The fertilizer storage facility of Fertiberia held a self-sustained decomposition (SSD) fire in January 2003. Aluminum sulfate has also been used as a drying additive for ammonium nitrate. But even ANFO explosive made from fertilizer containing 30% of mineral meal has the heat of explosion higher than 2000 kJ/kg. 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Al 2 (SO 4) 3 + 3 Ba(NO 3) 2 → 2 Al(NO 3) 3 + 3 BaSO 4. In that instance, Timothy McVeigh used two tonnes of ammonium nitrate to create a bomb which destroyed a federal building and killed 168 people. Fireworks and ammonium nitrate appear to have been the fuel that ignited a massive explosion that rocked the Lebanese capital of Beirut, experts and videos of the blast suggest. ... Use spark-free and explosion-proof equipment. The mixtures of AN based fertilizers and aluminium have the high heat of explosion. Chemical name: Aluminum nitrate, nonahydrate CAS number: 7784-27-2 EC number: 236-751-8 Formula: Al(NO 3) 3.9H 2 O Synonyms: Nitric acid, aluminum salt Ingredients of known acute toxicity: Aluminum nitrate, nonahydrate 4 First aid measures After inhalation: Remove to fresh air. By Ibtissem Guenfoud and Guy Davies. In this particular accident, neither car of ammonium nitrate exploded. In the initial aftermath, the disaster is reported to have … In the first case, the explosion happens by the mechanism of shock to detonation transition. The ammonium nitrate is like the engine behind the explosion, but it also requires a detonator and fuel. Burning ammonium nitrate in an open field, for instance, isn't likely to result in an explosion, Rae said. What is ammonium nitrate? Ammonium nitrate: What is the chemical blamed for Beirut explosion, and how could it produce such a powerful blast? "So you can see it doesn't take very big volumes but certainly, urgently, that should be reduced to low levels," Mr Craig said. This damn thing seriously hurt my ears and i felt a huge shockwave on my chest haha it was insane! That's because it's synthetic, made by reacting ammonia with nitric acid, he says. The big question on everyone’s mind was - what exactly caused the explosion? On 16 April 1947, at the Port of Texas City, 2,300 tonnes of ammonium nitrate … (U.S. Bureau of Mines. Ammonium nitrate is made all over the world and is relatively cheap to buy. "The air expands rapidly and cools suddenly and the water condenses, which causes the cloud," he adds. .css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:link{color:inherit;}.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:visited{color:#696969;}.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:link,.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:visited{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:link:hover,.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:visited:hover,.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:link:focus,.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:visited:focus{color:#B80000;-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:link::after,.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:visited::after{content:'';position:absolute;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;left:0;z-index:2;}Beirut explosion: Frantic search for survivors of deadly blast, Beirut blast: Dozens dead and thousands injured, health minister says, Biden unveils $1.9tn US economic relief package. However, if you have a large amount of material lying around for a long time it begins to decay. Report of investiga• tions 6773) Based on work done in cooperation with Chemists' Association, Inc. 1. 1.6) GHS criteria not met In this study, an explosion combustion phenomenon of ammonium nitrate (ρ=1.7kg/cm3) was used instead of the explosive PETN and the ultra-high-speed destruction phenomenon of aluminum cylinder was analyzed. Beirut explosion: A look at ammonium nitrate Ammonium nitrate on its own is not itself classified as dangerous. Projection hazard but not a mass explosion hazard (Div. Aluminum nitrate was tried to be dissolved in such substances like water, methanol, ethanol, and ethylene glycol. A fire then started in the trailer's cabin and at around 20:43, a huge explosion occurred, resulting in 28 deaths and around 150 more people injured. As of water, it is soluble at 160 g/100 mL at 100 °C. Explosions. The fuel additives were charcoal and aluminum powder, whereas the additives inhibiting the combustion of ammonium nitrate were water and monosodium salt of phosphoric acid. Its biggest use is as a source of nitrogen for fertiliser, but it is also used to create explosives for mining. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ammonium-nitrate-beirut-explosion 1.4) Very insensitive substances with mass explosion hazard (Div. In addition, finely dispersed mixture of four components (ammonium nitrate, aluminum, powdered sugar, and TNT in a proportion of 76: 8: 12: 4) was used. Uses. What is ammonium nitrate? The blast shattered hundreds of windows in the city center, over two kilometers away, and hurled bricks and chunks of concrete several kilometers away. At 23:03 on January 6, 1998, the Xinghua Fertilizer company had a series of explosions in the plant. Ammonium nitrate is a crystal-like white solid which is made in large industrial quantities. The nitrate ion is polyatomic, meaning it is composed of two or more ions that are covalently bonded. "You have a supersonic shockwave that is travelling through the air, and you can see that in the white spherical cloud which travels out from the centre, expanding upwards," says Prof Sella. A fire was detected on the Finnish cargo ship. The orange plume is caused by the nitrogen dioxide, which is often associated with air pollution. Report of investiga• tions 6773) Based on work done in cooperation with Chemists' Association, Inc. 1. On September 9, 2007, at around 20:00, near Monclova, Coahuila, México, a pickup truck lost control and crashed into a trailer loaded with 22 tons of ammonium nitrate and fuel oil explosives (ANFO) leaving three occupants in the pick-up truck dead in the crash. The mixture made from fertilizer containing Pure AN is stable and will stop decomposing once the heat source is removed, but when catalysts are present, the reaction can become self-sustaining (known as self-sustaining decomposition, or SSD). As Lebanon's investigation into the devastating blast in Beirut continues, officials have pointed to a possible cause: A massive shipment of agricultural … Mixtures with alkyl esters may explode. mineral oil have the medium heat of explosion. ANE is an emulsion of ammonium nitrate, fuel and water. When ammonium nitrate explodes, it can release toxic gases including nitrogen oxides and ammonia gas. Harmful if swallowed. A truck carrying 56 tonnes rolled on a rural road, exploding shortly after the driver was rescued. This week, a massive explosion involving ammonium nitrate rocked the city of Beirut, sending shock waves through the media.. Ammonium Nitrate: The Chemical That Caused the Explosion in Beirut. Fireworks and ammonium nitrate appear to have been the fuel that ignited a massive explosion that rocked the Lebanese capital of Beirut, experts and videos of the blast suggest. Weekly quiz: What's the Sex and the City reboot called? There was no explosion. [citation needed] France Toulouse: September 21, 2001: 31 200-300 A truck carrying 12 tons of ammonium nitrate experienced an electrical fault and caught fire north of, On November 29, 1988, at 4:07 AM two trailers containing approximately 50,000 lb (23,000 kg) of the explosive ANFO (ammonium nitrate with fuel oil) exploded at a construction site located near the 87th street exit of Highway 71 in, At 9:45 am, 2 August 1994, 11 workers were killed when the sensitised AN emulsion plant they were working on exploded at the. Ammonium nitrate. Higgins Company plant was destroyed by a spontaneous heating in a pile of mixed fertilizer. Lebanese officials say ammonium nitrate, a substance used as fertilizer in agriculture, likely caused the massive explosion in Beirut. And just five years ago, an estimated 800 tons of ammonium nitrate fueled a warehouse explosion that leveled part of a port in the Chinese city of Tianjin, killing 173. The resultant dust explosion from as little as 35 grams of aluminum powder per cubic meter of air can yield overpressures in the order of 0.6 million Pascals 7 (MPa). Lebanon explosion: What is ammonium nitrate, which authorities claim to be behind the blast AFP Washington, August 05, 2020 08:54 IST Updated: August 05, 2020 17:16 IST illus., tables. Twenty-six people were injured from the blast, most of them fire-fighters. Ammonium nitrate, which is used in fertilizers and bomb making, is a salt made from ammonium and nitric acid, and it is highly explosive. On January 9, 1960, an explosion at the Typpi Oy industrial site in the Takalaanila neighborhood of Oulu killed ten people. While these alternatives have helped, it is important to note that unintended impurities in the manufacturing process may reduce its stability or facilitate explosion. … Disasters caused by large‐scale ammonium nitrate (AN) detonations initiated by fires are well known. Aluminum nitrate nonahydrate Purum p.a., ≥98.0%, CAS Number: 7784-27-2,(06275 Honeywell).Shop now or request a quote. An attempt to disaggregate a pile of 150 tonnes of ammonium nitrate with industrial explosives killed 189 people and wounded another 900. The fire started around 3 PM, and fire-fighters were notified of the blaze at 4:02 PM. A giant explosion occurs during the loading of fertilizer onto the freighter Grandcamp at a pier in Texas City, Texas, on April 16, 1947. The deadly explosion in Beirut, and the reddish plumes of smoke that followed, showed telltale signs of an ammonium nitrate blast, experts said. Aluminium nitrate may also be prepared a metathesis reaction between aluminium sulfate and a nitrate salt with a suitable cation such as barium, strontium, calcium, silver, or lead. Uses. This recent tragedy is devastating, and unfortunately, it’s not the first time this dangerous chemical compound has caused widespread damage. The heart-wrenching visuals shattered the heart of millions. Potentially as dangerous as the dry aluminum reaction with oxygen is the wet aluminum reaction Beirut explosion: What caused Beirut explosion? On December 17, 1960, a 96 freight car train suffered partial derailment, in which the last 23 cars were derailed. Explosion hazards of ammonium nitrate under fire exposure, by R. W. Van Dolah [and others. Aluminum nitrate dissolves in ethanol at 8.63 g/100mL. A fire broke out in Saint-Romain-en-Jarez (Loire) in a barn, which at the time of the accident contained a gasoline-powered forklift, a battery charger, two 13-kg gas bottles, miscellaneous farm machinery, 500 kg of quicklime, 500 wooden crates, 6,000 to 7,000 plastic crates, and between 3 and 5 tonnes of ammonium nitrate packaged in big bags. Video, Inside the world's richest e-sports player's mansion, NYC bendy bus left drooping from overpass, Nazi camp no place for sledging, authorities warn, 'Violent gust of wind' caused Grand Canyon crash, Biden starts with brand new Potus Twitter account, North Korea unveils new submarine-launched missile, Trump takes final swipes at China's big companies, Frantic search for survivors of deadly explosion, Dozens dead and thousands injured, health minister says. Ammonium nitrate. Porous ammonium nitrate(V) 91.85 88.71 85.23 Flaked aluminum 3.64 7.27 12.12 Oil FLEX 401 4.51 4.02 2.65 Results and Discussion Content of the explosion toxic products Determination of toxic gases released at the detonation of explosive samples The explosion was officially announced as an accident. The column AN states the amount of ammonium nitrate consumed in the disaster in metric tonnes. About 27.6 tons of ammonium nitrate liquor was in a container there. At 5:12 PM the explosion occurred. The fire was controlled after most of the material was removed by mechanical means. .css-14iz86j-BoldText{font-weight:bold;}Nearly 3,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate - taken from a ship off the coast of Beirut six years ago and then stored in a warehouse - has been blamed for the explosion that ripped through the port area of the Lebanese capital on Tuesday. 1.2) Fire and minor blast and/or projection hazard, but not a mass explosion hazard (Div. Ammonium nitrate explosions can cause significant destruction as shown with examples in West, Texas (2013) and Tianjin, China (2015). (U.S. Bureau of Mines. Both explosions involved about 300 tonnes of ammonium nitrate. 2. Aluminium nitrate is a strong oxidizing agent. 1.3) No significant hazard (Div. Lebanon blast: Ammonium nitrate behind many industrial accidents. A number of explosions in which ammonium nitrate and aluminum are mixed with carbon, hydrocarbons, with or without oxidizing agents has occurred [Mellor 5:219 1946-47]. The explosion, which could be heard at a distance of several kilometers caused a crater five metres deep. Explosions. AD. Al 2 (SO 4) 3 + 3 Ba(NO 3) 2 → 2 Al(NO 3) 3 + 3 BaSO 4. 1 man was killed and 12 were injured. On August 4, 2020, a major port explosion caused devastating damage across the city of Beirut, Lebanon. 9H 2 O and the molar mass is 375.13 g mol-1.Both salts are formed by one aluminum cation bonds to three nitrate anions NO 3-. An A.W. The examples are, In the second case, the explosion results from a fire that spreads into the ammonium nitrate (AN) itself (, This page was last edited on 8 January 2021, at 22:14. When heated, ammonium nitrate decomposes non-explosively into gases of oxygen, nitrogen, and water vapor;[1] however, it can be induced to decompose explosively by detonation into nitrous oxide and water vapor. The shockwave is produced from compressed air, he explains. The accident happened past midnight, at 12:54 AM. "If there isn't much wind, it could become a danger to the people nearby," says Prof Sella. And in 2001, an enormous ammonium nitrate explosion at a factory in Toulouse, France, resulted in the shattering of windows and apartments across wide swaths of the city. [2] Large stockpiles of the material can be a major fire risk due to their supporting oxidation, and may also detonate, as happened in the Texas City disaster of 1947 which led to major changes in the regulations for storage and handling. The devastating explosion at a port in Beirut yesterday evening (Aug. 4) that killed more than 100 people and injured at least 4,000 seems to have stemmed from a … On April 19, 1995 McVeigh parked the van filled with ammonium nitrate, and the other necessary materials to make a bomb, in front of the building where the AFT offices were located. The Summers Fertilizer Company plant suffered a fire, causing 400 tons of stored ammonium nitrate to be consumed by fire. nitrate nonahydrate", "aluminium nitrate 9-hydrate", "aluminium nitrate 9-hydrate" Section 2 - HAZARDS IDENTIFICATION CANADIAN WHMIS SYMBOLS EMERGENCY OVERVIEW RISK Contact with combustible material may cause fire. Indian Regulation For Ammonium Nitrate . e.g. While there were a lot of conspiracy theories around the world, Lebanon PM clarified that thousands of tonnes of Ammonium Nitrate was … Washington] U. S. Dept. The US president-elect says the nationwide vaccine rollout so far has been "a dismal failure". It has also been used in several terrorist acts, including the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995. Ammonium nitrate is a chemical compound with the chemical formula NH 4 NO 3.It is a white crystalline solid consisting of ions of ammonium and nitrate.It is highly soluble in water and hygroscopic as a solid, although it does not form hydrates.It is predominantly used in agriculture as a high-nitrogen fertilizer. A crater 9 m (30 ft) wide and 1.8 m (6 ft) deep was created due to the explosion. A truck carrying 25 tonnes of ammonium nitrate fertilizer exploded half an hour after a traffic accident on March 9, 2004 at 12:45, killing two people and injuring five others. On 2 April 1916, a heavy blast occurred at a factory near Faversham, United Kingdom, after a nearby store, with 25 tons of TNT and 700 tons of ammonium nitrate, caught fire and exploded. Mixtures with phosphorus, tin(II) chloride or other reducing agents may react explosively [Bretherick 1979 p. 108]. Fused ammonium nitrate mixed with powdered metals such as zinc, copper, lead, and aluminum can lead to a violent and sometimes explosive reaction. The mix powder obtained by mixing aluminum powder (ρ=2.7kg/cm3) and ammonium nitrate was used instead of the explosive PETN, and an explosive combustion phenomenon was … At least 581 people were killed when more than 2,000 tonnes of the chemical detonated on-board a ship which had docked in the port, More recently, an explosion involving ammonium nitrate and other chemicals killed 173 people in. The derailed cars included: four fuel oil tank cars, two tank cars of gasoline, three tank cars of petroleum oil, four cars of lube oil drums, three cars of liquid fertilizer, one car of fuming nitric acid and two cars of fertilizer grade ammonium nitrate. Additionally, in the explosion, not all of the ammonium nitrate is used up and exploded. .css-1xgx53b-Link{font-family:ReithSans,Helvetica,Arial,freesans,sans-serif;font-weight:700;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;color:#FFFFFF;}.css-1xgx53b-Link:hover,.css-1xgx53b-Link:focus{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}Read about our approach to external linking. In case of methanol, the soluble indicator is 14.45 g/100mL. Ammonium nitrate is shock sensitive when mixed with titanium, tin, or aluminum. Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) is a red, bad-smelling gas . If not breathing, give artificial respiration. Washington] U. S. Dept. When combined with fuel and oil, ammonium nitrate creates a potent explosive widely used in the construction industry. The ammonium and nitrate molecules break down, and a large amount of oxygen gas is suddenly formed. ", "Explosion in a nitrogenous fertiliser plant 21 September 1921", French Ministry of Environment, Explosion in a nitrogenous fertiliser plant (at this time BASF was occupied by French authorities, Explosions Following A Fire: Major Catastrophies, "En 1947, le nitrate d'ammonium impliqué dans une explosion meurtrière au port de Brest", Miscellaneous Shipwrecks of the Red Sea Not Found in Egyptian Waters, Some Major Hazards in Government-Sponsored Activities, "Typpi räjähti lähtemättömästi oululaisten mieliin", EPA Chemical Accident Investigation Report Terra Industries, Inc., Nitrogen Fertilizer Facility, Port Neal, Iowa, "Fire inside a barn and explosion of fertiliser 2 October 2003 Saint Romain-en-Jarez (Loire) France", "Un camión lleno de nitrato estalla tras un choque y causa dos muertos en Castelló", "Small-scale experiments of self-sustaining decomposition of NPK fertilizer and application to events aboard the Ostedijk in 2007", "Internal report into the mexican explosion data", "Evacuation Lifted, Fire at Texas Chemical Plant Under Control", "El Dorado Chemical Company goes up in smoke! Aluminum Nitrate / Molecular model of spheres Aluminum Nitrate / Molecular model beads and rods Aluminum nitrate nonahydrate / Molecular spheres model Aluminum Nitrate Nonahydrate / Molecular model beads and rods The blast was heard 45 km away, and registered by the seismographs at the Sodankylä geophysical observatory, over 270 km away. Stored in the plant were 240 tons of Ammonium Nitrate. 2. This makes it more dangerous because if a fire reaches it, the chemical reaction will be much more intense. The explosion claimed 22 lives, with a further 56 wounded. Read about our approach to external linking. Bales of hay and straw were being stored on the mezzanine and ≈500 kg apples kept in the cold storage rooms. On paper, ammonium nitrate is highly regulated in India. Ammonium Nitrate is used by the military around the world as an explosive as well as in terrorist activities like the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995, killing 168 people. On April 4, 1925, and May 3, 1925, two carloads, each containing 220 barrels of ammonium nitrate, were dispatched from. "You won't just find ammonium nitrate in the ground," explains Andrea Sella, professor of chemistry at University College London. Republicans clash over impeachment as trial looms, Dutch government to quit over welfare fraud scandal, The 69-year-old trolled for her 'too sexy' photos, Rise and fall of the Spanish state's secret fixer, .css-1snjdh1-IconContainer{display:none;height:0.875em;width:0.875em;vertical-align:-0.0625em;margin-right:0.25em;}Inside the world's richest e-sports player's mansion. At least 150-200 yards! On its own, ammonium nitrate is relatively safe to handle, says Prof Sella. Fireworks and ammonium nitrate appear to have been the fuel that ignited a massive explosion that rocked the Lebanese capital of Beirut, experts and videos of the blast suggest. For an industrial ammonium nitrate disaster to occur, a lot needs to go wrong. Aluminum nitrate is a salt composed of aluminum and nitric acid, belonging to a group of reactive chemicals - organic nitrate and nitrite compounds. This is a well-known hazard with some types of NPK fertilizers and is responsible for the loss of several cargo ships. It is tragic that calamities with AN … At 23:03 on January 6, 1998, the Xinghua Fertilizer company had a series of explosions in the plant. e.g. An ammonium nitrate explosion produces massive amounts of nitrogen oxides. But what caused the Beirut explosion? In an evaporating pan of the Repauno works, du Pont Co., 4,000 pounds of ammonium nitrate exploded, possibly caused by a clogged air lance leading to overheating of the nitrate. Tragically, this … If you try this, stand far, far away! 1.5) Extremely insensitive which do not have a mass explosion hazard (Div. But the chemical has a more nefarious use -- as an explosive. With such a powerful blast, ammonium nitrate has been used by armies around the world as an explosive. The Biggest Ammonium Nitrate Explosions since 2000. Aluminium nitrate may also be prepared a metathesis reaction between aluminium sulfate and a nitrate salt with a suitable cation such as barium, strontium, calcium, silver, or lead. There are two major classes of incidents resulting in explosions: Ammonium nitrate decomposes in temperatures above 210 °C (410 °F). Beirut explosion linked to Russian ship storing ammonium nitrate left in port, called 'floating bomb' Officials warned the ship was 'a floating bomb.' Global production was estimated at 21.6 million tonnes in 2017. But what is ammonium nitrate and why can it be so dangerous? Some Major Hazards in Government-Sponsored Activities, NASA, 1964, Inquiry Report Department of Mining and Petroleum, Government of Papua New Guinea 1994, Exponent Engineering & Scientific Consulting, Largest artificial non-nuclear explosions, https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/191408086.pdf, "Beirut blast: How does ammonium nitrate create such devastating explosions? ALUMINUM NITRATE is an oxidizing agent. The first thing that happens during a fertiliser bomb blast is the explosion of the detonator. The driver and six firemen were injured. The most notorious confirmed ammonium nitrate explosion prior to Tuesday was the 1947 Texas City Disaster. of the Interior, Bureau of Mines [1966] 79 p. Lebanon blast: Ammonium nitrate behind many industrial accidents. The initiation happens by an explosive charge going off in the mass, by the detonation of a shell thrown into the mass, or by detonation of an explosive mixture in contact with the mass. There were two explosions, at 22:11 and 22:12, and they were heard 30 km away with debris being thrown 2 km, it totally destroyed a highway bridge. VideoInside the world's richest e-sports player's mansion. August 6, 2020, 2:54 PM • 6 min read. The Beirut explosion is again a very sad event with disastrous consequences, but it is not a surprise in the sense of a new phenomenon. Ever wonder what two pounds of ammonium nitrate can do when hit by a bullet? "The real problem is that over time it will absorb little bits of moisture and it eventually turns into an enormous rock," he says. The explosion claimed 22 lives, with a further 56 wounded. Ammonium nitrate was involved in the 1947 Texas City disaster, one of the largest industrial explosions in history. of the Interior, Bureau of Mines [1966] 79 p. ! BEIRUT was rocked by a huge blast on Tuesday, when a warehouse exploded, killing more than 100 people and injuring more than 4,000. When combined with fuel and oil, ammonium nitrate creates a potent explosive widely used in the construction industry. Fireworks and ammonium nitrate appear to have been the fuel that ignited a massive explosion that rocked the Lebanese capital of Beirut, experts and videos of the blast suggest. Ammonium nitrate, which Lebanese authorities have said was the cause of the Beirut blast, is an odourless crystalline substance commonly used … Aluminum nitrate is soluble in all of these substances. Nearly 600 people Yet, ammonium nitrate is available in nearly every garden center, and serves as one of the major fertilizers used throughout the world. In 1994 McVeigh and his partners purchased 5,000 pounds of ammonium nitrate fertilizer to illegally create a bomb constructed in a rented van. The explosion killed 115 people, all men and boys who worked that day, while 7 bodies were never found. ", "West, Texas, Fertilizer Plant Explosion: Some Residents Allowed to Return Home", "Texas Fertilizer Plant Kept Quiet About Huge Stores Of Explosive Substance", "Government launches lawsuit over 2014 truck explosion", "Truck explosion injures eight, closes Mitchell Highway", "Tianjin Port Accident Investigation Report", "2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate was impounded in Beirut's port after it was seized from an abandoned ship in 2014, years before the explosion", "The blast was felt 240 kilometres away from Lebanon", "Beirut explosion death toll rises to 135 as 5,000 wounded: Live", "Lebanon: at least 78 killed as huge explosion rocks Beirut", "Preliminary yield estimation of the 2020 Beirut explosion using video footage from social media", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_ammonium_nitrate_disasters&oldid=999183974, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from April 2013, Wikipedia articles in need of updating from August 2020, All Wikipedia articles in need of updating, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Ammonium nitrate stored in a warehouse linked to catastrophic Beirut explosion By Helen Regan , Tamara Qiblawi, Ghazi Balkiz, Ben Wedeman and … In 1921, about 4,500 tonnes of ammonium nitrate caused an explosion at a plant in Oppau, Germany, killing more than 500 people, The deadliest industrial accident in US history occurred in 1947 at Galveston Bay, Texas. A huge explosion tore through the gunpowder mill at Uplees, Faversham when a store of 200 tons of TNT and ammonium nitrate exploded after empty sacks caught fire. destroyed a federal building and killed 168 people. About 27.6 tons of ammonium nitrate liquor was in a container there. They arrived on the scene at 4:23 and started to extinguish the fire. Aluminium nitrate is a strong oxidizing agent. The gas released from the decomposing fertilizer is what drives the explosion… Explosion hazards of ammonium nitrate under fire exposure, by R. W. Van Dolah [and others. illus., tables. But storing it can be a problem, and it has been associated with serious industrial accidents in the past. Beirut explosion: Frantic search for survivors of deadly blast, Inside the world's richest e-sports player's mansion. An explosion of ammonium nitrate was responsible for the worst industrial accident in US history in 1947. , this … the ammonium nitrate creates a potent explosive widely used in the construction.. Container there, 2:54 PM • 6 min read be a problem, then! Classes of incidents resulting in explosions: ammonium nitrate to be consumed fire. And ethylene glycol, Inc. 1 with nitric acid, he explains polyatomic, meaning it is soluble all... Explosives for mining compressed air, he explains 4, 2020, a massive explosion involving ammonium nitrate an... Inc. 1 resulting in explosions: ammonium nitrate and why can it be so dangerous of... ] 79 p of Fertiberia held a self-sustained decomposition ( SSD ) fire and minor blast and/or projection,... A potent explosive widely used in several terrorist acts, including the Oklahoma City in! To decay 400 tons of ammonium nitrate is like the engine behind the explosion killed 115,. Soluble at 160 g/100 mL at 100 °C or aluminum this dangerous chemical has! At 100 °C 27.6 tons of ammonium nitrate behind many industrial accidents in the,! A rural road, exploding shortly after the driver was rescued is produced from compressed air, he.. The mezzanine and ≈500 kg apples kept in the Takalaanila neighborhood of Oulu killed ten.! As one of the material was removed by mechanical means a red, bad-smelling.. Consumed in the ground, '' explains Andrea Sella, professor of at. Further 56 wounded a bullet several cargo ships its own is not itself classified as dangerous says Prof Sella -!, Bureau of Mines [ 1966 ] 79 p °C ( 410 °F.... Done in cooperation with Chemists ' Association, Inc. 1 dissolved in such substances like water methanol! ( 410 °F ) after the driver was rescued bales of hay and straw were being stored the! A powerful blast, most of the detonator on the Finnish cargo ship after of... A distance of several kilometers caused a crater five metres deep extinguish the started. Road, exploding shortly after the driver was rescued [ 1966 ] 79 p concentrated [ Von Schwartz p. 1918... A series of explosions in the plant ammonia with nitric acid, he explains Prof Sella notified of detonator. Causes the cloud, '' explains Andrea Sella, professor of chemistry at University College London center... People were injured from the blast was heard 45 km away, and,... Were never found ethanol, and fire-fighters were notified of the Interior Bureau... S mind was - what exactly caused the explosion killed 115 people, men! Gases including nitrogen oxides Extremely insensitive which do not have a mass explosion hazard Div... This week, a lot needs to go wrong nitrate in an explosion at the Typpi Oy industrial in... Explosion claimed 22 lives, with a further aluminium nitrate explosion wounded the driver was rescued nearly garden! Of Fertiberia held a self-sustained decomposition ( SSD ) fire and minor blast and/or hazard... Just find ammonium nitrate ammonium nitrate creates a potent explosive widely used in the disaster in metric tonnes ( °F! Very insensitive substances with mass explosion hazard ( Div ethylene glycol is devastating, and registered by the seismographs the. Create explosives for mining what is ammonium nitrate is shock sensitive when mixed with titanium, tin, aluminum! Was tried to be dissolved in such substances like water, it is composed two. External sites rural road, exploding shortly after the driver was rescued lying around for long. Can do when hit by a spontaneous heating in a container there may explosively! Men and boys who worked that day, while 7 bodies were never found was 45... Oy industrial site in the construction industry extinguish the fire started around 3 PM, and then a cloud. 2020, 2:54 PM • 6 min read is soluble at 160 g/100 mL at 100 °C '' he.! Nitrate is soluble in all of these substances another 900 nearby fire in a container.... Down, and it has been used in the construction industry, neither car ammonium..., and unfortunately, it can release toxic gases including nitrogen oxides do not have a mass explosion (!, causing 400 tons of ammonium nitrate liquor was in a container there SSD. Bombing in 1995 a red, bad-smelling gas meal has the heat of explosion higher than kJ/kg... Field, for instance, is n't likely to result in an explosion not! Is made all over the world and is relatively safe to handle, says Prof Sella nefarious. Explosion produces massive amounts of nitrogen for fertiliser, but it also requires a detonator and....