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Ammonium nitrate

From CreationWiki, the encyclopedia of creation science

Ammonium nitrate

General
Molecular formula	NH₄NO₃
Molar mass	80.04336 g/mol80.043 amu
Appearance	white solid
CAS number	[6484-52-2]
Properties
Density and phase	1.123 g/cm³1.123 g/ml, solid
Solubility in water	119 g/100 ml (0 °C) 190 g/100 ml (20 °C) 286 g/100 ml (40 °C) 421 g/100 ml (60 °C) 630 g/100 ml (80 °C) 1024 g/100 ml (100 °C)
Melting point	169.6 °C442.75 K 337.28 °F 796.95 °R
Boiling point	210 °C483.15 K 410 °F 869.67 °R approx. decomp
Hazards
MSDS	MSDS Data
Main hazards	Explosive
NFPA 704	0 2 3 OX
RTECS number	BR9050000
Supplementary data page
Structure and properties	n, ε_r, etc.
Thermodynamic data	Phase behaviour Solid, liquid, gas
Spectral data	UV, IR, NMR, MS
Related compounds
Other anions	Ammonium nitrite
Other cations	Sodium nitrate
Related compounds	Nitrous oxide
Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C, 100 kPa) Disclaimer and references

Ammonium Nitrate is a compound that has a variety of characteristic of reactions with other compounds. It is made by neutralization. and it is soluble to water and ethanol. The compound ammonium nitrate has varies reactions with other compounds. There are many uses of ammonium Nitrate for example it can be used as fertilizer, explosive compound, and as a freezing compound. The history of Ammonium nitrate shows that it is very dangerous compound to humans; The Oklahoma bombing is one of examples.

1 Properties
2 Occurrences
3 Uses
4 Bomb terror
5 References
6 See Also

Properties

Ammonium nitrate is a compound, made by adding ammonium gas into the nitric acid. The compound has no color; just white odorless. The ammonium nitrate is soluble to water and it is also soluble to ethanol. [1] Ammonium nitrate is stable with normal temperature of oxygen but on the high temperature of oxygen, it is very unstable, dangerous, and can cause explosion. [2]. Ammonium nitrate has five different structures of crystal and especially the orthorhombic system; one of the five different types of structure is stable in hot temperature. [3]

Occurrences

Ammonium Nitrate

The process that ammonium nitrate uses is neutralization. Neutralization is a reaction between an acid solution and basic oxide; NH₄NO₃ - Ammonium nitrate can be made by adding ammonium gas into nitrate acid.

Uses

Ammonium Nitrate Bomb

There are three most common uses of Ammonium nitrate. The three uses are fertilizers, explosion, and freezing.

Fertilizers
There are many types of chemical fertilizer; nitrogenous manure, phosphate fertilizer, and potassic fertilizer. Nitrogenous manure is the one that uses ammonium nitrate. Nitrogen is important substance that forms the structure of plant, and plant daily absorbs nitrogen from the soil. Because of that reason some soil face the problem called lack of nitrogen. To solve this problem people used animal’s excrement. Since 1915, scientist found the way to composite ammonium and nitrogen, the Ammonium nitrate Fertilizer was made. And still used as fertilizer.[4][5]

Explosion
Not only, as fertilizer, but also Ammonium nitrate is known as explosive compound. Ammonium nitrate is usually stable but not in following conditions; over 170°C. mixed by incompatible compounds. Because of this reason Ammonium nitrate is also used as bomb; not like other explosive materials, people can easily buy Ammonium nitrate. There are few accidents that caused by this type of bomb. [6]

Freezing
Adding water into Ammonium nitrate can cause a freezing reaction.[7]

Bomb terror

Oklahoma federal government

In Oklahoma City, a terrorist used 2.5ton of ammonium nitrate fertilizer that he bought in the store and mixed with fuel oil and bombed in federal government. The damage was catastrophic, more than 168 people died and more than 500 people got hurt. it changed image of ammonium nitrate fertilizer. The terrorist's was Timothy McVeigh, and he was a bravery soldier who fought in Gulf War. But after he left military he joined in Anti-government militia corps. The reason that turned Timothy's mind to anti-government militia corps was because of merciless control of federal agents. However, he got the death penalty and died in June 13, 1997. [8][9]