Detonateing KMNO4

[static_firefly]

Hey
I was reading up on detonateing chlorates and nitrates and though, would it be possiable to detonate kmno4 and if it is would it be very good?. Swim might try it soon as he access to MEKP and AP. He was thinkign about mixing the kmno4 with the mekp to form a slurry, then detonate that with a cap of ap. However does anyone think this will work?

[blindreeper]

As KMnO4 is a very good oxidizer and with the right fuel a hypergolic reaction will take place. These are often very violent. I would not be the one wanting to try and mix a HE with KMnO4 with no idea how it would react. I may try this as I have some MEKP and KMnO4 lying around.
I don't see why the KMnO4 wouldn't detonate but I really don't have much experience with that sort of stuff.

[vulture]

Argh for god's sake people keep coming up with stories of oxidizers being able to detonate. This is not true. Mixtures of oxidizers and reducers are sometimes able to detonate but oxidizers on themselves are not. Why? Simple. The decomposition of most oxidizers is either slightly exothermic or even endothermic. So the decomposition reaction can not sustain itself.

Ofcourse KMnO4 with an explosive will be able to detonate. With a negative OB explosive you'll even improve performance. But you can't use KMnO4 on it's own as an explosive filler.

[blindreeper]

Is NH4NO3 not an oxidizer? I am not saying your wrong, no, no, no your probably 99.99999% right. Is it because NH4NO3 is made up of only gaseous elements and KMnO4/KNO3 ect ect are made up of metals and gases?

[vulture]

NH4NO3 is an oxidizer too, but it is an exception as it contains fuel in the form of the ammoniumgroup which can be oxidized to nitrogen and water, which is a highly exothermic process. Ammoniumpermanganate, if stable, would probably be able to detonate.

The fact that NH4NO3 forms only gaseous products contributes too, as gaseous products increase the reaction entropy significantly, making the process more favourable.
As you'll probably know, nature always strives to the highest entropy in all its processes.

[piro]

What about Ca(NO3)2?

Nobody seems to know if it can be detonated. I guess so becuase i read its not allowed on planes.

does any know? Nobody can seem to give a sure answer on this one.

[vulture]

Don't think so. Decomposition products are not all gasses and decomposition seems to be endothermic.

BTW, you could have figured that out if you read the posts above...

The reason why it's not allowed on planes is because it will make the explosive detectors go frenzy, because it's a nitrate compound. If it were allowed somebody could say that it's just a bag of calciumnitrate while its ammoniumnitrate or a nitric acid ester.

[zaibatsu]

Calcium Nitrate mixes have been known to detonate, check ALENGOSVIG1's posts on this subject, I believe he tried mixes of CNSOY and possibly CNFO. Just do a search by username and include calcium nitrate, that should bring something useful up.

[vulture]

Yes, but then we are again talking about an oxidizer/fuel mixture. That does not mean calciumnitrate will detonate on it's own.