUP II Those which combine with the oxidizers are called reducers.
GROUP III These are the chemicals which regulate the rate of burning and help to produce the desired effect.
GROUP IV This group of chemicals are those which impart color to the flame.
We believe that the information contained here-in is true and correct, however it is offered only as a guide and not to be used as a guarantee. We cannot assume responsibility nor liability for the use or misuse of the information contained here-in.
PLEASE NOTE: ALL REFERENCES TO TEMPERATURE ARE IN DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.
Aluminum
An element used for brilliancy in the fine powder form. It can be purchased as a fine silvery or gray powder. All grades from technical to superpure (99.- 9%) can be used. The danger is from inhaling the dust and explosive room
condition if too much dust goes into the air.
Aluminum Chloride
This chemical must not come in contact with the skin, as severe burns can result. The yellowish-white crystals or
powder have a strong attraction for water. Purchase only in the anhydrous grade.
Amber
This is a fossil resin of vegetable origin and is yellowish-brown in color. It is used in fireworks to a small extent.
Ammonium Bichromate
A mild poison used in the manufacture of Dichromate (sometimes called Vesuvius Fire). It is available as
orange crystals in a technical grade.
Also used in smoke formulas.
Ammonium Chloride
The common name is Sal Ammoniac. Comes as colorless crystals or a white powder.The technical grade is used to manufac-
ture safety explosives and smokes.
Ammonium Oxalate
This compound takes the form of colorless, poisonous, crystals. The technical grade is suitable for the manufacture of saft explosives.
Ammonium Perchlorate
This chemical can be made to explode by either heat or shock. Besides exploding in itself, it is used to manufacture other explosives.
Ammonium Permanganate
A moderate explosive which can be detonated by either heat or shock.
Ammonium Picrate
These bright orange crystals are used in armor piercing shells and fireworks. If heated to 300 degrees it will explode or
it can be set off by shock. If you do any work with this chemical, it is advisable to keep it wet.
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