Making Ammonium Nitrate

[Dazza]

Hey,
would SWIM be able to get ammonium nitrate by reacting ammonium chloride with sodium nitrate?

[demorol]

Amonium nitrate is easily available OTC. Just get couple of cold packs. One bag contains water and one contains ammonium nitrate.
Life without chemistry would be a mistake.

[PrimoPyro]

Not always. Many are urea based, not ammonia based.
The Water Will Be Your Only Mirror

[Elementary]

To answer your question, yes !!!

Solubilities at 0°C

Ammonium Nitrate : 118g/100g of water
Sodium Chloride : 35.57g/100g of water

Some people just can't answer a simple question !

[Antibody2]

NH4NO3 is also available as fertilizer, 25kg for $10.

I don't think there would be any rxn between NaNO3 and NH4Cl. If i wanted to make NH4NO3 though i would use nitric acid (hydroponic shop) and aqueous ammonia (window cleaner). I think even nitric acid and NH4Cl would work, but i am not 100%.

[Elementary]

"I don't think there would be any rxn between NaNO3 and NH4Cl"

Of course it would work it is basic solubility chemistry !

The solubility of sodium nitrate at 0°c is 73g/100g of water, and for ammonium chloride it is 28g/100g of water at 0°c, so the ammonium nitrate due to greater solubility will hog the water, driving the ion exchange reaction in its direction.
Some people would rather ruin a thread than answer the question !

[Antibody2]

if you say so

[Psi_Locybe]

Of course it would work it is basic solubility chemistry !

  Thanks - I wasn't previously familiar with enhanced solubility as a lower-energy state.  Makes some degree of sense, though... I'll be sure to toy with it.

  As a counterpoint, however, if I recall correctly, NH3 is a weaker base than, say, NaOH... and also, if I recall correctly, HCL is slightly weaker than, say NO3.  This would imply :

a) Ab2's nitric acid/ammonium chloride would probably work, IMHO... but more to the point of this...

b) If I take your word on increased solubility as a lower-energy (preferred) state (it seems logical, but if I took EVERYTHING that made sense to my wingnut ass as gospel without doing the experiments...), in what way would one counterbalance this against a reaction being otherwise dispreferred?  Where would I know which would take precedence?

  Thanks...
Rev. Psi Locybe, insane alchemist.

[Nemo_Tenetur]

The commercial available ammonium-nitrate based fertilizer usually contains (at least in most european countries) some cacium carbonate to reduce the explosive properties and to make the handling easier. I recommend extraction with hot water/recristallization before using.

[masterofpuppets]

isn't it the jelly ice packs the ones made with amonium nitrate (I have seen "solid" ones - methinks that may have different compound in it).
I wouldn't do that if I were you.....

[mottaman420]

Be very careful not to blow yourself up. I would make sure u use only previously tested methods gotten from someone who has done it first hand
_.-==''SupaTokaBuDsMoka''==-._
'''''''GonnaGetHighTillIDie'''''''

[PrimoPyro]

The chances of spontaneous detonation of ammonium nitrate are incredibly small. It's the most insensitive bitch of an explosive Ive ever had the mnisfortune to "work" with. To bee honest, from a pyro point of view, I hate ammonium nitrate. The power is really good actually, but it is just outright too damn hard to make it detonate without a superior explosive acting as a primer/booster.

It doesn't even want to burn unless you have a flame ON IT, or some oxidizer/violent reaction already occurring, like KClO3/H2SO4 (dont do this at home).

In a nutshell, the only thing NH4NO3 might do when heated when wet is decompose to some lovely nitrous oxide.  

Whatcha want the ammonium nitrate for?  

                                                    PrimoPyro
The Water Will Be Your Only Mirror

[SilverSurfer]

Maybe u should soak some NitroG with it and blow it then.

[PrimoPyro]

Hey, don't get this thread locked.  

I was just putting in my two cents that NH4NO3 is not a lab danger.
The Water Will Be Your Only Mirror

[masterofpuppets]

It could bee a lab danger - it is good to bee aware of these things.
I wouldn't do that if I were you.....

[Elementary]

I can't really see any (mind-altering) use for the stuff, there are less expensive other ammonium salts that are easily available, such as ammonium sulphate.

Yes you can make nitrous oxide (laughing gas) with it, but then again you can buy nitrous oxide in little whipped cream canisters, an that will save you having to heat Ammonium Nitrate.

Make Love Not War !!!!!


Umm, how interesting !!

[PrimoPyro]

It can be used to oxidize MDP2Pol to MDP2P with cupric acetate and acetic acid.

It can also be used to make methylamine.
The Water Will Be Your Only Mirror

[Elementary]

I have a suspicious mind !!

Thank-you pyro, I feel much safer talking about it now !



Umm, how interesting !!

[MMM]

From memory, it wasnt even known to be explosive until a shipload caught fire, even then it didnt blow until half had burnt.

Decomposing it to make nitrous oxide is the only way I am aware of to get it to accidently blow up in a lab tho, when it was used to generate gas, the decomposition was stopped after about two thirds had decomposed. (check the figures and method if anyone wants to try)  For information only.

MMM
When the day is bad,and life's a curse
CHEER UP!!! Tomorrow may be Worse!!
('HAGAR' Comic)

[Dr_Sister]

It can be used to oxidize MDP2Pol to MDP2P with cupric acetate and acetic acid. haven't been many successes reported with this method
7.10.01