80 lines
4.3 KiB
Plaintext
80 lines
4.3 KiB
Plaintext
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HOW TO MAKE NITROGLYCERIN
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Almost all modern explosives are a derivative of a nitric acid base.
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Although fuming nitric acid (98 percent solution in water) is not an explosive
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in itself, it is explosive when mixed with many other compounds. This process
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of mixing a compound with nitric acid chemically is called the nitrating
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principle. The best-known nitrating agent is glycerin, but many others can
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be and are used. Mercury, sugar, cork, wheat germ, sawdust, starch, lard, and
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indigo are all common nitrating agents and are used in modern industry. For
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example when sawdustis nitrated, it becomes nitrocellulose, and is used in
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smokeless powder. Mercury fulminate (nitrated mercury) is a very powerful and
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effective detonator.
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Nitroglycerin is a high explosive, with an incredibly unstable nature. It
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can explode for the most minute reasons, such as a change of one or two degrees
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in temperature, or a minor shock. Because of nitroglycerin's unstable nature,
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I would suggest that only people with an extensive background training in both
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chemistry and explosives try this procedure.
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Nitroglycerin
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1. Fill a 75-milliliter beaker, to the 13-ml. level, with fuming red nitric
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acid, of 98 percent concentration.
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2. Place beaker in an ice bath and allow to cool below room temperature.
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3. After it is cooled, add to it three times the amount of fuming sulfuric
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acid (99 percent). In other words, add to the now-cool fuming nitric
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acid 39 milliliters of fuming sulfuric acid. When mixing any acids,
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always do it slowing and carefully to avoid splattering.
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4. When the two are mixed, lower their temperature, by adding more ice to
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the bath, to about 10 or 15 degrees Centegrade. This can be measured
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by using a mercury-operated Centegrade thermometer.
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5. When the acid solution has cooled to the desired temperature, it is
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ready for the glycerin. The glyverin MUST BE ADDED IN SMALL AMOUNTS
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USING A MEDICINE DROPPER. Glycerin is added, slowly and carefully,
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until the entire surface of the acid is covered with it.
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6. This is a dangerous point, since the nitration will take place as soon
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as the glycerin is added. The nitration will produce heat, so the
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solution MUST BE KEPT BELOW 30 DEGREES C. If the solution should go
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above 30 degrees, the beaker should be taken out of the ice bath and
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the solution should be carefully poured directly into the ice bath,
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since this will prevent an explosion.
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7. For about the first ten minutes of the nitration, the mixture should
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be gently stirred. In a normal reaction, the nitroglycerin will form as
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a layer ontop of the acid solution, while the sulfuric acid will absorb
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the excess water.
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8. After the nitration has taken place and the nitroglycerin has formed at
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the top of the acid solution, the entire beaker should be transferred
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very slowly and carefully to another beaker of water. When this is done,
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the nitroglycerin will settle to the bottom, so that most of the acid
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solution can be drained away.
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9. After removing as much acid as possible without disturbing the nitro-
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glycerin, remove the nitroglycerin with an eyedropper and place it in a
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bicarbonate of soda (sodium bicarbonate) solution. The sodium
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bicarbonate is an alkali and will neutralize much of the acid remaining.
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This process should be repeated as many times as necessary using blue
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litmus paper to check for the presence of acid. The remaining acid only
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make the nitroglycerin more unstable than is normally is.
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10. The final step is to remove the nitroglycerin from the bicarbonate.
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This is done with an eyedropper, slowly and carefully. The usual test
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to see if nitration has been successful is to place one drop of the
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nitroglycerin on a metal plate and ignite it. If it is true nitro-
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glycerin, it will burn with a clear bule flame. CAUTION: Nitroglycerin
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is EXTREMELY sensitive to decomposition, heating, dropping, or jarring,
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and may explode even if left undisturbed and cool. KNOW WHAT YOU ARE
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DOING BEFORE YOU DO IT!!!!!
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