Chemical Reactions

[paleothol666]

can anybody tell me two chemicals, preferably liquids, which when react have an explosive reaction? preferably NOT rubidium, ceasium etc, when they react with water.

[James]

You mean like a KMnO₄ solution and any organic compound. Search before asking something like this. What was it brake fluid and something else, don't remember what.

[kingspaz]

paleo, less of the demanding an answer. you missed the key word 'please'.

[Polverone]

As long as it's open season on a rather silly topic...

First, he asked for an explosive reaction, not ignition. Second, he wanted to use two liquids. Finally, KMnO4 doesn't start fires with all organic liquids. Many liquids will react too slowly or boil away too fast to ignite.

Now, Mr. Paleothol, here's a formulation that will do exactly what you want. Liquid 1 is high-concentration H2O2. You can dehydrate standard 35% H2O2 solution to make 90% or better if you store it in open vessel next to an open container of concentrated sulfuric acid in a sealed space. Such high concentration H2O2 will be a major fire and explosion hazard should it ever contact organic materials or decomposition catalysts, and you can hardly throw a rock in the air without hitting something that's an H2O2 decomposition catalyst. Liquid 2 is a catalyst for the decomposition of the concentrated H2O2. A saturated solution of KMnO4 will do nicely.

When mixed with the KMnO4 solution, the H2O2 will certainly decompose explosively, yielding high temperature steam and oxygen. It will probably also cause fire/explosion with a variety of organic liquids, but I'm not going to run any field tests to verify that.

I don't normally attach warnings to my messages - it's just so gauche - but in your case I think one may be necessary. Preparing nearly pure H2O2 is a hazardous activity even in a well-equipped laboratory. Mixing it with a catalyst is a deathwish. Consider carefully how much you're willing to spend on reconstructive surgery or a funeral home. H2O2 is decomposed by heat as well as catalysts. Even slight contamination may cause a runaway reaction that results in violent decomposition of the H2O2.

[Arkangel]

Gauche is good Polverone, Gauche is good! <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="wink.gif" />

I didn't see it in the thread on dehydrating H2O2 recentl, the thing about standing it next a container of H2SO4. Does that actually work to any degree?

[Polverone]

From sci.chem:

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica">You can concentrate 30% H2O2 to 90% by drying it in a dessicator over concentrated sulfuric acid. Use a 4:1 ratio of acid to peroxide.

The 90% peroxide is -quite- explosive unless it is -absolutely- pure. Worse, it sets things on fire on contact. If you plan on doing this thing, go to a library first, and read the article on hydrogen peroxide in Preperative Inorganic Chemistry.</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica">I described a simple homemade dessication setup rather than say "use a dessicator" because I got the feeling that the original author might need the help on the way to flaming death. Also, now that I've looked up the original source of my memory, I see that it talked about concentrating peroxide up *to* 90%. What to do about that last 10% water? Oh, the problems we face.

[vulture]

Already 60% peroxide can ignite flammable substances and that contains 40% water, go figure! Is vacuum distillation a possibility?
There's another thread about hydrogen peroxide discussing a mixture with acetone. Cool thing about this explosive would be that, after H2O2 detonation has occured, very hot 100% oxygen will be present. Result: Insanely hot and fierce fire consuming everything.

Another binary compound would be manganes heptaoxide (Mn2O7) which ignites virtually everything, even at -10C, which is it's melting point. Carefully drop some 98% sulfuric acid over KMnO4 while cooling it, preferabally, beneath -10C.

<small>[ May 15, 2002, 07:59 AM: Message edited by: vulture ]</small>

[Polverone]

I believe that vacuum distillation of H2O2 is possible. IIRC, it is the method used in Inorganic Syntheses. But you have to go to extreme lengths to make sure your entire setup is absolutely free of contaminants, particularly organics and transition metals. Dessication of H2O2 will make the H2O2 much more potent but at least leave the stabilizers in. I believe that vacuum distillation of H2O2 also removes all the stabilizers.

I've thought of another pair of liquids that explode on contact - should have thought of this earlier! Pu 239's experiences with methyl ethyl ketone peroxide and conc. H2SO4 indicate that MEKP is iniated by H2SO4. So manufacture your MEKP, using the method that has been previously given (much like making acetone peroxide), and set it off with concentrated sulfuric acid.

[vulture]

If I ever would distill H2O2, i would put a few ml of phosphoric acid in the recieving flask as a stabilizer.
And if you washed the glasswork with soap or anything else, wash it with distilled water as much as you can, I observed a small reaction vessel which was perfectly clean to the eye and had been in the dishwasher a few months earlier decomposing H2O2 because of the soap alkalis.

[mongo blongo]

I think that most of the H2O2 you can get already contains phosphoric acid but best to add some anyway to be sure.

[kingspaz]

it does. but i think vulture means so the H2O2 you distill will be stabilised as it condenses and runs into the receiving flask as the phosphoric acid has a different boiling point to H2O2 and so won;t boil off and condesne in the condenser.

[mongo blongo]

Oh, put in the recieving flask. I see.

[rikkitikkitavi]

H2O2 decomposition is catalyzed by trace amounts of OH-, which I think quite a few people already knew.

Ordinary glass actually dissolves a litte , yielding OH-...

High concentration H2O2 is transported and stored in aluminium or stainless steel tanks of very high finish(food and beverage-quality), since non-smoth surfaces speeds up decomposition. They are also inert to H2O2.

BTW, at work, 20 m outside my window I have a 20 m3 tank of 50 % H2O2... a collegue of mine once spilled it on his shoes, completely soaked them. Guess if he started to dance away when they started to give of smoke. Feet first into a water pond...

/rickard