MacGyver's Anarchy Vol. 4 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ VIII. Mercury Fulminate ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ When using a high explosive one must also use some sort of detonating device. Blasting caps are theost popular now, since they are relatively stable and very functional. The main ingredient in mostbasting caps and detonating devices is generally mercury fulminate. Here are two methods of preparig t. #1 1. Take 5 grams of pure mercury and mix it with 35ml. of nitric acid. 2. Heat the mixture slowly and gently. Right when the solution bubbles and turns green, you know t the mercury dissolved. 3. After it is dissolved, pour the solution slowly into a flask of ethyl alcohol. This will then proce red flames. 4. After about a half hour the fumes will turn white, telling you that the process is at its final age. 5. After a couple of minutes add distilled water to the solution. 6. Now filter the entire solution to obtain small white crystals. These crystals are pure mercury fminate. Wash many times with distilled water to get a clean crystal and to remove some undesirabeacids. #2 1. Mix one part mercuric oxide with ten parts ammonia solution. These are by weight, not volume. 2. After about eight to ten days you will notice some white fulminate crystals. 3. These crystals must be washed with distilled water many times to obtain pure mercury fulminate. Many other fulminates exist, but they are all very shock sensitive and extremely unstable. Remember rcury fulminate is also shock sensitive and should be handles with care. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ IX. Nitrogen Tri-Iodide """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Considered one of the most hazardous explosive compounds of all. Popular by high school chemists, whdon't really know what they are doing. Its so popular because the ingredients are available, but veysensitive. A fly or feather landing on it has been known to detonate it. This recipe should never e ade because of its sensitiveness. Unless you really want something load and powerful here's the rcip. I've read some other papers on how to make this stuff, but this is your best bet. 1. Add a small amount of solid iodine crystals to about 20cc. of concentrated ammonium hydroxide. Yomust do this slowly till you get a brownish-red precipitate. 2. Now filter this and wash it with alcohol first, then with ether. Leave the filter paper to dry for at least 30 min. To detonate have something touch it.(like a long ick or wire) This really shouldn't be experimented with. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ******************** Safety Precautions* ******************** For storing explosives. 1. Use you common sense Don't' store blasting caps, electrical stuff in the same container. Don't' store fuses of fuse lighters near flammables. Don't store fuses near steam pipes, radiators, and any source of heat. Keep fuses away from cleaning solvents. Always use your common sense when near, or handling explosives!! Next Issue: Astrolite G, and nitromethane solid explosives