Mercury Fulminate desensibilizing

[stanfield]

did a search but found nothing...

So, is there a way to desensibilize this primary? maybe by mixing it with another explosive or something like that but my detonators are set off by filament lamp so, the compound must be sensitive to this...

thanx !

[kingspaz]

maybe adding a small amount of sodium bicarbonate to the fulminate crystals could desensitise them somewhat to friction but not compromise their sensitivity to heat. cornflour could also be used. inert fine poweders would be best i think. bicarb being a good choice due to its basic (alkali) nature. wait for someone else opinion though as i've not had any experience with mercury fulminate.

[CodeMason]

Potassium chlorate/mercury fulminate mixtures used to be utilized. I <u>think</u> the ratio's 1:4, respectively. I'm late however so I don't have time to look anything up.

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[EventHorizon]

You are correct CodeMason, 80/20 and 90/10 were used. 80/20 is more powerfull tho.

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[stanfield]

I only have sodium chlorate... is it fine too ?

but the body of my detonators are in aluminium and this fucking chlorate will oxyde it !

[Anthony]

I don't see why NaClO3 couldn't be used, apart from its high hygroscopicity.

Obviously you can't have this mixture in plain metal detonators. You could coat the inside of the metal tube with wax, or use a straw inside the metal tube. Or preferably, use a different material for the detonator casing alltogether.

[This message has been edited by Anthony (edited 12-11-2001).]

[kingspaz]

hmmmm....line the inside with some paint. that would be easy to do. also you could convert the NaClO3 into KClO3. that would stop the hygroscopicity (is that a word?!).
using NaClO3 would decrease the reliability as it may absorb too much moisture and be too desensitised = dud blast.

[This message has been edited by kingspaz (edited 12-11-2001).]

[Anthony]

Don't worry, I checked the dictionary and it is a real word:)

[stanfield]

what is the mixture used in the military detonators today ?

[Bitter]

Anything from RDX to PETN, Stanfield. Tetryl used to be used, but it's a bitch to find the ingredients for it. I think the main constituent chemical for Tetryl can be found in a certain type of fibreglass resin hardner (not the one containing benzoyl peroxide).

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[Mr Cool]

The primary charges commonly used are DDNP, mannitol hexanitrate and lead azide. I don't know which is their favourite.

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[nbk2000]

I've read lead styphanate primary with HMX or RDX secondary.

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[CodeMason]

Tetryl is not a mix of ingredients, but a compound ((NO₂)₃-C₆H₂-N(NO₂)(CH₃)), one of the first nitramine explosives discovered. It's usually made by nitrating dimethylaniline.

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[stanfield]

I usually use DDNP but, I found the yield a little poor and I though (maybe) the mercury fulminate's yield will be higher...

[mongo blongo]

Where Lead Azide is used it is usually mixed with Lead Styphanate to make it more heat sensitive. I think DDNP is most commonly used.

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[Madog555]

i got a question on MF,

can 91% pharmacy bought ethanol be used for it? if not, will it work if i distill it?

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[Mr Cool]

Therefore, Codemason, dimethylaniline is an ingredient for making Tetryl... perhaps reactant would have been a better word to use.
If you want to use electrical detonators, perhaps it would be worthwhile to make a charging circuit for the exploding bridgewire type. These have no primary, just a wire which is made to explode by sending a few hundred joules through it, at around 300 V. A load of camera flash capacitors works, and an inverter circuit is easy to build. However, you might need to get a big cap. bank for it to work on less sensitive secondaries.
Tapioca starch is used for desensitising S.F., so it could also be used for M.F. Detonators could perhaps be made safer by loading the M.F. mixed with NC and acetone, so that when it's set the grains can't rattle around when it's moved. Pressing it would have the same effect, but it'd be a bit more dangerous.


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[CodeMason]

Mr Cool: Yes, but I wanted to clear up confusion that some fellow members might have had about tetryl, Bitter making it sound like simply a mixture such as ANFO.

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