Tweet
How to Make Ammonium Nitrate
by The Reflex
Some Militants who don't have much dynamite use ammonium nitrate. This can be bought by anyone at $3.75 for an 80 pound bag. It is fertilizer.by The Reflex
Ammonium nitrate explodes at rates up to 14,000 feet per second. It is roughly compared to dynamite having 60% nitro.
The fertilizer grade Militants use is mixed with motor oil at the ratio of one pint of oil to 8-1/2 pounds of ammonium nitrate. This has to be detonated with a stick of gelatin dynamite [I didn't say all was easy. Try to find another file about that crap.].
Purified ammonium nitrate can be detonated with a number six dynamite cap. The pure stuff can be bought at chemical supply houses or the fertilizer grade can be purified with distilled wood alcohol.
Put several pounds of fertilizer grade ammonium nitrate in a pan. Pour in enough wood alcohol (methanol) to cover the fertilizer. Then stir it until a lot of it has dissolved. Next, let it set for a few minutes to allow the impurities to settle to the bottom along with the undissolved ammonium nitrate.
Another pan is set on some pieces of dry ice for the next step. Dry ice can be found in the business section of the phone book under "Dry Ice." Locker companies will sell it to anyone, cheaply and in small amounts.
The dissolved ammonium nitrate is poured into the cold pan. This is done carefully so as to leave the impurities and undissolved ammonium nitrate behind.
The dry ice causes the purified ammonium nitrate to precipitate out of the solution in crystals. When no more crystals are formed they are removed from the alcohol.
The alcohol is then poured back into the other pan and stirred to dissolve any ammonium nitrate left undissolved. After setting a few minutes the solution is again poured off the dregs and the dregs are thrown away. When the last batch of crystals is removed, the alcohol can be stored and reused.
The dry ice is simply frozen carbon dioxide and its fumes are harmless unless they are enough to replace the air. Don't handle the dry ice with your bare hands [unless you are into pulling your skin off to the bone] as its cold will cause blisters.
In order for pure ammonium nitrate to be detonated by a dynamite cap, it must be very dry. Spread it out under a heat lamp or in the sun. When completely dry, store it in tightly closed plastic bags.