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3.0     EXPLOSIVE RECIPES

3.01   EXPLOSIVES, a foreword from Today's Chemist

                              Behind the bang

                          by Robert T. Martinott

                 [_Today's Chemist_, April 1991, p.15 ff]
                      Reproduced without permission.


     Ever since Prometheus bestowed the gift of fire on the human race, we
have been learning more ingenious ways of making it work for us.  Naturally
occurring combustibles such as wood, peat, coal and oil provided warmth and
light in ice age caves, fueled the busy forges of the Bronze and Iron ages,
and eventually powered our modern world.  But these slow-burning fuels were
just sources of heat without the technology to convert thermal energy to
mechanical force - and without the constant presence of oxygen-rich air
they wouldn't burn at all.

Either by accident or by genius, gunpowder appeared in Asia during the
Middle Ages.  It was unique in that it contained oxygen and fuel in
proportions that would support and almost instantaneous combustion in an
enclosed, airless space.  In a fraction of a second, gas - several thousand
times the volume of the original mixture - was generated in an explosive
expansion that could exert a direct mechanical force sufficient to drive a
projectile out of a gun or burst almost any sealed enclosure that contained
it.

THE BIG BANG

Gunpowder, or more accurately black powder, was apparently first used in
fireworks; a description of "Roman candles" appears in Sung dynasty annals
in China during the thirteenth century.  There is also evidence that the
Chinese fired rockets at invading Mongols in 1232.  At about the same time,
saltpeter, the basic ingredient of gunpowder, was mentioned in the writings
of Abd Allah, an Arabian.

Europeans were quick to recognize the potential for good and evil in
gunpowder after Roger Bacon published its formula in 1242.  Originally
called meal powder, black powder was a simple mechanical mixture of
approximately 75 percent saltpeter (potassium nitrate), 15 percent
charcoal, and 10 percent sulfur.  The key to its unique properties was that
the fuels (charcoal and sulfur) were in close association with saltpeter,
which contains 3000 times the oxygen (for a given volume) as air.

Far from clean burning, black powder generates a lot of dense smoke and
fouling residue.  The permanent gases formed are principally carbon
dioxide, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen.  The solid products are potassium
carbonate, potassium sulfate, and potassium mono- and higher sulfides that,
with some uncombined carbon, total nearly 56 percent of the original weight
of the powder.

Effective combustion of meal powder depended to a large extent on how
intimately its constituents could be held together in the mixture.  It was
soon found that even if the powder was well pulverized and mixed, uneven

settling caused erratic combustion, so by the 1500s meal powder had been
replaced by an improved, granulated product called corned powder.  This was
made from the same basic ingredients, ground as finely as possible, and
then moistened and mixed to form cakes.  The dried cakes were crushed,
ground, and sifted into granules of uniform size that ensured reliable and
predictable combustion.  Corned powder became the standard form of black
powder until well into the nineteenth century.

Although black powder was used in European warfare for 300 years, there is
no record of any more constructive application until 1613, when Martin
Weigel is reported to have used it to excavate ore by drilling and blasting
in Freiburg, Germany.  That technique became widespread in Europe for
mining and road building, and by 1705 it was in use across the ocean in the
copper mines at Simsbury, CT.

Colonists in the American wilderness relied on black powder imported from
England for hunting and protection-- so much so that when the Revolutionary
War began, they wore caught short in spite of efforts to increase domestic
production.  During the war, many small mills sprang up in remote areas
and, by the time it ended, the United States was almost self-sufficient in
black powder of poor to moderate quality.  High-grade powders came mainly
from France, where Antoine Lavoisier and his assistant, Eleuthere Irenee du
Pont, were the reigning experts in its manufacture.

After the French Revolution cost Lavoisier his head, du Pont emigrated to
the United States, where Thomas Jefferson urged him to form a company that
could manufacture black powder.  The first of many Du Pont mills were built
on the banks of Brandywine Creek in 1802, and in 1804, its first year of
commercial production, it manufactured about 11000 lbs. of black powder.
The founding of the Du Pont powder company is often marked as the birth of
the chemical industry in this country.

American black powder production reached 1,397,000 lbs. in 1810.  The war
of 1812 led Du Pont to capital expenditures and overproduction that almost
ruined the company; however, Du Pont subsequently became the country's
largest explosives producer and its biggest chemical company.

As the young country expanded westward, the demand for black powder grew as
well.  Markets improved, as did product quality.  In spite of the superior
blasting agents and propellants that began to appear in the second half of
the 1800s, use of black powder continued to grow steadily from 25 million
lbs. in 1850 to a peak of 277 million lbs. in 1917.  As late as 1950,
demand was still 20.7 million lbs.

HIGH EXPLOSIVES

For all its smoke, noise, and destructive force, black powder is about as
slow-burning as an explosive can be.  In fact it does not even detonate; it
only deflagrates, meaning that it does not generate s significant shock
wave but just pushes things around.  In a detonation the chemical reaction
moves through the explosive material at a velocity greater than the speed
of sound through the same material.  The definitive characteristic of this
chemical reaction is that it is initiated by, and in turn, supports a
supersonic shock wave proceeding through the explosive.  An arbitrary
figure of 3000 feet per second (fps) is the accepted dividing line between

a deflagration and a detonation.  Deflagration is fine in a gun, where the
last thing you want is a detonation, and for the soft blasting required in
the quarrying of decorative stone.  But for heavy blasting, such as the
need to shatter a great mass of rock into fine aggregate, a high explosive
is needed-- or, more accurately, an explosive that produces a high-velocity
shock wave in the 15000 to 20000 fps range.  For blasting caps and boosters
and also for military applications such as artillery shells, even higher
velocities are needed.

The development of high explosives and superior propellants started in 1832
when a French chemist, Branconnet, made the first crude nitrocellulose.
But it was not until 1845 that nitrocellulose in the modern sense was
developed by Christian Schoenbein of Basel, Switzerland.  Made by the
action of concentrated nitric acid on the cellulose fibers of cotton in the
presence of sulfuric acid, the final product, which differs little in
appearance from the original cotton, was called guncotton, the first
molecular explosive.

Guncotton proved to be a very violent explosive, and its instability led to
many spontaneous detonations.  Some years later Frederick Abel stabilized
guncotton to make it Britain's most widely used explosive before dynamite.
The material continued to be used well into the twentieth century for
military purposes, and it is still the basic stuff of smokeless powder.

Nitroglycerin arrived on the scene in 1846 when Ascanio Sobrero of Italy
invented a process that involved running water-free glycerin into a cooled
mixture of nitric acid and sulfuric acid.  Known at the time as "blasting
oil," the compound was so dangerous that Sobrero himself warned against its
use.

In 1866 Alfred Nobel invented dynamite, allegedly as the result of an
accident while he was trying to solve the problems involved in the handling
of nitroglycerin.  He discovered that nitroglycerin mixed with kieselgurh,
a diatomaceous earth, produced a stable, sawdust-like material that he
called Nobel's Safety Powder, the first dynamite.  The suggestion that the
discovery was an accident was a constant irritant to Nobel, who denied it
vehemently.

In 1871, the first Nobel dynamite company was formed in Scotland in spite
of an Act of Parliment that forbade the manufacture, import, sale or
transport in Great Britain of nitroglycerin or any products containing it.
That move, coupled with the founding, two years later, of Brunner, Mond to
manufacture potash by the Solvay process, represented the foundation of the
modern British chemical industry and ultimately led to the formation of
Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) in 1926.

Ironically, the key to modern propellants and better explosives has been in
existence almost as long as nitrocellulose itself.  The material (actually
pyroxylin, which is a less completely nitrated and much tamer form of
nitrocellulose) was found to be soluble in a mixture of alcohol and ether.
The discovery was quickly used in the development of collodion coatings for
photographic plates and led to the invention of celluloid by John Wesley
Hyatt in 1863.  These developments showed that nitrocellulose could be made
into gels and impermeable solids, but its significant relation to gunpowder
and explosives was not immediately recognized.


The first use of collodion in explosives came in 1875 as the result of
Nobel's search for an active agent to replace the inert material in
dynamite.  Made by dissolving collodion in nitroglycerin, blasting gelatin
was relatively cheap to make, insensitive to shock, and moisture-resistant
enough to allow it to be used underwater.

Although dynamite remained the primary industrial explosive until about
1960, materials more suitable for military use were available before the
turn of the century.  Picric acid (trinitrophenol) was the most common high
explosive for artillery shells until the creation of TNT (trinitrotoluene).
A coal tar derivative, picric acid was commonly used as a yellow dye until
a terrible explosion in a Manchester dye house called attention to its
dangerous properties.

TNT, another coal tar derivative, is an excellent high explosive but has
been replace by improved products such as PETN (pentaerythritol
tetranitrate) and RDX (cyclotrimethylene trinitramine).  Industrial
applications for PETN are mainly in specialty products such as high-
velocity detonating devices, whereas RDX is a devastating military
explosive with a detonation velocity as high as 27000 fps.

AMMONIUM NITRATE

First synthesized in 1659, ammonium nitrate's high oxygen content and low
cost led to its use as a fertilizer and also as an oxidizer in dynamite.
The first nonnitroglycerin ammonium nitrate blasting agent was introduced
by Du Pont in 1935.  Ahead of its time, the product did little to
revolutionize the industry.  But then something happened that did:  In
april 1947, a ship full of ammonium nitrate fertilizer exploded with
devastating force in Texas City, TX.  The blast took 561 lives, caused
tremendous property damage, and left US industry in shock, not only because
of the loss of life and property, but because ammonium nitrate, by itself,
is not an explosive.

It was later discovered that the explosion had been triggered by a
shipboard fire that was unrelated to the fertilizer.  The fertilizer had
been waterproofed with a petroleum-derivative wax that acted as a
sensitizer (fuel) for the oxygen-rich ammonium nitrate.  The mixture
constituted a powerful but extremely insensitive explosive that was
initiated by a series of events caused by the fire.

Explosives makers and users had become aware of the potential of ammonium
nitrate as a low-cost replacement for dynamite, and they began to
experiment with various combinations.  Fuel oil was found to be an
excellent and easily mixed sensitizer, and ANFO (ammonium nitrate-fuel
oil), a cheap, safe nonnitroglycerin blasting agent, was born.

The very insensitivity that made ANFO so safe to handle caused problems
that slowed its acceptance:  It could not be reliably detonated with the
low-energy initiators that were designed for dynamite and, perhaps more
important at the time, it would not sustain a detonation in the small-
diameter boreholes that were common in the 1950s.  To make matters worse,
it was very hygroscopic and required special packaging to prevent contact
with moisture.


Economics quickly forced a change in drilling procedures to accommodate
ANFO, and high-energy boosters soon became readily available.  In 1956,
Melvin A. Cook demonstrated a water-based ANFO slurry that was potent,
cost-effective, safe, and able to be pumped directly into water-filled
holes.  The old adage, "keep your powder dry," was no longer valid.

Emulsion products, patented by Atlas Powder Co. in 1969, brought AN
explosives to maturity.  Emulsions enhance the velocity of ANFO and can be
mixed and blended to suit specific applications.  Low cost, excellent
performance, and superior safety characteristics are a hard combination to
beat, and in 1989, US consumption of ANFO and related ammonium nitrate
products reached 4.64 billion lbs., or 96.6 percent of the total industrial
explosives market.

GUNPOWDER DEVELOPMENT

In comparison with modern high explosives, black powder is slow burning and
underpowered but highly suitable for use as a propellant.  Those
characteristics and the combative nature of human beings meant that guns,
and even rockets, appeared on the scene long before black powder was used
for mining and other more peaceful applications.

The period of the Hundred Years' War in Europe (1337-1453) was to firearms
development what World War I was to aircraft design.  Before it began there
were a few primitive guns, and the English under Edward III are said to
have used cannons at the Battle of Crecy and siege of Calais (1346-47).
Although the guns are said to have frightened the horses, there is no
evidence that they had any influence on the outcome of either conflict.

By 1375, however, artillery was already becoming an effective weapon when
some forty "engines" of various sizes were used by the French against an
English stronghold on the Normandy coast.  The guns were not quite powerful
enough to breach the massive castle walls, but the defenders were kept
bottled up in the towers.

By the end of the war, giant siege guns had been developed, some capable of
firing granite cannonballs weighing a thousand pounds.  The guns were
sometimes to big and heavy that they had to be cast in workshops erected on
the battlefield.  Small arms design had evolved from a crude hand cannon
that looked like a beer mug and had all the technical sophistication of a
drain pipe to the matchlock, a workable (albeit clumsy) design that was
adopted by every European army.

In the next hundred years rifling was introduced, the wheel lock was
invented, and, by 1615, the flintlock had been fully developed.  A safe,
simple, and reliable arm, the flintlock was far superior to previous
designs and remained the standard action for military muskets until after
the Napoleonic Wars.  A little-known fact is that many of the early guns,
both hand cannon and larger pieces, were breechloaders.  There were
repeaters as early as 1645, but the single-shot, smoothbore muzzleloader
remained the predominant military weapon because it was simpler and safer,
and no one saw much value in increasing the firepower or accuracy of the
individual infantryman.


REFINEMENTS

In the nineteenth century, firearms development accelerated with the
introduction of percussion ignition, metallic cartridges, bolt- and lever-
action repeaters, single- and double-action revolvers, and even the Gatling
gun.  But smoky, foul-smelling, barrel-clogging black powder was still the
only propellant.

When the smoke cleared, nitrocellulose and nitroglycerin were leading the
way to powerful new explosives, but proved to be far too fast burning and
violent for use in guns.  In an early attempt to solve the problem, major
E. Schultze of Prussia made a useful nitrolignin propellant by nitrating
fine wood chips with barium and potassium nitrates.  Gunpowder as we know
it appeared in 1884 when French government chemist Paul Vieille used
solvents to reduce guncotton to a gelatinous colloid.  When dried and cut
into flakes, his process yielded a clean-burning, single-base (one active
ingredient) "smokeless" powder.  Early nitrocellulose gunpowder, like
guncotton, had a tendency to deteriorate in storage; spontaneous
detonations were common until stabilizers such as diphenylamine were
introduced.

In 1886 Alfred Nobel colloided approximately 60 percent nitrocellulose with
40 percent nitroglycerin and a little camphor to make a double-base (two
active ingredients) smokeless powder called ballistite.  Shortly afterward,
English chemists Frederick Abel and James Dewar introduced another double-
base (37 percent nitrocellulose, 58 percent nitroglycerin, and 5 percent
mineral jelly) powder.  The product was called cordite because it was not
granulated like other powders but was made in strands like very fine
spaghetti.  Chemically, cordite was similar enough to ballistite to spark a
lengthy patent infringement suit that Nobel lost in 1895.

Ironically, the British formulation was later revised to resemble
ballistite even more closely, because the original cordite's high
nitroglycerin content had caused extremely high temperatures and severe
barrel-erosion problems during the Boer War (1899-1902).

The first smokeless powder military rifle in the US was the Winchester-Lee
6 mm, straight-pull rifle used by the Navy in 1895, and in 1909 the US
finally adopted Du Pont-developed single-base powders as standard for all
its military requirements.  The original rifle powder was called Pyro D.G.
from its three ingredients: pyroxylin, diphenylamine, and graphite.  Today
a typical single-base formulation might be pyroxylin, DNT (dinitrotoluene)
as a deterrent coating, diphenylamine as stabilizer, potassium sulfate to
inhibit muzzle flash, ethyl acetate as the solvent, and a graphite glaze.
Instead of the formerly used corrosive fulminate of mercury, a typical
primer formulation might contain lead styphnate (lead trinitroesorcinate),
antimony sulfide, barium nitrate, and calcium silicide.

Both single- and double-base powders are still the standard propellants for
guns of all sizes around the world.  With few exceptions they have a much
lower energy content than the nineteenth-century originals, but their
advanced cool-burning characteristics have allowed improved cartridge
design that gives far greater performance.



     Robert T. Martinott, a former art director and associate managing
     editor of _Chemical Week_ magazine, now writes about computers,
     plastics, and other facets of the chemical industry for various
     publications.

--

      Once again, persons reading this material MUST NEVER ATTEMPT TO PRODUCE
ANY OF THE EXPLOSIVES DESCRIBED HEREIN. IT IS ILLEGAL AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS
TO ATTEMPT TO DO SO. LOSS OF LIFE AND/OR LIMB COULD EASILY OCCUR AS A RESULT
OF ATTEMPTING TO PRODUCE EXPLOSIVE MATERIALS.

     These recipes are theoretically correct, meaning that an individual
could conceivably produce the materials described. The methods here are usually
scaled-down industrial procedures.



3.02     EXPLOSIVE THEORY

     An explosive is any material that, when ignited by heat or shock,
undergoes rapid decomposition or oxidation.  This process releases energy that
is stored in the material in the form of heat and light, or by breaking down
into gaseous compounds that occupy a much larger volume that the original piece
of material.  Because this expansion is very rapid, large volumes of air are
displaced by the expanding gasses.  This expansion occurs at a speed greater
than the speed of sound, and so a sonic boom occurs.  This explains the
mechanics behind an explosion.  Explosives occur in several forms: high-order
explosives which detonate, low order explosives, which burn, and primers, which
may do both.

    High order explosives detonate. A detonation occurs only in a high
order explosive. Detonations are usually incurred by a shockwave that passes
through a block of the high explosive material. The shockwave breaks apart
the molecular bonds between the atoms of the substance, at a rate approximately
equal to the speed of sound traveling through that material. In a high
explosive, the fuel and oxodizer are chemically bonded, and the shockwave breaks
apart these bonds, and re-combines the two materials to produce mostly gasses.
T.N.T., ammonium nitrate, and R.D.X. are examples of high order explosives.

    Low order explosives do not detonate; they burn, or undergo oxidation.
when heated, the fuel(s) and oxodizer(s) combine to produce heat, light, and
gaseous products. Some low order materials burn at about the same speed under
pressure as they do in the open, such as blackpowder. Others, such as gunpowder,
which is correctly called nitrocellulose, burn much faster and hotter when they
are in a confined space, such as the barrel of a firearm; they usually burn
much slower than blackpowder when they are ignited in unpressurized conditions.
Black powder, nitrocellulose, and flash powder are good examples of low order
explosives.

    Primers are peculiarities to the explosive field. Some of them,
such as mercury filminate, will function as a low or high order explosive.
They are usually more sensitive to friction, heat, or shock, than the high
or low explosives. Most primers perform like a high order explosive, except
that they are much more sensitive. Still others merely burn, but when they
are confined, they burn at a great rate and with a large expansion of
gasses and a shockwave. Primers are usually used in a small amount to
initiate, or cause to decompose, a high order explosive, as in an artillery
shell. But, they are also frequently used to ignite a low order explosive;
the gunpowder in a bullet is ignited by the detonation of its primer.


3.03     Power Table

Author: Keith Blackwell


    For those of you who want to know the relative sensitivities of
these things, here is a table compiled from various sources (note: values
are not exact, especially since they are taken from two different sources
which did not fully agree).

Name                    Sens.    Power    Velocity
Ammonium Nitrogen Iodide  NH3NI3    <1    NA    NA
Mercury fulminate            10    NA    5050
Nitroglycerine  (CH2)2CH(ONO2)3        13-30    160    5580
Lead azide                20    NA    5100
Lead styphnate                22    NA    5100
Nitrocellulose, dry  [C6H7N3O11]*n    23    NA    5300
PETN  C(CH2ONO2)4            40    165    5550
EDNA  (CH2NHNO2)2            50    NA    5910
RDX  ((CH2)3N2O3)3            55    165    6080
Tetryl  C6H2HCN3NO2(NO2)3        70    120    5600
Picric acid, pure  C6H2(NO2)3OH        100    100    5230
TNT  C6H2CH3(NO2)3            110    95    5000
Nitrocellulose, wet            120    NA    3960
Ammonium Picrate (Explosive D)        130    NA    4990

For reference, gunpowder (black powder) has a velocity of about 400 under
confinement.  Note that picric acid is considered the "base" value for
all others (that's why it's 100 sensitivity and 100 power).  Power is not
directly related to brisance.

    Values for nitrostarch, EGDN, TNCB, TNB, ANFO, Composition A,
and chlorate/petrolatum were not available to me.  Military Composition B
has a sensitivity of about 120; all C compositions (C-1 to C-4) have a
sensitivity of over 100 (exact values not known to me) and are exceptionally
brisant.

3.1     IMPACT EXPLOSIVES

     Impact explosives are often used as primers.  Of the ones discussed
here, only mercury fulminate and nitroglycerine are real explosives; Ammonium
triiodide crystals decompose upon impact, but they release little heat and no
light. Impact explosives are always treated with the greatest care, and even
the stupidest anarchist never stores them near any high or low explosives.



3.11    AMMONIUM TRIIODIDE CRYSTALS

      Ammonium triiodide crystals are foul-smelling purple colored crystals
that decompose under the slightest amount of heat, friction, or shock, if they
are made with the purest ammonia (ammonium hydroxide) and iodine. Such
crystals are said to detonate when a fly lands on them, or when an ant walks
across them. Household ammonia, however, has enough impurities, such as soaps
and abrasive agents, so that the crystals will detonate when thrown,crushed, or
heated. Upon detonation, a loud report is heard, and a cloud of purple iodine
gas appears about the detonation site. Whatever the unfortunate surface that
the crystal was detonated upon will usually be ruined, as some of the iodine
in the crystal is thrown about in a solid form, and iodine is corrosive. It
leaves nasty, ugly, permanent brownish-purple stains on whatever it contacts.
Iodine gas is also bad news, since it can damage lungs, and it settles to the
ground and stains things there also. Touching iodine leaves brown stains on
the skin that last for about a week, unless they are immediately and vigorously
washed off. While such a compound would have little use to a serious terrorist,
a vandal could utilize them in damaging property. Or, a terrorist could throw
several of them into a crowd as a distraction, an action which would possibly
injure a few people, but frighten almost anyone, since a small crystal that
not be seen when thrown produces a rather loud explosion. Ammonium triiodide
crystals could be produced in the following manner:

     Materials                Equipment
     ─────────                ─────────

     iodine crystals          funnel and filter paper
                              paper towels
     clear ammonia
     (ammonium hydroxide,     two throw-away glass jars
      for the suicidal)

1) Place about two teaspoons of iodine into one of the glass jars.  The jars
   must both be throw away because they will never be clean again.

2) Add enough ammonia to completely cover the iodine.

3) Place the funnel into the other jar, and put the filter paper in the funnel.
   The technique for putting filter paper in a funnel is taught in every basic
   chemistry lab class: fold the circular paper in half, so that a semi-circle
   is formed.  Then, fold it in half again to form a triangle with one curved
   side.  Pull one thickness of paper out to form a cone, and place the cone
   into the funnel.

4) After allowing the iodine to soak in the ammonia for a while, pour the
   solution into the paper in the funnel through the filter paper.

5) While the solution is being filtered, put more ammonia into the first jar
   to wash any remaining crystals into the funnel as soon as it drains.

6) Collect all the purplish crystals without touching the brown filter paper,
   and place them on the paper towels to dry for about an hour.  Make sure that
   they are not too close to any lights or other sources of heat, as they could
   well detonate. While they are still wet, divide the wet material into about
   eight chunks.

7) After they dry, gently place the crystals onto a one square inch piece of
   duct tape.  Cover it with a similar piece, and gently press the duct tape
   together around the crystal, making sure not to press the crystal itself.
   Finally, cut away most of the excess duct tape with a pair of scissors, and
   store the crystals in a cool dry safe place.  They have a shelf life of
   about a week, and they should be stored in individual containers that can be
   thrown away, since they have a tendency to slowly decompose, a process which
   gives off iodine vapors, which will stain whatever they settle on.  One
   possible way to increase their shelf life is to store them in airtight
   containers.  To use them, simply throw them against any surface or place them
   where they will be stepped on or crushed.



3.12      Mercury Fulminate

     Mercury fulminate is perhaps one of the oldest known initiating
compounds. It can be detonated by either heat or shock, which would make it
of infinite value to a terrorist. Even the action of dropping a crystal of
the fulminate causes it to explode. A person making this material would
probably use the following procedure:

     MATERIALS                  EQUIPMENT
     ─────────                  ─────────

     mercury (5 g)              glass stirring rod
     concentrated nitric        100 ml beaker (2)
     acid (35 ml)
                                adjustable heat
     ethyl alcohol (30 ml)      source
     distilled water            blue litmus paper
                                funnel and filter paper

1) In one beaker, mix 5 g of mercury with 35 ml of concentrated nitric acid,
   using the glass rod.

2) Slowly heat the mixture until the mercury is dissolved, which is when the
   solution turns green and boils.

3) Place 30 ml of ethyl alcohol into the second beaker, and slowly and carefully
    add all of the contents of the first beaker to it.  Red and/or brown fumes
   should appear. These fumes are toxic and flammable.

4) After thirty to forty minutes, the fumes should turn white, indicating that
   the reaction is near completion.  After ten more minutes, add 30 ml of the
   distilled water to the solution.

5) Carefully filter out the crystals of mercury fulminate from the liquid
   solution.  Dispose of the solution in a safe place, as it is corrosive
   and toxic.

6) Wash the crystals several times in distilled water to remove as much excess
   acid as possible.  Test the crystals with the litmus paper until they are
   neutral.   This will be when the litmus paper stays blue when it touches the
   wet crystals

7) Allow the crystals to dry, and store them in a safe place, far away from
   any explosive or flammable material.

       This procedure can also be done by volume, if the available mercury
 cannot be weighed. Simply use 10 volumes of nitric acid and 10 volumes of
 ethanol to every one volume of mercury.


3.121     Additional Notes on Mercury Fulminate

Author: Doctor Dissector
From: Anarchy 'n Explosives No.1 (Vol 5)

    Mercury fulminate is an initiating explosive, commonly appearing as
white or gray crystals. It is extremely sensitive to initiation by heat,
friction, spark or flame, and impact. It detonates when initiated by any of
these means. It is pressed into containers, usually at 3000 psi, for use in
detonators and blasting caps. However, when compressed at greater and greater
pressure (up to 30,000 psi), it becomes "dead pressed." In this condition, it
can only be detonated by another initial detonating agent. Mercury fulminate
gradually becomes inert when stored continuously above 100 degrees F. A dark-
colored product of deterioration gives evidence of this effect. Mercury
fulminate is stored underwater except when there is danger of freezing. Then
it is stored under a mixture of water and alcohol.


Preparation of Mercury Fulminate.

     Five grams of mercury is added to 35 cc. of nitric acid (specific
gravity 1.42) in a 100-cc. Erlenmeyer flask, and the mixture is allowed to
stand without shaking until the mercury has gone into solution. The acid liquid
is then poured into 50 cc. of 90% alcohol in a 500-cc beaker in the hood. The
temperature of the mixture rises, a vigorous reaction commences, white fumes
come off, and crystals of fulminate soon begin to precipitate. Red fumes appear
and the precipitation of the fulminate becomes more rapid, then white fumes
again as the reaction moderates.

    After about 20 minutes, the reaction is over; water is added, and the
crystals are washed with water repeatedly by decantation until the washings
are no longer acid to litmus. The product consists of grayish-yellow crystals,
and corresponds to a good grade of commercial fulminate. It may be obtained
white and entirely pure by dissolving in strong ammonia water, filtering, and
reprecipitating by the addition of 30% acetic acid. The pure fulminate is
filtered off, washed several times with cold water, and stored under water,
or, if a very small amount is desired for experimental purposes, it is dried
in a desiccator.



3.122     How To Make Mercury Fulminate

Authors: The Lockpic and The Blitz

    When employing the use of any high explosive, an individual must also
use some kind of detonating device. Blasting caps are probably the most
popular today, since they are very functional and relativly stable. The prime
ingrediant in most blasting caps and detonating devices in general is
mercury fulminate. There are several methods for preparing mercury fulminate.

Method No.1 for the preparation of Mercury Fulminate:

1.    Take 5 grams of pure mercury and mix is with 35 ml. of nitric acid.

2.    The mixture is slowly and gently heated. As soon as the solution
bubbles and turns green, one knows that the silver mercury is dissolved.

3.    After it is dissolved, the solution should be poured, slowly, into a
small flask of ethyl alcohol. This will result in red fumes.

4.    After a half hour or so, the red fumes will turn white, indicating
that the process is nearing its final stage.

5.    After a few minutes, add distilled water to the solution.

6.    The entire solution is now filtered, in order to obtain the small
white crystals. These crystals are pure mercury fulminate, but should be washed
many times, and tested with litmus paper for any remaining undesirable acid.


3.123    Method No. 2 for the preparation of Mercury Fulminate:


1.    Mix one part mercuric oxide with ten parts ammonia solution. When
ratios  are  described, they are  always done according to weight rather than
volume.

2.    After  waiting  eight to ten days,one will see that the mercuric
oxide  has  reacted  with the ammonia solution to produce the white fulminate
crystals.

3.    These  crystals  must  be  handled  in the same way as the first
method  described,  in  that they must be washed many times and given several
litmus paper tests.

    Many other fulminates can be made in the same manner as above, but I
will not go into these, since most are extremely unstable and sensitive to
shock. All fulminates including mercury fulminate, are sensitive to shock and
friction, and in no circumstances should they be handled in a rough or careless
manner.

3.124     Mercury(ii) Fulminate

    To produce mercury(ii) fulminate, a very sensitive shock explosive,
one might assume that it could be formed by adding fulminic acid to mercury.
This is somewhat difficult since fulminic acid is very unstable and cannot
be purchased. I did some research and figured out a way to make it without
fulminic acid. you add 2 parts nitric acid to 2 parts alcohol to 1 part
mercury. this is theoretical (I have not yet tried it) so please, if you
try this, do it in *very* small amounts and tell me the results.


3.125     Mercury Fulminate Method 4

    When employing the use of any high explosive, an individual must
also use some kind of detonating device. Blasting caps are probably the
most popular today, since they are very functional and relatively stable.
The prime ingredient in most blasting caps and detonating devices in
general is mercury fulminate. There are several methods for preparing
fulminate.

1)    5 grams of pure mercury and mixed with 35 ml. of nitric acid.
2)    The mixture is slowly and gently heated. As soon as the solution
bubbles and turns green, the silver mercury is dissolved.

3)    After it is dissolved, the solution should be poured, slowly, into
a small flask of ethyl alcohol and will result in red fumes.

4)    After a half hour or so, the red fumes will turn white, indicating
that the process is nearing its final stages.

5)    After a few minutes, add distilled water to the solution.
6)    The entire solution is now filtered, in order to obtain the small
white crystals.

    These crystals are pure mercury fulminate, but should be washed
many times, and tested with litmus paper for any remaining undesirable
acid.


3.126     Mercury Fulminate Method 5

1)    Mix one part mercuric acid with ten parts ammonia solution. When
ratios are described, they are always done according to weight rather than
volume.

2)    After waiting eight to ten days, the mercuric oxide will have
reacted with the ammonia solution to produce the white fulminate crystals.

3)    These crystals must be handled in the same way as the first method
described, and must be washed many times and given several litmus paper
tests. All fulminates are sensitive to shock and friction, and should be
handled in a gentle manner.

    Now that you have a basic background in explosive chemistry, why
not find out a few ways to use this knowledge. There are three different
types of time-delay devices:

1)    Metal strips under tension until breakage.

2)    Chemical action that will produce enough heat to detonate an
    explosive

3)    An alarm clock set for a certain time which when triggered,
    completes an electrical circuit, and detonates an electrical
    blasting cap.

    The fourth method, metal under tension until breakage, is hazardous
and unreliable. There is little or no control over timing, and such devices
are notorious for backfiring. Good luck! The chemical-action time-delay
methods have proven to be reliable. Most of this action incorporates the
amount time taken by certain solution of acid to eat its way through
another substance. The time length can be determined by the concentration
of the acid and by the substance to be eaten through.


3.13       NITROGLYCERINE

     Nitroglycerine is one of the most sensitive explosives, if it is not
the most sensitive. Although it is possible to make it safely, it is difficult.
Many a young anarchist has been killed or seriously injured while trying to
make the stuff. When Nobel's factories make it, many people were killed by the
all-to-frequent factory explosions. Usually, as soon as it is made, it is
converted into a safer substance, such as dynamite. An idiot who attempts
to make nitroglycerine would use the following procedure:

     MATERIAL               EQUIPMENT
     ────────               ─────────
     distilled water        eye-dropper
     table salt             100 ml beaker
     sodium bicarbonate     200-300 ml beakers (2)
     concentrated nitric    ice bath container
     acid (13 ml)           ( a plastic bucket serves well )
     concentrated sulfuric  centigrade thermometer
     acid (39 ml)
                             blue litmus paper
     glycerine

1) Place 150 ml of distilled water into one of the 200-300 ml beakers.

2) In the other 200-300 ml beaker, place 150 ml of distilled water and about
   a spoonful of sodium bicarbonate, and stir them until the sodium bicarbonate
   dissolves.  Do not put so much sodium bicarbonate in the water so that some
   remains undissolved.

3) Create an ice bath by half filling the ice bath container with ice, and
   adding table salt.  This will cause the ice to melt, lowering the overall
   temperature.

4) Place the 100 ml beaker into the ice bath, and pour the 13 ml of concentrated
   nitric acid into the 100 ml beaker.  Be sure that the beaker will not spill
   into the ice bath, and that the ice bath will not overflow into the beaker
   when more materials are added to it.  Be sure to have a large enough ice bath
   container to add more ice.  Bring the temperature of the acid down to about 20
   degrees centigrade or less.

5) When the nitric acid is as cold as stated above, slowly and carefully add the
   39 ml of concentrated sulfuric acid to the nitric acid.  Mix the two acids
   together, and cool the mixed acids to 10 degrees centigrade.  It is a good
   idea to start another ice bath to do this.

6) With the eyedropper, slowly put the glycerine into the mixed acids, one drop
   at a time.  Hold the thermometer along the top of the mixture where the mixed
   acids and glycerine meet.  DO NOT ALLOW THE TEMPERATURE TO GET ABOVE 30
   DEGREES CENTIGRADE; IF THE TEMPERATURE RISES ABOVE THIS TEMPERATURE, RUN
   LIKE HELL!!!  The glycerine will start to nitrate immediately, and the
   temperature will immediately begin to rise.  Add glycerine until there is a
   thin layer of glycerine on top of the mixed acids.  It is always safest to
   make any explosive in small quantities.

7) Stir the mixed acids and glycerine for the first ten minutes of nitration,
   adding ice and salt to the ice bath to keep the temperature of the solution
   in the 100 ml beaker well below 30 degrees centigrade.  Usually, the
   nitroglycerine will form on the top of the mixed acid solution, and the
   concentrated sulfuric acid will absorb the water produced by the reaction.

8) When the reaction is over, and when the nitroglycerine is well below 30
   degrees centigrade, slowly and carefully pour the solution of nitroglycerine
   and mixed acid into the distilled water in the beaker in step 1.  The
   nitroglycerine should settle to the bottom of the beaker, and the water-acid
   solution on top can be poured off and disposed of. Drain as much of the
   acid-water solution as possible without disturbing the nitroglycerine.

9) Carefully remove the nitroglycerine with a clean eye-dropper, and place it
   into the beaker in step 2.  The sodium bicarbonate solution will eliminate
   much of the acid, which will make the nitroglycerine more stable, and less
   likely to explode for no reason, which it can do. Test the nitroglycerine
   with the litmus paper until the litmus stays blue. Repeat this step if
   necessary, and use new sodium bicarbonate solutions as in step 2.

10) When the nitroglycerine is as acid-free as possible, store it in a clean
    container in a safe place.  The best place to store nitroglycerine is
    far away from anything living, or from anything of any value.
    Nitroglycerine can explode for no apparent reason, even if it is stored
    in a secure cool place.

3.131     How to Make and Use Nitroglycerin

Author: Heracles (B.O.U.)

    CH2ONO2
    !                    3/2 N2 + 3 CO2
    CHONO2  ---------->     +
    !        Ignition    5/2 H2O + 1/4 O2
    CH2ONO2

    (How  Nitro  explodes--note  that  the  byproducts  are  nothing  but
nitrogen, carbon dioxide, water and oxygen)

    Nitroglycerin  [heretofore Nitro] is a very powerful high explosive.
I am not sure who invented it but he probably didn't; the first person to
make it probably blew himself up and his friend got the info off his notes.
Well anyway, the next best thing to Nitro is TNT which is ten times harder to
make but also ten times safer to make. If you can't use common sense then
dont even TRY to make this stuff--a few drops can blow off your hand in the
right circumstances.


    Mix 100 parts fuming nitric acid (for best results it should have a
specific gravity of 50 degrees Baume') with 200 parts sulphuric acid. This
is going to be HOT at first--it won't splatter if you pour the nitric INTO
the sulphuric but don't try it the other way around. The acid solutions
together can disolve flesh in a matter of seconds so take the proper
measures for God's sake!!! When cool, add 38 parts glycerine as slowly as
possible.  Let it trickle down the sides of the container into the acids or
it won't mix thourily and the reaction could go to fast--which causes
enough heat to ignite the stuff. Stir with a **GLASS** rod for 15 seconds
or so then CAREFULLY pour it into 20 times it's *VOLUME* of water. It will
visibly precipitate immediatly. There will be twice as much Nitro as you
used glycerin and it is easy to separate. Mix it with baking soda as soon
as you have separated it-- this helps it not to go off spontainously.


Note:
    Parts are by weight and the Baume' scale of specific gravity can be
found in most chemistry books. You can get fuming nitric and sulfuric acids
wherever good chemicals or fertilizers are sold. It is positively *STUPID* to
make more than 200 grams of Nitro at a time. When mixing the stuff wear
goggles, gloves, etc. When I first made the stuff I had the honor of having it
go off by itself (I added too much glycerine at a time.) I was across the room
at the time, but I felt the impact--so did the table it was on as well as the
window it was next to--they were both smashed by only 25 grams in an open
bowl.
    Oh, yes, glycerine you can get at any pharmacy and you need an adult
signature for the acids.  Any bump can make Nitro go off if you don't add the
bicarbonate of (baking) soda, but even with that, if it gets old I wouldn't
play catch with it.

[Eds- It is highly recommended (i.e. you'd be FUCKING stupid if you didn't)
make something such as "Norbin & Ohlsson's Patent Dynamite (c) 1896" to
make the mix at least a little bit more stable.]



3.132     Nitroglycerin, King Arthur's Recipe
                           By: King Arthur

Making nitroglycerin

     1. Fill a 75-milliliter beaker to the 13 ml. Level with fuming
        red nitric acid, of 98% pure concentration.

     2. Place the beaker in an ice bath and allow to cool below room
        temp.

     3. After it has cooled, add to it three times the amount of
        fuming sulferic acid (99% h2so4).  In other words, add to the
        now-cool fuming nitric acid 39 ml. Of fuming sulferic acid.
        When mixing any acids, always do it slowly and carefully to
        avoid splattering.

     4. When the two are mixed, lower their temp. By adding more ice
        to the bath, about 10-15 degrees centigrade. (Use a
        mercury-operated thermometer)

     5. When the acid solution has cooled to the desired temperature,
        it is ready for the glycerin. The glycerin must be added in
        small amounts using a medicine dropper.  (Read this step about
        10 times!)  Glycerin is added slowly and carefully (i mean
        careful!) Until the entire surface of the acid it covered with
        it.

     6. This is a dangerous point since the nitration will take place
        as soon as the glycerin is added. The nitration will produce
        heat, so the solution must be kept below 30 degrees
        centigrade! If the solution should go above 30 degrees,
        immediately dump the solution into the ice bath!  This will
        insure that it does not go off in your face!

     7. For the first ten minutes of nitration, the mixture should be
        gently stirred.  In a normal reaction the nitroglycerin will
        formas a layer on top of the acid solution, while the sulferic
        acid will absorb the excess water.

     8. After the nitration has taken place, and the nitroglycerin has
        formed on the top of the solution, the entire beaker should be
        transferred slowly and carefully to another beaker of water.
        When this is done the nitroglycerin will settle at the bottem
        so the other acids can be drained away.

     9. After removing as much acid as posible without disturbing the
        nitroglycerin, remove the nitroglycerin with an eyedropper and
        place it in a bicarbonate of soda (sodium bicarbonate in case
        you didn't know) solution.  The sodium is an alkalai and will
        nuetralize much of the acid remaining. This process should be
        repeated as much as necesarry using blue litmus paper to check
        for the presence of acid.  The remaining acid only makes the
        nitroglycerin more unstable than it already is.

     10. Finally! The final step is to remove the nitroglycerin from
         the bicarbonate.  His is done with and eye- dropper, slowly
         and carefully.  The usual test to see if nitration has been
         successful is to place one drop of the nitroglycerin on metal
         and ignite it.  If it is true nitroglycerin it will burn with
         a clear blue flame.

** Caution **

    Nitro is very sensative to decomposition, heating dropping, or
jarring, and may explode if left undisturbed and cool.



3.133      Nitroglycerine

    Nitroglycerine is a *very* dangerous shock sensitive explosive. It is
used in making dynamite, among other things.

    I am not sure as to the proportions and amounts of chemicals to be
used, so I shall use estimates.

70ml    conc. sulfuric acid
30ml    conc. nitric acid
10ml    glycerine
    ice bath
150ml    beaker

    Put the 150ml beaker in the ice bath and make sure that it is very
cold. Slowly add the 70ml sulfuric and 30ml nitric acids to the beaker,
trying to maintain a low temperature. When the temperature starts to level
off, add about 10ml glycerine. If it turns brown or looks funny, **run like
hell**. when nitroglycerine turns brown, that means it's ready to explode...
if it stays clear and all works well, keep the temperature as low as you can
and let it sit for a few hours. You then should have some nitroglycerine,
probably mixed with nitric and sulfuric acids. When you set it off, you must
not be nearby. Nitroglycerine can fill 10,000 times its original area with
expanding gases. This means that if you have 10ml's of nitroglycerine in
there, it will produce some 100,000ml's of gases.

    To make it into dynamite, the nitroglycerine must be absorbed into
something like wood pulp or diamaeceous earth (spelled something like that).


3.133     Nitroglycerin

Author: Deceptor (Palm Beach BBS)


 Contrary to what people may have told you:

 1) It's very easy to make (if you have the fractional distillation gear).
 2) It doesn't blow up when you drop it - cos homemade isn't usually pure
    enough.

 Ok. You will need: Sulphuric Acid - Go to a garage and ask for some battery
                                     acid or crack open a battery (dumper
                                     truck batteries are cool - can give 400
                                     amps current output!!! Whew!) You can
                                     sometimes get it at harbours.

                    Sodium Nitrate - Weedkiller - this time get the 'WEEDOL'
                                     one with Sodium Nitrate in it or any one
                                     with Sodium Nitrate.

                    Glycerin       - From kitchen as before.

 Now the thing with this is that in order to actually MAKE nitroglycerin you
 will need Conc.Nitric acid and Conc.sulphuric as well as the glycerin. The
 sulphuric is easy to do - battery acid is roughly 69% pure - the rest being
 water. The best way to get conc. sulphuric therefore is to heat the acid to
 * VERY * hot (400 degrees plus) and then leave it for a long time until its
 acidity increases a great deal (like well nasty!). Get a litre of Sulphuric
 acid concentrated and store it in a glass bottle. [Wash yer hands too - its
 not nice stuff].

 Now getting the Nitric acid in any form is well difficult unless you have
 access to it at college/work etc. The best way I've found is to take Sodium
 Nitrate weedkiller and do the following:

 1) Purify the Sodium Nitrate from the weedkiller by making a saturated soln.
    and then crystallizing it and washing the crystals and filter off any
    nasties...Now you have Sodium Nitrate (reasonably pure).

 2) Then take the Sodium Nitrate crystals and crush them into a powder or as
    close as you can get.

 3) Now you want to sort of extract the nitrate - for this you will need fair
    distillation equipment. You are attempting to make Nitric Acid from the
    Sodium Nitrate by reacting it with some of the Sulpluric acid which was
    concentrated from before.

  i)    Pour Sulphuric acid in here
            ||
           |D2|___                D5 <- Nasty gases will be coming out of
 Put the   |    _ \      ______   ||    here - Nitrogen Dioxide (toxic!!!)
 Sodium    |   / \ \D3  |  ___ \  ||
 Nitrate   |  |   \ \___| |  _| |_||_
 crystals  |  |    \------| | | | || | <----- Clear container with Nitrogen
 in here   /D1\   /\        |-| |----|        Dixode bubbling through the
     ----> \__/   ||        |___D4___|        water to turn it to Nitric Acid
           HEAT   ||
  That is a cooling bracket (yeh I know it looks nothing like one but thats
  life with TXT files!)...I hope that solves confusion over the following
  instructions...Bet it doesn't! hah

  ii) Right assemble the distillation/fractional distillation equipment or
      homemade equipment if that's what you've done as shown above.

 iii) Put the Sodium Nitrate crystals in the flat bottomed flask (D1) and
      you may want to put some anti-bumping granules in too (tiny bits of
      glass).

  iv) Don't connect D4 or D5 at this time - just a bowl to get any crap that
      comes off early.

   v) Start pouring in the Sulphuric Acid(D2) and keep the mixture hot so the
      reaction is real good. When it gets to around 79 degrees (I think) or
      so then a red sort of mist comes about inside the equipment - don't
      run like phuck away but be worried all the same since you have to move
      fast now.....Connect D4 and D5 and make sure you don't breathe in any
      of the red smoke (Nitrogen Dioxide) [If you wanna intoxicate yerself
      then read my third Anarchists guide on....chemical weapons (dioxins)].
      (It's probably best to make sure you don't breathe the crap in by add-
      ing a second D4 thing on the end of D5 to filter off as much vapour as
      possible).

  vi) Once that's all over then you will have a nice concentrated nitric acid
      in D4.....

 [BTW - Remember to keep the cooling bracket D3 real cool with fresh cool run
  ning water - or you won't get much at all].


 NOTE: IT'S BEST TO STORE NITRIC ACID WHEN CONCENTRATED IN STEEL CONTAINERS
 WHICH CAN RESIST THE CORROSIVE ACTION....USE GLOVES AT ALL TIMES...


 4) Ok so now you have Sulphuric acid conc., Nitric acid conc. and glycerin.
    Now for the difficult bit! (Haha You thought the worst was over)

 5) Right this is a *** VERY *** dangerous bit.........

  DON'T DO IT INDOORS...OR IN THE GARAGE - DO IT IN AN ISOLATED FIELD NEAR
  YER HOUSE...IF YOU DON'T HAVE ONE THEN USE YER NEIGHBOURS GARDEN...

    Get a wooden tray or box and fill it with ICE....make sure there's always
    ice to stack it up - it * MUST * remain cool. Then get a conical flask
    (phuck a round-bottomed one)...and a thermometer measuring up to 100 C.

    Balance the flask carefully and securely in the ice bath and put the
    thermometer in.

    Get the Sulphuric, Nitric and glycerin in the following proportions:

                Glycerin : Conc.Nitric : Conc.Sulphuric
                   3     :      1               1

    I recommend using 1/2 litre quantities of both acids for the first batch.


 6) WARNING: You are using conc.acids - they do not like water - they will
    blow you up if you mistreat them by feeding them water - Make sure all
    parts inside the equipment are PHUCKING dry.

    Put the nitric acid into the flask and then * VERY * slowly pour in the
    sulphuric acid whilst watching the temperature....(use a dropper).

    MAKE SURE: If the temperature ever goes about 30 degrees C then pour the
    contents of the flask into the ice bath and run like ****** PHUCK ******

    As the temperature rises add the glycerin with a pipette (dropper) and
    don't pour on any more until the temperature drops and is stable.


 7) Repeat this until all the ingredients are gone......

 8) Take the jar (very carefully - it's never blown up on me - but there's
    a first for everything!) with the mixture of acids in it and look at the
    bottom - there will be a layer that isn't quite colourless.....This is
    the stuff you want.    [^^^^^ At the bottom]

 9) Carefully take off the top acid layer with a dropper/pipette or whatever
    and store it for later use.

10) When you get near to the bottom layer (ie. Nitroglyerin) then carefully
    pour on water to wash away the acids. Then let it settle again - repeat
    this until you are satisfied that the acids are as gone as you can get
    them - four or five times.

11) Now collect the nitroglycerin in a dry jar or something and carry it back
    to your fridge in the ice bath (***** VERY CAREFULLY *****).

12) Now keep your nitroglycerin nice and cold (so it doesn't blow up your
    house when you're watching TV or on your computer).


  You can store Nitroglycerin in Kieselguhr (a type of clay) - then it's
  easier to handle and store - add a fuse and you have dynamite.


  You have now made nitroglycerin - now what to do with it?......


  USE OF NITROGLYCERIN


  Nitroglycerin is ofcourse a VERY high explosive. Not as high as good old
  tri-nitro-toluene (TNT) but you'd find it real hard to make TNT - since
  it most CERTAINLY can't be made with ordinary Sulphuric Acid.....you DO
  need fuming sulphuric acid (a totally different substance).

  So what to do with it?

  Well if you want to blow it up you're unlikely to do it without using a
  lighted fuse/detonator......it needs quite a kick to start itself off. You
  can use gunpowder if you pack in into a tight space (see earlier) but the
  best detonation cap I've come across is Mercury (ii) Fulminate - see Part3
  of 'The Anarchists guide to...' for information on this and other kinds of
  detonators. But saying that gunpowder still works well.....

  An idea (never tried it but worth a go):

  Try putting this lot in a jar with a fuse hanging out........

                  ____
     ------------|  | | -------- Nitroglycerin (not to scale)
 Fuse            |__|_|
 (made with
  fuse paper)     |
                  |
                  |

                  Gunpowder (used as detonation cap)


  DO THIS IN A VERY ISOLATED PLACE.......LIKE AN ISLAND OR A FOREST....SINCE
  THE EXPLOSION IS * VERY * LOUD AND * VERY * WIDESPREAD.

  *** YOU ONLY NEED A FEW DROPS TO MAKE A DECENT EXPLOSION!!!!!! ***


3.14     PICRATES

     Although the procedure for the production of picric acid, or
trinitrophenol has not yet been given, its salts are described first, since they
are extremely sensitive, and detonate on impact. By mixing picric acid with
metal hydroxides, such as sodium or potassium hydroxide, and evaporating the
water, metal picrates can be formed. Simply obtain picric acid, or produce it,
and mix it with a solution of (preferably) potassium hydroxide, of a mid range
molarity. (about 6-9 M) This material, potassium picrate, is impact-sensitive,
and can be used as an initiator for any type of high explosive.


3.15     PeroOxyacetone

Author: GArbled User

    A useful chemical. These aren't exact measurements.. but when you are
in a hurry.. you could care less.

    50/50 Acetone/Hydrogen Peroxide.
    add 10 drops Muriatic(pool) acid.

    Have fun with white filtrate.The Filtrate is somewhat SHOCK SENSITIVE,
so be advised not to stomp on, hit, mutilate or whatever while in possesion.
The main way of setting this off though is to use a wick, or fire of some sort.
I suppose it could be used as a replacement for gunpowder, but I haven't tried.
Also, it usually takes a few hours to complete the reaction..  so be patient..
Try heating it in a 40C water bath.. that should speed it up alot!


3.151     Peroxyacetone

Author: Zaphod Beeblebrox (mpg)

    Peroxyacetone is extremely flammable and has been reported to be shock
sensitive.

4ml    acetone
4ml    30% hydrogen peroxide
4 drops    conc. hydrochloric acid
150mm    test tube

    Add 4ml acetone and 4ml hydrogen peroxide to the test tube. Then add 4
drops concentrated hydrochloric acid. In 10-20 minutes a white solid should
begin to appear. If no change is observed, warm the test tube in a water bath
at 40 celsius. Allow the reaction to continue for two hours. Swirl the slurry
and filter it. Leave out on filter paper to dry for at least two hours. To
ignite, light a candle tied to a meter stick and light it (while staying at
least a metre away).

3.16     Nitrogen Tri-iodide

Author: Garbled User

    Simple enof.  Take alot of ammonia water, mix with 3-4 bottles of
iodine. Shake for 5 minutes. Filter through MR Coffee filter about 10 times.
Let dry.

A)    You now have a crimson substance with explosive properties, and a
    nasty temper.. (Extremely shock sensitive)

B)    You may also use the liquid over again..(Re mix with iodine. make
    more!!) You have a virtually endless supply, as long as you have
    Iodine bottles, you have explosives!!

3.161     Nitrogen Triiodide, El Pirata's Recipe

Author: El Pirata

    Have you ever heard of the millitary high power explosive, NI3?  It's
4 to 6 time more powerful than dynamite, and, here's how to make it!

    Iodine Crystals
    Ammonium Hydroxide

    Put the AH in a GLASS bowl, and disolve the Iodine in it, in a couple
of minutes, new crystals will form, They are highly voltile, and illeagal to
have, for what ever it's worth.


Do  not  DROP,  CRUSH,  HEAT,  or  FUCK  with them, take very extreme
precaution with them, pad them in an air tight bottle.

One teaspoon has the impact power of one M-100 firecracker.

Use  them at your own risk!  BUT HAVE FUN!  MORE SOON!


3.162     Nitrogen Triiodide, Zaphod Beeblebrox's Recipe


    Nitrogen triiodide is a very powerful and very shock sensitive
explosive. Never store it and be carful when you're around it: sound, air
movements, and other tiny things could set it off.

2-3g    iodine
15ml    conc. ammonia
8    sheets filter paper
50ml    beaker
    feather mounted on a two meter pole
    ear plugs
    tape
    spatula
    stirring rod

    Add  2-3g iodine to 15ml ammonia in the 50ml beaker.  Stir, let stand
for 5 minutes. Do the following within 5 minutes!

    Retain the solid, decant the liquid (pour off the liquid but keep the
brown  solid...) Scrape the brown residue of nitrogen triiodide onto a stack
of four sheets of filter paper.  Divide solid into four parts, putting each
on a seperate

    Sheet of dry filter paper. Tape in position, leave to dry undisturbed
for at least 30 minutes (preferrably longer). To detonate, touch with feather.
(Wear ear plugs when detonating or cover ears- it is very loud!)


3.163     NI3, Method 4

    Here are some notes I took four years ago on how to make this wild
explosive that can be detonated by a fly walking on it. Five grams iodine,
three grams potassium iodide, 20 ml. concentrated ammonium hydroxide,
filter paper, funnel. Stir the potassium iodide and iodine together in a
beaker with 50 ml. of water. Add the ammonium hydroxide with stirring until
no more precipitate forms. Filter and spread a thin layer of the wet solid
on several filter papers. Break the filter papers into many small pieces
and allow to dry for several hours. On drying, the paper is extremely
sensitive to touch and will explode violently with the slightest
disturbance. Can be handled safely when wet. Do not let any sizeable
quantity of the dry material accumulate. I was able to buy concentrated
ammonium hydroxide from a photographic supply.


3.164     Working notes on Nitrogen Tri-Iodide (NI-3)
Author: Signal Sustain
From: Phrack Seventeen 07 April 1988



Introduction.

    This particular explosive is a real loser.  It is incredibly unstable,
dangerous to make, dangerous to work with, and you can't do much with it,
either.  A string of Black Cats is worth far more.  At least you can blow up
anthills with those.

    NI-3 is basically a compound you can make easily by mixing up
iodine crystals and ammonia.  The resulting precipitate is very powerful
and very unstable.  It is semi stable when wet (nothing you want to trust)
and absolutely unstable when dry.  When dry, anything will set it off, such
as vibration, wind, sun, a fly landing on it.  It has to be one of the most
unstable explosives you can deal with.

    But it's easy to make.  Anyone can walk into a chem supply house,
and get a bottle of iodine, and and a supermarket, and get clear ammonia.
Mix them and you're there.  (See below for more on this)

    So, some of you are going to try it, so I might as well pass on some
tips from hard experience.  (I learned it was a loser by trying it).

Use Small Batches

    First, make one very small batch first.  Once you learn how
powerful this stuff is, you'll see why.  If you're mixing iodine crystals
(that's right, crystals, iodine is a metal, a halogen, and its solid form
is crystals; the junk they sell as "iodine" in the grocery store is about
3% iodine in a bunch of solvents, and doesn't work for this application),
you want maybe 1/4 teaspoonful MAX, even less maybe.  1/4 TSP of this stuff
is one hellacious bang; it rattled the windows for a block around when it
went off in my back yard.

    So go with 1/4 TSP, if I can talk you into it.  The reason is the
instability of this compound.  If you mix up two teaspoonfuls and it goes
off in your hand, kiss your hand goodbye right down to the wrist.  A
bucketful would probably level any house you'll find.  But 1/4 teaspoon,
you might keep your fingers.  Since I know you're not going to mix this
stuff up with remote tools, keep the quantities small.  This stuff is so
unstable it's best to hedge your bets.

Note:
    When holding NI3, try to hold with remote tools -- forceps?  But if you
have to pick it up, fold your thumb next to your first finger, and grip around
with your fingers only.  Do not grip the flask the conventional way, fingers
on one side, thumb of the other.  This way, if it goes, you may still have an
opposing thumb, which is enough to get by with.

    The compound is far more stable when wet, but not certain-stable.
That's why companies that make explosives won't use it; even a small chance
of it blowing up is too dangerous.  (They still lose dynamite plants every
now and then, too, which is why they're fully automated).  But when this
stuff gets dry, look out.  Heinlein says "A harsh look will set it off",
and he isn't kidding.  Wind, vibration, a breath across it, anything will
trigger it off.  (By the way, Heinlein's process, from  SF book "Farnham's
Freehold", doesn't work, either -- you can't use iodine liquid for this.
You must use iodine crystals.)

Don't Store It

    What's so wickedly dangerous is if you try to store the stuff.  Say
you put it in a cup.  After a day, a crust forms around the rim of the
liquid, and it dries out.  You pick up the cup, kabang!, the crust goes
off, and the liquid goes up from the shock.  Your fingers sail into your
neighbor's lawn.  If you make this, take extreme pains to keep it all wet.
At least stopper the testtube, so it can't evaporate.


Making It

    Still want to make it?  Okay.  Get some iodine crystals at a chem
supply store.  If they ask, say you need to purify water for a camping
trip, and they'll lecture you on better alternatives (halazone) but you can
still get it.  Or, tell them you've been elected to play Mr. Wizard, and be
honest -- you'll probably get it too.  Possession is not illegal.

    Get as little as possible.  You need little and it's useless once
you've tried it once.  Aim for 1/4 teaspoonful.

    Second, get some CLEAR, NON SUDSY ammonia at the store, like for
cleaning purposes (BUT NO SUDS! They screw things up, it doesn't make the
NI-3).

Third, pour ammonia in a bowl.  Peeew!  Nice smell.

    Fourth, add 1/4 TSP or less of iodine crystals.  Note these
crystals, which looks like instant coffee, will attack other metals, so
look out for your tableware.  Use plastic everything (Bowl, spoon) if you
can.  These crystals will also leave long-standing iodine stains on hands,
and that's damned incriminating if there was just an NI-3 explosion and
they're looking for who did it.  Rubber gloves, please, dispose after use.

    Now the crystals will sort of spread out.  Stir a little if need
be.  Be damned careful not to leave solution on the spoon that might dry.
It'll go off if you do, believe me.  (Experience).

    Let them spread out and fizzz.  They will.  Then after an hour or
so there will be left some reddish-brown glop in the bottom of the clear
ammonia.  It's sticky like mud, hard to handle..  That's the NI-3.

    It is safe right now, as it is wet.  (DO NOT LET A RIM FORM ON THE
AMMONIA LIQUID!)

Using It

Now let's use up this junk right away and DON'T try to store it.

    Go put it outside someplace safe.  In my high school, someone once
sprinkled tiny, tiny bits (like individual crystals) in a hallway.  Works
good, it's like setting off a cap under someone's shoe after the stuff
dries.  You need far less than 1/4 TSP for this, too.

    Spread it out in the sun, let it dry.  DO NOT DISTURB.  If you hear
a sudden CRACK!, why, it means the wind just blew enough to set it off, or
maybe it just went off by itself.  It does that too.

    It must be thoroughly dry to reach max instability where a harsh
look sets it off.  Of course the top crystals dry first, so heads up.  Any
sharp impact will set it off, wet or dry.

    While you're waiting for it to dry, go BURN the plastic cup and
spoon you made it with.  You'll hear small snapping noises as you do; this
is the solution drying and going off in the flames.

    After two hours or so, toss rocks at the NI3 from a long ways away,
and you'll see it go off.  Purplish fumes follow each explosion.  It's a
sharp CRACK, you can't miss it.

    Anyway.  Like I say, most people make this because the ingredients
are so easily available.  They make it, say what the hell do I do now?, and
sprinkle tiny crystals in the hallway.  Bang bang bang.  And they never
make it again, because you only get one set of fingers per hand, and most
people want to keep them.

    Or they put it in door locks (while still in the "sludge" form),
and wait for it to try.  Next person who sticks a key in there has a big
surprise.

(This is also why most high school chem teachers lock up the iodine crystals.)

Getting Rid Of It

    If you wash the NI-3 crystals down your kitchen sink, then you have
to only wait for them to dry out and go off.  They'll stick to the pipe
(halogen property, there).  I heard a set of pipes pop and crackle for days
after this was done.  I'd recommend going and throwing the mess into a
vacant lots or something, and trying to set it off so no one else does
accidentally.

If you do this, good luck, and you've been warned.



3.165     Preparation of Contact Explosives

        The contact explosives we will be describing use only a few
chemicals. Some do need extra caution to keep from causing trouble.

Iodine Crystals

        Though most people don't realize it, Iodine is not a brown liquid,
but a steel-grey solid. The tincture of iodine you buy at the drugstore
actually contains just a tiny bit of iodine dissolved in a jarful of
inexpensive alcohol, and resold at a huge mark up. We'll be using iodine
in the crystalline form. On contact with your skin, it will produce a dark
stain that won't wash off with soap and water. We'll talk about removing
these stains later. If it gets hot, it vaporizes into a purple cloud, that
smells like the chlorine in a swimming pool. This cloud is dangerous to
inhale, since it will condense in your lungs, and is corrosive. Since we
won't need to heat this stuff, it is not a problem, but you should make
sure that you don't let any iodine crystals spill onto a hot surface. If
you don't touch it and keep it away from your face, you shouldn't have any
troubles.


Ammonium Hydroxide

        This is just good old household ammonia. Be sure to get the clear
kind. The sudsy stuff won't be too useful. It is made from ammonia gas
dissolved in water, and every time you open the bottle, it loses some of
its strength, so be sure to use fresh stuff. We need it to be as strong as
possible. Some of the formulas given here use lab grade concentrated
ammonium hydroxide. It is much stronger than the supermarket kind, and is
very unkind to skin or especially the eyes. It is a good idea to wear eye
protection with even the supermarket grade. Though we don't usually worry
about this when using household ammonia for cleaning, we usually dilute it
for that. Here we'll be using it straight out of the bottle, and it is much
more corrosive in that form. Never use this material if you don't have real
good ventilation, as the ammonia vapors can be overpowering.


Potassium Iodide

        This is a reasonably safe chemical. You get Potassium ions in some
of the fruit you eat, and Iodide ions (usually as Sodium Iodide) are added
to the table salt you buy at the store. So, while you don't directly eat
this chemical, you do eat the components that make it up. Don't be scared
of this stuff.


Sodium Thiosulfate

        Otherwise known as photographic hypo. When dissolved in water, this
will remove the iodine stains left by touching iodine crystals, and
exploding contact explosive. Not particularly nasty stuff, but make sure to
wash it off after cleaning yourself with it.


General Information

        This is a powerful and highly sensitive explosive. A dust sized
particle will make a sharp crack or popping sound. A piece the size of a
pencil lead will produce an explosion as loud as any of the largest
firecrackers or cherry bombs. It cannot be exploded by any means when wet,
and therefore can be handled and applied with safety. When dry, it will
explode with the touch of a feather, or a breath of air.

        The strength of the ammonia water you use will have a direct effect
on the strength of the final product. If you use supermarket ammonia, the
explosive will work, but not as spectacularly as if you use a 15% or higher
(10 to 15 molar) solution. The stronger it is, the better. You'll also need
filter paper, and a funnel. A properly folded coffee filter will do nicely
if you don't have the filter paper. If you're not sure how to fold filter
paper, check an èelementary chemistry textbook.


Methods of Preparation

1.) Granular Explosive.

     This is the easiest kind, and the only kind that will work
reasonably well with supermarket ammonia. Crush enough iodine crystals to
make a pile of powder equal to the volume of a pencil eraser. Do not grind
into a fine powder. Put about 4 ounces or 1/2 measuring cup of strong
ammonia water into a small container with the iodine, and seal it for about
5 to 10 minutes, shaking frequently. While the mixture is reacting, get
your filter paper ready. While it is best to consult a book that shows how
to do this, you take the circle of filter paper, fold it in half, fold it
again at right angles to the first fold, and then open it to form a cone.
Open or close it as needed to make it conform to the angle of the funnel,
and moisten it a little to make it stick in place. Place the funnel over a
container that will catch the waste liquid. Let the mixture settle long
enough for the sediment to settle, and pour off as much of the clear liquid
as possible before filtering the sediment. Pour the remaining liquid and
sediment into the filter. The sediment (and the filter paper covered with
it!!!) is your explosive. The small amount you have made will go a lot
farther than you realize. Particularly if you used good strong ammonia.
Place the explosive in an airtight leakproof pill bottle. As this
explosive is unstable by nature, fresh amounts give better results than
stale ones that have been sitting around for a day or so. Best results are
obtained with small fresh batches. But as you'll see, there are a few
tricks you can do with this material that do require it to sit for a day or
more.

The explosive should be stored and applied while wet.

2.) Paint type explosive.

    This will use up a lot of iodine crystals. Make up a strong
tincture of iodine using about 4 ounces or 1/2 measuring cup of rubbing
alcohol, denatured alcohol, or wood alcohol. Wood alcohol is preferable.
Add iodine crystals and shake thoroughly until no more will dissolve. Pour
the liquid into a fruit jar. Add the ammonium hydroxide and stir the
mixture until the mixture is a chocolate brown and shows a little of the
original color of the iodine. The amount of ammonia necessary will depend
on its strength. An equal volume of ammonia is usually sufficient for a 15%
or higher solution. The solution should be filtered at once, and shouldn't
ever wait more than 10 or 15 minutes, because it starts to dissolve again.

    The explosive again should be stored and applied while wet. This
material is chemically the same as the granular explosive, but because it
was precipitated from a solution, it is much more finely divided, and the
reaction happens almost simultaneously, so you can get it out before it all
vanishes back into the solution.

3.) Paint type #2.

    Dissolve 1 gram of potassium iodide in about 90cc of 18%-22%
ammonium hydroxide. Add 4 grams of pulverized iodine. A deep black sediment
should start forming. Let stand, and stir frequently for five minutes.
Then, filter as usual. While the potassium iodide is not an integral part
of the chemical reaction, the dissolved potassium iodide will allow the
iodine crystals in turn to dissolve, and its common ion effect will cause
less iodine crystals to be wasted. Since the iodine is by far the most
expensive ingredient, you'll save money in the long run by using it.


Care in Handling And Storage

    Because this material is so unstable it deteriorates quickly. Don't
make any more than you need to use in the next 24 hours. If you can't use
it all immediately, the container you keep it in should be recapped tightly
after use and the mouth wiped clean. The explosive can cause dark stain
damage to things as rugs, clothing, chair seats, wallpaper, and light or
clear plastics. A strong solution of sodium thiosulfate is effective for
removing stains from hands and clothing before they set. Never leave the
container of explosive in direct sunlight for more than a few minutes, as
it will weaken the strength. Do NOT attempt to make a large explosion as it
is dangerous and can cause deafness. All equipment used should be
thoroughly washed and the used filter paper flushed down the toilet. Under
no circumstances attempt to handle the dried material which is extremely
explosive and hazardous. If you can avoid storing the material in a
container at all, there will be no chance that a loose stopper will let the
material dry out and become a potential bomb. Tiny bits of this can be
great fun, but it has to be handled with care.


Application

    Although largely a scientific curiosity, this explosive finds
itself well suited for practical jokes. It may easily be painted on the
bottom side of light switches, sprinkled on floors, painted in keyholes,
pencil sharpeners, doorknobs and in hundreds of other unsuspected places.
It is also ideal for catching locker thieves and desk prowlers. It will
leave a dark stain on his hands when it explodes, and only you will know
how to remove it.

                              Reaction Equations

                                    Ammonium
          Ammonium      Ammonium    Nitrogen
Iodine   Hydroxide       Iodide    Tri Iodide  Water

3I     +   5NH OH   ---> 3NH I  +   NH NI    +  5H O
  2           4             4         3  3        2

The theoretical yield of explosive from pure iodine is 54.1% by weight. The
remainder of the iodine may be recovered for reuse from the ammonium iodide
waste product by evaporating the waste liquid and treating with chlorine if a
chemistry lab is available. The contact explosive is Ammonium Nitrogen
Tri-Iodide, which explodes into iodine, nitrogen, and ammonia.

 Ammonium
 Nitrigen
Tri-Iodide     Iodine  Nitrogen Ammonia

2NH NI    --->  3I   +    N    +  2NH
   3  3           2        2         3

                      Some Clever Uses For This Material

1.) Contact Explosive Torpedos.

    Get some gelatin capsules, the kind pills are made of. Fill the
small half with uncooked dry tapioca until it is half full. Then place a
wet blob of contact explosive about 4 times the size of a straight pin head
on top of it. Either the granular or paint type explosive will work. The
capsule is then filled the rest of the way up with tapioca until, when the
capsule is put together, the grains of tapioca are packed tightly, and
none are loose. If this is not done properly, the torpedos could go off
prematurely, and the joke would be on you. The torpedos are then moistened
at the joints to seal them and stored until the next day. They are not
sensitive enough until the next day and too sensitive the day after, so
plan your activities accordingly. These torpedos are the most fiendish
devices made. You can lay one on top of a door, where it will roll off when
the door is opened, and it will explode on contact with the floor. If you
toss one some distance away it will appear as if someone else was
responsible for the explosion. These torpedos are ideal as booby traps or
for pulling practical jokes with. They may be carried in a small box filled
with cotton until needed. Just treat the box gently, and all will be well.

2.) Contact Explosive Booby Traps.

    Prepare a small amount of contact explosive. Cut strips of
newspaper 1 1/2 inches wide and 1 foot long. Cut a piece of string 1 foot
long. Put a small amount of wet contact explosive on the strip of paper 1
inch from the end. Double the string. Now pull one end of the string back
until there is a double loop in the string about 1 inch long. Do not tie.
Lay this double loop across the wet contact explosive and tightly roll the
paper and glue the end. Put away for a few days until thoroughly dry. When
dry, pull the ends of the string and the booby trap will explode. The
strings, when pulled, rub against the dry contact explosive, and make it
explode.


Getting The Materials

    There are quite a few chemical supply houses that you can mail
order the materials you need. You'll have to sign a form stating that
you're over 21 and won't use the chemicals for the types of things we're
learning here. Note that the people who run these supply houses know what
Iodine Crystals and Ammonium Hydroxide can do when mixed together, and if
you order both from the same place, or in the same order, it may arouse
some suspicion.

    Check the classified ads in the back of magazines like Popular
Science for the current supply houses. Order as many catalogs as you can
find. Not all sell every chemical that you may want for this series. Also,
you can break the orders up so as not to look suspicious. Lastly, some
houses are used to selling to individuals, and will provide chemicals in 1
or 4 ounce lots, while others prefer to sell to large institutions, and
sell their wares in 1 or 5 pound jugs. Split up your orders according to
the quantities of each item you think you will be needing. An ounce of
Iodine Crystals will cost three or four dollars an ounce, and an ounce
bottle of iodine is pretty tiny, but it goes a long way. If you had to buy
that by the pound, you might just want to forget the whole thing.




3.17     Phosphorus/Chlorate Impact Mixture

        50% red phosphorus
        50% sodium chlorate

    Unlike potassium chlorate,sodium chlorate won't explode spontaneously
when mixed with phosphorus.  It has to be hit to be detonated.


3.2      LOW-ORDER EXPLOSIVES

     There are many low-order explosives that can be purchased in gun
stores and used in explosive devices. However, it is possible that a wise
wise store owner would not sell these substances to a suspicious-looking
individual. Such an individual would then be forced to resort to making
his own low-order explosives.

    Some simple low order explosive mixtures are described following.
Potassium nitrate and sodium nitrate: without a doubt one of the safest low
explosives to handle. Especially good when packed into a container and
exploded under pressure. Smokeless powder: this type of low explosive is
much like the above, in the sense of stability, but it is also much more
powerful. It too needs pressure to be set off. Potassium chlorates with
sulfates: any mixture of potassium or sodium chlorates should be avoided at
all costs. Most compounds will explode on formation. Ammonium nitrate with
chlorates: similar to above, yet even more unstable. Potassium chlorate and
red phosphorus: this will again explode immediately and violently upon
formation. Don't mess with this. Aluminum with sodium peroxide, or
potassium nitrate. This is a little more stable, but is still too dangerous
to play with. Barium chlorate with shellac gums: any mixture containing
either barium or barium nitrate and carbon, or barium chlorate and any
other substance should be given great care. Barium and strontium nitrate
with aluminum and potassium perchlorate: this combination is relatively
safe, as is the combination of barium nitrate and sulfur, potassium
nitrate, and most other powdered metals. Guanidine nitrate and a
combustible: the combination of guanidine nitrate and a combustible (ie.
powdered antimony) is one of the safest of all of the low explosives.
Potassium bichromate and potassium permanganate: this compound is very
unstable and too dangerous to work with.

    With that brief introduction to the effects of various chemicals
you will be working with it's time to make some explosives: The following
is a list of explosive compounds. The first chemical listed is the
oxidating agent (the explosive) the second is the combustible (what sets
off the explosive) In most of these plans you mix 3 parts oxidating agent
and 1 part combustible. However, different mixtures will yield varying
degrees efficiency.

 1.  nitric acid and resin
 2.  barium nitrate and magnesium
 3.  ammonium nitrate and powdered aluminum
 4.  barium peroxide and zinc dust
 5.  ammonium perchlorate and asphaltum
 6.  sodium chlorate and shellac gum
 7.  potassium nitrate (salt peter) and charcoal
     (basically gunpowder without the sulfur)
 8.  sodium peroxide and flowers of sulfur
 9.  magnesium perchlorate and woodmeal
 10.  potassium perchlorate and cane sugar
 11.  sodium nitrate and sulfur flour
 12.  potassium bichromate and antimony sulfide
 13.  guanidine nitrate and powdered antimony
 14.  potassium chlorate and red phosphorus
 15.  potassium permanganate and powdered sugar
 16.  barium chlorate and paraffin wax

    When employing the use of any high explosive, an individual must
also use some kind of detonating device. Blasting caps are probably the
most popular today, since they are very functional and relatively stable.
The prime ingredient in most blasting caps and detonating devices in
general is mercury fulminate. There are several methods for preparing
fulminate (SEE mercury fulminate).


3.21     BLACK POWDER

     First made by the Chinese for use in fireworks, black powder was first
used in weapons and explosives in the 12th century.  It is very simple to make,
but it is not very powerful or safe.  Only about 50% of black powder is
converted to hot gasses when it is burned; the other half is mostly very fine
burned particles.  Black powder has one major problem: it can be ignited by
static electricity.  This is very bad, and it means that the material must be
made with wooden or clay tools.  Anyway, a misguided individual could
manufacture black powder at home with the following procedure:

     MATERIALS               EQUIPMENT
     ─────────               ─────────
     potassium               clay grinding bowl
     nitrate (75 g)          and clay grinder
       or                         or
     sodium                  wooden salad bowl
     nitrate (75 g)          and wooden spoon
     sulfur (10 g)           plastic bags (3)
     charcoal (15 g)         300-500 ml beaker (1)
     distilled water         coffee pot or heat source

1) Place a small amount of the potassium or sodium nitrate in the grinding bowl
   and grind it to a very fine powder.  Do this to all of the potassium or
   sodium nitrate, and store the ground powder in one of the plastic bags.

2) Do the same thing to the sulfur and charcoal, storing each chemical in a
   separate plastic bag.

3) Place all of the finely ground potassium or sodium nitrate in the beaker, and
    add just enough boiling water to the chemical to get it all wet.

4) Add the contents of the other plastic bags to the wet potassium or sodium
   nitrate, and mix them well for several minutes.  Do this until there is no
   more visible sulfur or charcoal, or until the mixture is universally black.

5) On a warm sunny day, put the beaker outside in the direct sunlight.  Sunlight
   is really the best way to dry black powder, since it is never too hot, but it
   is hot enough to evaporate the water.

6) Scrape the black powder out of the beaker, and store it in a safe container.
   Plastic is really the safest container, followed by paper.  Never store black
   powder in a plastic bag, since plastic bags are prone to generate static
   electricity.


3.211      Black Powder, Grandpas Recipe

Author: el Pirata' (computer rat software)

    If ya want to make some low explosive bombs then you picked the right
choice!   First  of  all, this recipe will show how to make black powder in a
simple  and  safe manner yet have the power to make some strong low explosive
bombs.

Note:
    The below amounts will yield two pounds (that's 900 grams for you
metric users) of black powder.  However, only the ratios of the amounts
of  ingredients  are important.  Thus, for twice as much black powder, double
all quantities used.

3 cups    water
5 pints    alcohol (any kind)
1/2 cup    sulfer, powdered (flowers of sulfer, at a drug store)
2 cups    wood charcoal, powdered
3 cups    potassium nitrate, granulated (saltpeter)
2    buckets, both 2 gallon, one must be heat resistant
    large wooden stick
    cloth, 2 ft. sq.
    flat window screening, 1 ft. sq.
    heat source

1.    Place alcohol in one of the buckets.

2.    Place potassium nitrate, charcoal and sulfur in the heat resistant
bucket. Add 1 cup water and mix thoroughly with wooden stick until all
ingredients are dissolved.

3.    Add remaining water (2 cups) to mixture. Place bucket on heat source
and stir until small bubbles begin to form.

Caution:
    Do not boil mixture. Be sure all mixture stays wet. If any is dry, as
on sides of pan, it may ignite.

4.    Remove bucket from heat and pour mixture into alcohol while stirring
vigorously.

5.    Let alcohol mixture stand about 5 minutes. Strain mixture through cloth
to obtain black powder. Discard liquid. Wrap cloth around black powder and
squeeze to remove all excess liquid.

6.    Place screening over dry bucket. Place workable amount of damp powder
on screen and granulate by rubbing solid through screen.

Note:    If  granulated  particles appear to stick together and change
shape, recombine entire batch of powder and repeat steps 5 and 6.

7.    Spread granulated black powder on flat dry surface so that layer
about  1/2  inch is formed.  Allow to dry.  Use radiator, or direct sunlight.
This should be dried as soon as possible, preferably in one hour.  The longer
the drying period, the less effective the black powder.

Caution:
    Remove from heat as soon as granules are dry. Black powder is now ready
for use!


3.212      Gunpowder

Author: Deceptor (Palm Beach BBS)

    Gunpowder is great stuff - though not really as exciting as plastic or
high-explosive it can be good fun for fireworks, bangers and not so large
explosions.

 You will need: Sulphur     - Obtain this from your chemist. Yup! Just ask
                              for 'flowers of sulphur' (what a stupid name
                              for it!)

                Carbon      - Best just to use crushed charcoal for this.

                Potassium   - Get this from a gardenshop (ask for Saltpetre).
                Nitrate       Can also use Sodium Nitrate in 'Weedol weed-
                              killer' - but not actually as good.

    Making gunpowder from this is just too easy. Just grind each
substance until it is a fine powder. Then mix them in the following ratio:

             Potassium Nitrate : Sulphur : Carbon
                     1         :    3    :   7

    Once mixed well you have made gunpowder - pack it in a confined space
- add a fuse with the FUSE PAPER as shown above and you have a
'low-explosive'. It can be great fun. If you want to light the gunpowder
with a short delay of about twenty seconds or so without the need for
matches or lighters then use a Firelighter (3.537)


3.213     Notes on Gun Powder

Author: The Mortician

85%    Potassium Nitrate
12%    Carbon (Charcoal)
3%    Sulfur

    They are rough percentages but try a little like that and play with
it. The more Potassium you add the faster it iwll burn. Less sulfur slower.
Less carbon the less it will burn. What you will do is just put them all in
a mixing jar, I used a little cardboard box with low sides and then ground
it up and mix together. You can get Potassium Nitrate at most drug stores.
It is commonly known as Salt Peter.



3.214     Processing Gunpowder

Gunpowder is one of those items that every budding pyro knows something
about, but few really understand. The standard formula shows this to be 75%
Potassium Nitrate, 15% Charcoal, and 10% sulfur. But just powdering and
then mixing these ingredients makes a powder that's just a weak parody of
real gunpowder. Real gunpowder is made using certain commercial processing
methods that make it burn much more fiercely. While we can't copy these
methods exactly, we can make a pretty decent approximation that can be used
in place of gunpowder in most fireworks formulas. By the way, the
unprocessed mixture that most people think of as gunpowder is known in the
pyrotechnic trade as "meal powder".

One secret of good gunpowder is in making the individual ingredients as
finely powdered as possible. Just running them around in a mortar and
pestle for a few minutes won't do it. The other secret of good powder is to
mix the ingredients thoroughly. Both of these must be done better than can
be done by hand. Simple mechanical means will be used.

If you've ever looked at commercial gunpowder, you've noticed that it comes
in rock-hard granules of various sizes. It looks nothing like the gray meal
powder you're probably used to making. If the ingredients are properly
ground and mixed, then a tiny amount of water can be added (just enough to
moisten it all) and the wet mass is pressed into a cake about 1/2 inch
thick to drive out any air that may remain. The cake is kept pressed until
it's dried solid and is very hard. This may take several days to a week.
During this time, the moisture in the mix has dissolved a tiny bit of the
Potassium Nitrate, which is very soluble in water. When the particles are
tiny enough and the air between the particles is driven out, the Potassium
Nitrate will actually RECRYSTALLIZE AROUND the particles of Sulfur and
Charcoal, and will become very hard. It is then crushed with wooden tools
(or brass or aluminum tools -- no iron or steel -- it can produce
sparks!!!) and the particles are sorted by size by running them through
various mesh sized screens.

Mixing and powdering the ingredients requires you to make or buy a simple
machine. Happily, the same machine can be used for both operations. The
machine is a gemstone tumbler, and for small amounts of powder, a 3 lb.
tumbler is about right. This will allow making 1/2 pound batches of powder.
The reason a 3 lb. tumbler is being used for mere half pound loads, is that
it will also contain about 2 pounds of brass pellets that you'll have to
cut from half inch brass bar stock into 1/2 inch lengths. Don't cut the
brass by hand with a hacksaw. If you have access to a power hacksaw, use
that, otherwise, find a local machine shop that can do the job for you.
You'll be glad you did, trust me. While bars of iron or steel are more
readily available and cheaper, they will also make sparks and blow up your
powder mill. Brass won't spark at all.  Don't use anything else. After your
pellets are cut, you'll want to smooth off the burrs on a belt sander or,
shudder, by hand filing. This is all a lot of work, but you only have to do
it once.

If you want to try making your own tumbler, you'll want to be rolling a
soft plastic bottle about a quart in volume. Don't even think of using
metal, glass, or hard plastic. In either case, an explosion would send
deadly shrapnel flying in all directions. While the hard plastic might not
be quite as deadly as metal, it has the added disadvantage of not showing
up in an X-Ray. Think about it.

The bottle should roll at perhaps 10-12 RPM. The usual way to roll a bottle
for mixing purposes is to have a roller attatched to a low speed motor, and
another free rolling roller a couple of inches away. When the bottle is
placed on top of, and parallel to the two rollers, all three will turn.
Don't forget that electric motors make sparks and sparks can touch off
powder. Make the shaft from the motor to the roller as long as you can,
enclose the motor as best you can, and keep EVERYTHING as clean as you
possibly can.

If you buy a gemstone tumbler, make sure it has a solid rubber barrel.
There are metal barrels available, but you should realize by now why you'd
avoid that kind. Some cheap tumblers have plastic barrels. Again, you
should avoid hard plastic.

Once you have the proper equipment, put the brass pellets into the barrel
and dump in the Potassium Nitrate. Now, run the mill for four (yes, I said
four) hours. The Potassium Nitrate must be quite dry, or you'll be wasting
a lot of effort for nothing. It's safe to warm it in a 300 degree oven for
a few hours if it contains moisture, but you'll want to let it cool down in
a closed container before you mix it with anything. Since the Potassium
Nitrate will start caking on a humid day, you may wish to select a dry day
before you begin.  After you're done, remove the Potassium Nitrate and put
it in a SEALED container. If you don't do this, the stuff will begin caking
from any traces of humidity, and the final material will actually be less
finely powdered than you want. Next, put in the charcoal, and run it for
two hours. Once charcoal is powdered that finely, you'll make thoroughly
nasty black dust clouds when you try to pour it, so don't take it out of
the mill until everything's done. Next, add the Potassium Nitrate back in
and the Sulfur, which normally comes finely powdered. Now all three
ingredients will be in the mill and you should run it all for six (!!!)
hours.

These times are really minimum times if you want to make decent powder.
You'll find that the powder will be much fiercer if you double all these
mixing times, but the time needed will start becoming impractical. Once
this is all done, you should take out the powder, add enough moisture to
get it to cake together and press it into a flat cake. I've had some
success with two heavy boards held together on one end with a wide hinge.
These swing together leaving a half inch gap between them and are clamped
together on their free ends with a metal C-Clamp. The boards should have
several layers of waterproof varnish, otherwise they'll start warping,
they'll leach out some of the dissolved Potassium Nitrate from your powder,
and they'll probably become much more flammable than you'd like them to be.
Let the thing sit in a dry, cool place for a couple of weeks. It should be
away from any sparks or flames, including electric motors, and should be
far enough away from other flammable materials that you won't have a fire
on your hand if it accidentally ignites.

After it's dry and hard, crush and screen it, and you're done.

One final word on this. The extreme solubility of Potassium Nitrate allows
all the recrystallization that makes good gunpowder possible. But
recrystallization is a problem when it causes the Potassium Nitrate to cake
in the container. If you get it in jars, you'll probably have to scrape or
chip out the chunks you need. If you buy it in 100 lb sacks, you'll have to
break pieces off with a sledge hammer. Don't forget that this unpleasant
property also happens at the microscopic level, making tiny particles clump
together into larger ones, as the clock ticks. Time is your enemy when you
need to have your Potassium Nitrate in a fine powder. Use it as quickly as
you can once you've powdered it.  Don't powder it today for use tomorrow.
Even if it looks okay the next day, you can be sure you've lost some of the
work you've put into it, and that the performance of your final product
will suffer.



3.22     NITROCELLULOSE

     Nitrocellulose is usually called "gunpowder" or "guncotton".  It is more
stable than black powder, and it produces a much greater volume of hot gas.  It
also burns much faster than black powder when it is in a confined space.
Finally, nitrocellulose is fairly easy to make, as outlined by the following
procedure:

     MATERIALS                    EQUIPMENT
     ─────────                    ─────────
     cotton  (cellulose)          two (2) 200-300 ml beakers
     concentrated                 funnel and filter paper
     nitric acid
                                  blue litmus paper
     concentrated
     sulfuric acid
     distilled water

1) Pour 10 cc of concentrated sulfuric acid into the beaker.  Add to this
   10 cc of concentrated nitric acid.

2) Immediately add 0.5 gm of cotton, and allow it to soak for exactly 3
   minutes.

3) Remove the nitrocotton, and transfer it to a beaker of distilled water
   to wash it in.

4) Allow the material to dry, and then re-wash it.

5) After the cotton is neutral when tested with litmus paper, it is ready to
   be dried and stored.

3.221     Cellulose Nitrate (guncotton)

    Commonly known as smokeless powder, nitrocellulose is exactly that it
does not give off smoke when it burns.

70ml    concentrated sulfuric acid
30ml    concentrated nitric acid
5g    absorbent cotton
250ml    1m sodium bicarbonate
250ml    beaker
    ice bath
    tongs
    paper towels

    Place 250ml beaker in the ice bath, add 70ml sulfuric acid, 30 ml
nitric acid. Divide cotton into .7g pieces. With tongs, immerse each piece in
the acid so lution for 1 minute. Next, rinse each piece in 3 successive baths
of 500ml water. Use fresh water for each piece. Then immerse in 250ml 1m
sodium bicarbonate.

    If it bubbles, rinse in water once more until no bubbling occurs.
Squeeze dry and spread on paper towels to dry overnight.


3.23     FUEL-OXODIZER MIXTURES

     There are nearly an infinite number of fuel-oxodizer mixtures that can
be produced by a misguided individual in his own home.  Some are very effective
and dangerous, while others are safer and less effective.  A list of working
fuel-oxodizer mixtures will be presented, but the exact measurements of each
compound are debatable for maximum effectiveness.  A rough estimate will be
given of the percentages of each fuel and oxodizer:

 oxodizer, % by weight         fuel, % by weight    speed #     notes
================================================================================
 potassium chlorate 67%          sulfur 33%            5   friction/impact
                                                           sensitive; unstable
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 potassium chlorate 50%          sugar 35%             5   fairly slow burning;
                              charcoal 15%                   unstable
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 potassium chlorate 50%          sulfur 25%            8      extremely
                              magnesium or                    unstable!
                              aluminum dust 25%
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 potassium chlorate 67%          magnesium or          8          unstable
                              aluminum dust 33%
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 sodium nitrate 65%            magnesium dust 30%      ?        unpredictable
                               sulfur 5%                         burn rate
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 potassium permanganate 60%     glycerine 40%          4     delay before
                                                             ignition depends
 WARNING: IGNITES SPONTANEOUSLY WITH GLYCERINE!!!            upon grain size
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 potassium permanganate 67%     sulfur 33%             5       unstable
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 potassium permangenate 60%     sulfur 20%             5       unstable
                               magnesium or
                               aluminum dust 20%
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 potassium permanganate 50%     sugar 50%              3          ?
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 potassium nitrate 75%         charcoal 15%            7      this is
                               sulfur 10%                    black powder!
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 potassium nitrate 60%         powdered iron           1     burns very hot
                               or magnesium 40%
================================================================================
 potassium chlorate 75%        phosphorus              8  used to make strike-
                              sesquisulfide 25%            anywhere matches
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 ammonium perchlorate 70%     aluminum dust 30%        6     solid fuel for
                              and small amount of               space shuttle
                              iron oxide
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 potassium perchlorate 67%     magnesium or           10      flash powder
(sodium perchlorate)          aluminum dust 33%
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 potassium perchlorate 60%    magnesium or             8      alternate
(sodium perchlorate)          aluminum dust 20%               flash powder
                              sulfur 20%
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 barium nitrate 30%           aluminum dust 30%        9       alternate
 potassium perchlorate 30%                                    flash powder
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 barium peroxide 90%          magnesium dust 5%       10       alternate
                              aluminum dust 5%                flash powder
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 potassium perchlorate 50%     sulfur 25%              8       slightly
                               magnesium or                    unstable
                               aluminum dust 25%
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 potassium chlorate 67%        red phosphorus 27%      7     very unstable
 calcium carbonate 3%          sulfur 3%                     impact sensitive
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 potassium permanganate 50%    powdered sugar 25%      7       unstable;
                               aluminum or                     ignites if
                               magnesium dust 25%              it gets wet!
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 potassium chlorate 75%        charcoal dust 15%       6        unstable
                               sulfur 10%
================================================================================

NOTE: Mixtures that uses substitutions of sodium perchlorate for potassium
      perchlorate become moisture-absorbent and less stable.

     The higher the speed number, the faster the fuel-oxodizer mixture burns
AFTER ignition.  Also, as a rule, the finer the powder, the faster the rate of
burning.

     As one can easily see, there is a wide variety of fuel-oxodizer mixtures
that can be made at home.  By altering the amounts of fuel and oxodizer(s),
different burn rates can be achieved, but this also can change the sensitivity
of the mixture.

3.24    PERCHLORATES

     As a rule, any oxidizable material that is treated with perchloric acid
will become a low order explosive.  Metals, however, such as potassium or
sodium, become excellent bases for flash-type powders.  Some materials that can
be perchlorated are cotton, paper, and sawdust.  To produce potassium or sodium
perchlorate, simply acquire the hydroxide of that metal, e.g. sodium or
potassium hydroxide.  It is a good idea to test the material to be perchlorated
with a very small amount of acid, since some of the materials tend to react
explosively when contacted by the acid.  Solutions of sodium or potassium
hydroxide are ideal.

3.25     Bulk Powders

Author: Doctor Dissector
From: Anarchy 'n Explosives No.1 (Vol 5)

    Bulk powders are types of gunpowders consisting of nitrocellulose and a
mixture of other chemically explosive solutions. These nitrocellulose fibers
are stuck together, but are not completely collided. Some contain little else
but nitrocellulose; others contain, in addition to potassium and barium
nitrates, camphor, vaseline, paraffin, lampblack, starch, dextrine, potassium
dichromate or other oxidizing or deterrent salts, and diphenylamine for
stabilization, and are colored in a variety of brilliant hues by means of col-
tar dyes. Three typical bulk powders are made up according to the approximate
formulas tabulated below:

    Nitrocellulose........................ 84.0   87.0   89.0
      % N in nitrocellulose............... 13.2   12.9   12.9
    Potassium nitrate.....................  7.5    6.0    6.0
    Barium nitrate........................  7.5    2.0    3.0
    Starch................................  -.-    -.-    1.0
    Paraffin oil..........................  -.-    4.0    -.-
    Diphenylamine.........................  1.0    1.0    1.0

    The mixture is mixed in warm water and dried thoroughly. Then either
granulated or made into powder by crushing with a wooden block and screened
through a 12-mesh sieve. The material is then stored in a moisture-resistant
container for future or immediate use.


3.26      French Ammonal

Author: Doctor Dissector
From: Anarchy 'n Explosives No.1 (Vol 2)

            Type: Low Explosive
     Ingredients: 86% Ammonium Nitrate
                   6% Stearic Acid
                   8% Aluminum Powder
     Description: French ammonal is an easily improvised low explosive
                  mixture. It is generally less effective than an equal
                  weight of TNT. The material is loaded by pressing it into
                  a suitable container. Initiation by an Engineer's special
                  blasting cap is recommended.
        Comments: This material was tested. It is effective.
      References: TM 31-201-1, Unconventional Warfare Devices and Techniques,
                  para 1401.

3.261     Ammonal

    Ammonal is a mixture of ammonium nitrate (a strong oxidizer) with
aluminum powder (the 'fuel' in this case). I am not sure of the %
composition for ammonal, so you may want to experiment a little using small
amounts.

3.27     Red or White Powder Propellant

Author: The Jolly Roger

    Red or White Powder Propellant may be prepared in a simple, safe
manner. The formulation described below will result in approximately 2 1/2
pounds of powder. This is a small arms propellant and should only be used in
weapons with 1/2 in. diameter or less (but not pistols!).

    Heat Source (Kitchen Stove or open fire)
    2 gallon metal bucket
    Measuring cup (8 ounces)
    Wooden spoon or rubber spatula
    Metal sheet or aluminum foil (at least 18 in. sq.)
    Flat window screen (at least 1 foot square)
     Potassium Nitrate (granulated) 2-1/3 cups
    White sugar (granulated) 2 cups
    Powdered ferric oxide (rust) 1/8 cup (if available)
    Clear water, 1-1/2 cups


1)    Place the sugar, potassium nitrate, and water in the bucket.  Heat
with a low flame, stirring occasionally until the sugar and potassium nitrate
dissolve.

2)    If  available,  add  the  ferric  oxide  (rust)  to the solution.
Increase the flame under the mixture until it boils gently.

Note: The mixture will retain the rust coloration.

3)    Stir and scrape the bucket sides occasionally until the mixture is
reduced to one quarter of its original volume, then stir continuously.

4)    As the water evaporates, the mixture will become thicker until it
reaches the consistency of cooked breakfast cereal or homemade fudge. At
this stage  of thickness, remove the bucket from the heat source, and spread
the mass on the metal sheet.

5)    While the material cools, score it with a spoon or spatula in
crisscrossed furrows about 1 inch apart.

6)    Allow the material to dry, preferably in the sun. As it dries,
resore it accordingly (about every 20 minutes) to aid drying.

7)    When the material has dried to a point where it is moist and soft
but not sticky to the touch, place a small spoonful on the screen. Rub the
material back and forth against the screen mesh with spoon or other flat
object until the material is granulated into small worm-like particles.

8)    After granulation, return the material to the sun to allow to dry
completely.


3.28     Sodium Chlorate Gunpowder

        65% sodium chlorate
        22% charcoal
        13% sulfur
        and sprinkle some graphite on top.


3.29     Gunpowder

        75% potassium nitrate
        15% charcoal
        10% sulfur

    The chemicals should be ground into a fine powder (seperately!) with
a morter & pestle. If gunpowder is ignited in the open, it burns fiercely,
but if in a closed space it builds up pressure from the released gases and
can explode the container. Gunpowder works like this: the potassium nitrate
oxidizes the charcoal and sulfur, which then burn fiercely. Carbon dioxide
and sulfur dioxide are the gases released.


3.3     HIGH-ORDER EXPLOSIVES

     High order explosives can be made in the home without too much
difficulty.  The main problem is acquiring the nitric acid to produce the high
explosive.  Most high explosives detonate because their molecular structure is
made up of some fuel and usually three or more NO2 ( nitrogen dioxide )
molecules.  T.N.T., or Tri-Nitro-Toluene is an excellent example of such a
material.  When a shock wave passes through an molecule of T.N.T., the
nitrogen dioxide bond is broken, and the oxygen combines with the fuel, all in
a matter of microseconds.  This accounts for the great power of nitrogen-based
explosives.  Remembering that these procedures are NEVER TO BE CARRIED OUT,
several methods of manufacturing high-order explosives in the home are listed.

3.31     R.D.X.

     R.D.X., also called cyclonite, or composition C-1 (when mixed with
plasticisers) is one of the most valuable of all military explosives.  This is
because it has more than 150% of the power of T.N.T., and is much easier to
detonate.  It should not be used alone, since it can be set off by a not-too
severe shock.  It is less sensitive than mercury fulminate, or nitroglycerine,
but it is still too sensitive to be used alone.  R.D.X. can be made by the
surprisingly simple method outlined hereafter.  It is much easier to make in the
home than all other high explosives, with the possible exception of ammonium
nitrate.

     MATERIALS                    EQUIPMENT
     ─────────                    ─────────

     hexamine                     500 ml beaker
       or
     methenamine                  glass stirring rod
     fuel tablets (50 g)
                                  funnel and filter paper
     concentrated
     nitric acid (550 ml)         ice bath container
                                  (plastic bucket)
     distilled water
                                  centigrade thermometer
     table salt
                                  blue litmus paper
     ice
     ammonium nitrate

1) Place the beaker in the ice bath, (see section 3.13, steps 3-4) and carefully
    pour 550 ml of concentrated nitric acid into the beaker.

2) When the acid has cooled to below 20 degrees centigrade, add small amounts of
   the crushed fuel tablets to the beaker.  The temperature will rise, and it
   must be kept below 30 degrees centigrade, or dire consequences could result.
   Stir the mixture.

3) Drop the temperature below zero degrees centigrade, either by adding more ice
   and salt to the old ice bath, or by creating a new ice bath.  Or, ammonium
   nitrate could be added to the old ice bath, since it becomes cold when it is
   put in water. Continue stirring the mixture, keeping the temperature below
   zero degrees centigrade for at least twenty minutes

4) Pour the mixture into a litre of crushed ice.  Shake and stir the mixture,
   and allow it to melt.  Once it has melted, filter out the crystals, and
   dispose of the corrosive liquid.

5) Place the crystals into one half a litre of boiling distilled water.  Filter
   the crystals, and test them with the blue litmus paper.  Repeat steps 4 and 5
   until the litmus paper remains blue.  This will make the crystals more stable
   and safe.

6) Store the crystals wet until ready for use. Allow them to dry completely
   using them. R.D.X. is not stable enough to use alone as an explosive.

7) Composition C-1 can be made by mixing 88.3% R.D.X. (by weight) with 11.1%
   mineral oil, and 0.6% lecithin. Kneed these material together in a plastic
   bag. This is a good way to desensitize the explosive.

8) H.M.X. is a mixture of T.N.T. and R.D.X.; the ratio is 50/50, by weight.
   it is not as sensitive, and is almost as powerful as straight R.D.X.

9) By adding ammonium nitrate to the crystals of R.D.X. after step 5, it should
   be possible to desensitize the R.D.X. and increase its power, since ammonium
   nitrate is very insensitive and powerful. Soduim or potassium nitrate could
   also be added; a small quantity is sufficient to stabilize the R.D.X.

10) R.D.X. detonates at a rate of 8550 meters/second when it is compressed to a
    density of 1.55 g/cubic cm.


3.311     RDX - Cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine - (Cyclonite, Hexagon, T4)

Author: Doctor Dissector
From: Anarchy 'n Explosives No.1 (Vol 7)

    RDX is a white crystalline solid that exhibits very high shattering
power. It is commonly used as a booster in explosive trains or as a main
bursting charge. It is stable in storage, and when combined with proper
additives, may be cast or press loaded. It may be initiated by lead azide or
mercury fulminate.


PREPARATION:

     Detailed instructions are not available on the preperation
of this product at this time, but if you are a good chemist, you will be able
to make it from the brief description following- Cyclonite, prepared by the
nitration of hexamethylenetetramine (C6H12N4), is derived ultimately from no
other raw materials than coke, air, and water. Hexamethylenetetramine has
basic properties and forms a nitrate (C6H12N4-2HNO3, m.p. 165 degrees) that is
soluble in water, insoluble in alcohol, ether, chloroform, and acetone. The
product C3H6O6N6, prepared by nitrating this nitrate is cyclonite. Another
method of extracting RDX is by treating hexamethylenetetramine directly with
strong nitric acid. In the acid process, the tetramine is added slowly in
small portions at a time to nitric acid (1.52 s.g.) at a temperature of 20-20
degrees. When all the tetramine and acid are mixed, warm the liquid to 55
degrees. The allow the mixture to stand for a few minutes, allowing it to cool
to 20 degrees, and the product will be precipitated with the addition of
water. One example is 50 grams of the hexamethylenetetramine added to 550
grams of 100% nitric acid at 30 degrees, over a period of 15 minutes; the
mixture was cooled to 0 degrees, held at 0 degrees for 20 minutes, and the
drowned with water. A chemical diagram of the chemicals and the reaction are
shown below.

        N                                     NO2
      _/|\_                                    |
    _/  |  \_                                  N
CH2/   CH2   \CH2                             / \
  |     |     |                            CH2   CH2+3CH2O+NH3
  |     N     |   + 3HNO3 ---------->       |     |
  |    / \    |                         NO2-N     N-NO2
  | CH2   CH2 |                              \   /
  | /       \ |                               CH2
  N/         \N
   \__     __/                         Cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine
      \   /
       CH2

Hexamethylenetetramine


3.312     COMPOSITION B

    Composition B is a high-explosive mixture with a relative effectiveness
higher than that of TNT. It is also more sensitive than TNT. It is composed of
RDX (59%), TNT (40%), and wax (1%). Because of its shattering power and high
rate of detonation, Composition B is used as the main charge in certain models
of bangalore torpedoes and shaped charges.

3.313     COMPOSITION C4

    Composition C4 is the most common military plastic explosive. It is
often referred to as C4 Plasique. C4 is a white plastic high-explosive more
powerful than TNT. It consists of 91% RDX and 9% plastic binder. It remains
plastic over a wide range of temperatures (-70 to 170 degrees Fahrenheit), and
is about as sensitive as TNT. It is eroded less than other plastic explosives
when immersed under water for long periods. Because of its high detonation
velocity and its plasticity, C4 is well suited for gutting steel and timber
and for breaching concrete.

3.314     PENTOLITE

     Pentolite is a high explosive mixture of equal proportions of PETN and
TNT. It is light yellow and is used as the main bursting charge in grenades,
small shells, and shaped charges. Pentolite may be melted and cast in the
container. Pentolite should not be drilled to produce cavities, forming tools
should be used.


3.315     RDX Explosive

From: Anarchy Today, Article #3 Issue #1
Author: Jack The Ripper

    The reason I wrote this is because the other file I saw on how to make
RDX was so shabby and lame it was probably written by an eight year old mental
patient. So here is mine easy! Straightforward!  Comprehendable!

Name                                                Source
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hexamethylenetetramine (Hexamin)                    Drug stores under the names
                                                    Hexamin, Urotropine, and
                                                    Methenamine

Strong Nitric Acid                                  Chemical Supply House or
                                                    some Hardware stores

Acetone                                             Drug Stores and Hardware
                                                    Stores

Scale with gram accuracy
Graduated Cylinder (cc or ml) or measuring cups
Thermometer 20-100 degrees celcius or 68-212 degrees farenheit
Several large quart canning jars
Two large basins or bowls made of metal or some other heatable metal
Paper Towels

1)    Place one half cup or 120 ml or cc of nitric acid in a large
    canning jar and bring the temperature to between 20 and 30 degrees
    celcius (68-86 F) by putting the jar in a basin of cold water.

2)    Keep the thermometer in the jar so you can closely maintain the
    temperature between your basins of hot and cold water.

3)    Weigh out 70 grams by weight or 18 teaspoons by volume of hexamine.
    Then start adding the hexamin slowly at 1/2 teaspoon at a time over
    a 15 minute time period. All the while maintaining the temperature
    between 20 and 30 degrees celcius by moving it in and out of the
    cold water basins.

4)    When all the hexamin is dissolved in the acid heat the solution to
    55 degrees celcius (131 F) by placing the jar in a basin of hot
    water. Then maintain this temperature for about ten minutes.

5)    Now remove the jar from the basin of hot water and place it in the
    basin of cold water and cool the jar to 20 degrees celcius (68 F).
    Now when the solution reaches 20 degrees celcius add 3 cups (750ml)
    of cold water and white salt will appear.

6)    Now the white salt is RDX and should be handled with care.  Now
    filter the Acid/Water/RDX solution through a paper towel covering
    the mouth of another jar.

7)    Wash the RDX crystals off the paper towel and add an additional 3
    cups of fresh cold water and a teaspoon of sodium carbonate to
    neutralize the acid. Now stir rapidly for 3 minutes and then
    filter it out again.

8)    It is now usable, but I prefer purifying it by filling a quart
    canning jar 2/3 full of acetone and heating the acetone then adding
    the RDX crystals to it a half teaspoon at a time until it
    completely dissolves in the acetone.

9)    Now that it is all dissolved let the solution cool to room
    temperature and let it stand for one hour. The RDX will then
    precipitate again into it's salt. Then you must filter it through a
    paper towel around anothr jar and rinse it with cold water the same
    way you did before. Now you have the finished product roguhly 1
    and 1/2 ounces of RDX.

10)    Now store your finished product (after it dries) in a jar with a
    air tight lid for future use. Seeing that RDX does not lose it's
    effectiveness for months.

11)    Dice, and serve with a garnish of chopped parsley and herbs.
    Serves 8-10. [Sorry, couldn't resist - Hook]


-=-=-=-
-USES!-
-=-=-=-

    RDX is a very powerful explosive however it can be compressed into
tubes to make detonaters. Later in this newsletter I will prescribe a
method for making detonaters in which RDX will be used along with other
explosives before mentioned. RDX however is sensitive to friction, and can
be used as an explosive by itself. It is also commonly refered to as
Cyclonite.


3.32       T.N.T.

    T.N.T., or Tri-Nitro-Toluene, is perhaps the second oldest known high
explosive. Dynamite, of course, was the first. It is certainly the best known
high explosive, since it has been popularized by early morning cartoons. It
is the standard for comparing other explosives to, since it is the most well
known. In industry, a T.N.T. is made by a three step nitration process that is
designed to conserve the nitric and sulfuric acids which are used to make the
product. A terrorist, however, would probably opt for the less economical one
step method. The one step process is performed by treating toluene with very
strong (fuming) sulfuric acid. Then, the sulfated toluene is treated with very
strong (fuming) nitric acid in an ice bath. Cold water is added the solution,
and it is filtered.


3.321     Preparation of TNT

Author: Doctor Dissector
From: Anarchy 'n Explosives No.1 (Vol 3)

    This high explosive is a VERY DANGEROUS, slightly unstable substance.
The crystalized crude TNT is about the color of brown sugar and feels greasy to
the touch. It is suitable for many uses as a high-explosive, but not for the
use in high-explosive shells. It is also highly reactive to many other chemical
substances. It can be incorporated into dynamite and many other explosives that
will be explained in further detail later.


                                   WARNING:
  DO NOT ATTEMPT TO FINISH THIS PROJECT UNLESS YOU ARE FULLY CAPABLE SAFELY
  EXECUTING THE PROCESSES IN A SAFE ENVIRONMENT! IF YOU CHOOSE TO CONTINUE,
    READ THE INSTRUCTIONS COMPLETELY THROUGH BEFORE BEGINNING AND HAVE ALL
  MATERIALS AND TOOLS (INCLUDING SAFETY/EMERGENCY EQUIPTMENT) READY FOR USE
  WHEN OR IF THEY ARE NEEDED. THIS IS NOT A JOKE! USE AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!!!


Preparation of Trinitrotoluene (Three Stages).


    A mixture of 294 grams of concentrated sulfuric acid (density 1.84) and
147 grams of nitric acid (density 1.42) is added slowly from a dropping funnel
to 100 grams of toluene in a tall 600-cc. beaker, while the liquid is stirred
vigorously with an electric stirrer and it's temperature is maintained at 30
to 40 degrees celsius by running cold water in the vessel in which the beaker
is standing. The addition of acid will require from an hour to an hour and a
half. The stirring is then continued for half an hour longer without cooling;
the mixture is allowed to stand over night in a separatory funnel; the lower
layer of spent acid is drawn off; and the crude mononitrotoluene is weighed.
One-half of it, corresponding to 50 grams of toluene, is taken for the
dinitration.

    The mononitrotoluene (MNT) is dissolved in 109 grams of concentrated
sulfuric acid (d. 1.84) while the mixture is cooled in running water. The
solution in a tall beaker is warmed to 50 degrees, and a mixed acid, composed
of 54.5 grams each of nitric acid (d. 1.50) and sulfuric acid (d. 1.84), is
added slowly drop by drop from a dropping funnel while the mixture is stirred
mechanically. The heat generated by the reaction raises the temperature, and
the rate of addition of the acid is regulated so that the temperature of the
mixture lies always between 90 degrees and 100 degrees. The addition of the
acid will require about 1 hour. After the acid has been added, the mixture is
stirred for 2 hours longer at 90-100 degrees to complete the nitration. Two
layers seperate on standing. The upper layer consists largely of dinitrotoluene
(DNT), but probably contains a certain amount of TNT. The trinitration in the
laboratory is converniently carried out without separating the DNT from the
spent acid.

    While the dinitration mixture is stirred actively at a temperature of
about 90 degrees, 145 grams of fuming sulfuric aced (oleum containing 15% free
SO3) is added slowly by pouring from a beaker. A mixed acid, composed of 72.5
grams each of nitric acid (d. 1.50) and the 15% oleum, is now added drop by
drop with good agitation while the heat of the reaction maintains the
temperature at 100-115 degrees. After about three-quarters of the acid has
been added, it will be found necessary to apply external heat to maintain the
temperature. After all the acid has been added (taking 1 1/2 to 2 hours), the
heating and stirring are continued for 2 hours longer at 100-115 degrees. After
the material has stood overnight, the upper TNT layer will be found to have
solidified to a hard cake, and the lower layer of spent acid to be filled with
crystals. The acid is filtered through a Buchner funnel (without filter paper),
and the cake is broken up and washed with water on the same filter to remove
excess of acid. The spent acid contains considerable amounts of TNT in solution;
this is precipitated by pouring the acid into a large volume of water, filtered
off, rinsed with water, and added to the main batch. All the of the product is
washed three or four times by agitating it vigorously with hot water under which
it is melted. After the last washing, the TNT is  granulated by allowing it to
cool slowly under hot water while the stirring is continued. The product,
filtered off and dried at ordinary room temperature, is equal to a good
commercial sample of crude TNT.

    It may be purified by dissolving in warm alcohol at 60 degrees and
allowing to cool slowly, or it may be purified by digesting with 5 times its
weight of 5% sodium hydrogen sulfite solution at 90 degrees for half an hour
with vigorous stirring, washing with hot water until the washings are colorless,
and finally granulating as before. The product of this last treatment is equal
to a good commercial sample of purified TNT. Pure ALPHA-TNT, melting point 80.8
degrees, may be procured by recrystallizing this material once from nitric acid
(d. 1.42) and once from alcohol.

                 Well, that's it... AND REMEMBER MY WARNING!


3.322     The Screamer's Preparation of TNT

Author:  THE SCREAMER

*s*c**re*a***m**e**r*

    Probably the most important explosive compond in use today is TNT
(trinitrotoluene). This and other very similar types of high explosives ar
all used by the military, because of their fantastic power- about 2.25
millions pounds per square inch, and there great stability. TNT also has
the great advantage of being ableto be melted at 82 degrees F., so that it
can be poured into shells, mortars, or any other projectiles. Military TNT
comes in containers which resemble dryu cell batteries, and are usually
ingnited by an electrical charge, coupled with an electical blasting cap,
although there are other methods.


Preparation of TNT

1.    Take two beakers.  In the first prepare a solution of 76 percent
sulfuric acid, 23 percent nitric acid and 1 percent water. In the other beaker,
prepare another solution of 57 percent nitric acid and 43 percent sulfuric
acid (percentages are on a weight ratio rather than volume).

2.    Ten grams of the first solutions are poured into an empty beaker and
placed in an ice bath.

3.    Add ten grams of toluene, and stir for several minutes.

4.    Remove this beaker from the ice bath and gently heat until it reaches 50
degrees C. The solution is stirred constantly while being heated.

5.    Fifty additional grams of the acid, from the first beaker, are added and
the  temperature  is  held  for the next ten minutes, and an oily liquid will
begin to form on the top of the acid.

6.    After  10  or 12 minutes, the acid solution is returned to the ice bath,
and  cooled  to 45 begrees C> when reaching this temperature, the oily liquid
will  sink  and  collect  at  the  bottom of the beaker.  Atr this point, the
remaining acid solution should be drawn off, by using a syringe.

7.    Fifty more grams of the first acid solution are added to the oily liquid
while  the  temperature  is  SLOWLY being raised to 83 degrees C.  After this
temperature is reached, it is maintaind for a full half hour.

8.    At the end of this period, he solution is allowed to cool to 60 degrees
C, and is held at this temperature for another full half hour. After this, the
acid is again drawn off, leaving once more only the oily liquid at the bottom.

9.    Thirty grams of sulfuric acid are added, while the oily liquid is gently
heated to 80 degrees Celcius. All temperature increases must be accomplished
slowly and gently.

10.    Once  the  desired  temperature is reached, 30 grams of the second acid
solution are added, and the temperature is raised from 80 dgregrees C> to 104
degrees C., and is held for three hours.

11.    After  this three hour period, the mixture is lowered to 100 degrees C.
and held there for a half hour.

12.    After  this half hour, the oil is removed form the acid and washed with
boiling water.

13.    After the washing with boiling water, while being stired constantly, the
TNT will begin to solidify.

14.    When the solidification has started, cold water is added to the beaker,
so  that  the TNT will form into pellets.  Once this is done, you have a good
quality TNT.

Note:
    The temperatures used in the preparation of TNT are EXACT, and must be
used as such. DO NOT estimate or use aproximations. Buy a good centigrade
thermometer.


3.323     How to make TNT

From: Anarchy 'n Explosives


1.    Get two clean beakers. In the first, prepare a solution of 76% sulfuric
acid, 23% nitric acid and 1% water. In the other beaker prepare another
solution of 57% nitric acid and 43% sulfuric acid. Percentages are on a weight
ratio, not by volume.

2.    Ten grams of the first solution are poured into an empty beaker and
placed in an ice bath.

3.    Add ten grams of toluene, and stir for several minutes.

4.    Remove this beaker from the ice bath and gently heat until it reaches
50 degrees C. The solution is stirred constantly while being heated.

5.    Fifty additional grams of the acid from the first beaker are added and
the temperature is allowed to rise to 55 C.  This temp is held for the next
ten minutes. An oily liquid will begin to form on the top of the acid.

6.    After 10-12 minutes, the acid solution is returned to the ice bath, and
cooled to 45 C. When reaching this temp. The oily liquid will sink and collect
at the bottom of the beaker. At this point, the remaining acid solution should
be drawn off using a syringe.

7.    Fifty more grams of the first acid solution are added to the oily
liquid while the temp. is slowly being raised to 83 C. After this, the temp.
is maintained for 30 minutes.

8.    At the end of this period, the solution is allowed to cool to 60 C,
and is held at this temp. for another 30 minutes.  The acid is then again
drawn off, leaving once more only the oily liquid at the bottom.

9.    Thirty grams of sulfuric acid are added, while the oily liquid is
gently heated to 80 C.  All temperature changes must be accomplished slowly
and gently.

10.    Once the desired temperature is reached, 30 grams of the second
solution are added and the temperature is raised from 80 to 104 C, and is held
for 3 hours.

11.    After the 3 hours, the mixture is lowered to 100 C and is held for 30
minutes.

12.    The oil is then removed from the acid and washed in boiling water.

13.    While washing with boiling water, the TNT will begin to solidify.

14.    When it starts to solidify, cold water is added to the beaker, so that
the TNT will form into pellets..  Once this is done, you have a good quality
TNT which is very stable and can be melted at 82 C.



3.33     DYNAMITE

     The name dynamite comes from the Greek word "dynamis", meaning power.
Dynamite was invented by Nobel shortly after he made nitroglycerine. It was
made because nitroglycerine was so dangerously sensitive to shock. A misguided
individual with some sanity would, after making nitroglycerine (an insane act)
would immediately convert it to dynamite. This can be done by adding various
materials to the nitroglycerine, such as sawdust. The sawdust holds a large
weight of nitroglycerine per volume. Other materials, such as ammonium nitrate
could be added, and they would tend to desensitize the explosive, and increase
the power. But even these nitroglycerine compounds are not really safe.


3.331     Dynamite

Author: Doctor Dissector
From: Anarchy 'n Explosives No.1 (Vol 4)

    In this particular volume, we will be discussing types of Dynamite,
these high-explosives being one of the more important or destructive of the
anarchist's formulas. Note that some of these mixtures are very unstable or
shock ignited, and that care should be observed when handling these unstable
mixtures. Some of these formulae deal with Trinitrotoluene (TNT) and the
preparation for that is given within this manual.

                                   WARNING:
THESE ARE REAL EXPLOSIVES AND MAY CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH UPON MISUSE.
  DO NOT ATTEMPT TO PREPARE ANY AS SAMPLE IF YOU ARE NOT FULLY CAPABLE OF
UNDERSTANDING THE DANGERS AND PRECAUTIONS OF THESE PRODUCTS. THESE FORMULAE
   ARE THE TRUE FORMULAE TO CREATE THESE MIXTURES AND ARE THEREFORE VERY
                      DANGEROUS. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!

3.332     Guhr Dynamite


  Ingredients-  1 part Kieselguhr
                3 parts Nitroglycerin

    This dynamite is primarily used in blasting. It is fairly stable, in
the drop test, it exploded by the fall of a 1 kg weight through 12 to 15 cm.,
or by the fall of a 2 kg weight through 7 cm. The frozen material is less
sensitive: a drop of more than 20 cm. with a 1 kg weight is needed to explode
it, and the 2 kg weight is necessary to explode it. Frozen or unfrozen, it can
be detonated by shooting at it with a military rifle, when held in a paper
cartridge. Generally, it is detonated with a steel-on-steel blow. Velicity of
detonation vary from 6650 to 6800 meters per second at a density loading of
1.50.


3.333     Extra-Dynamite

  Ingredients-      FORMULA 1                   FORMULA 2
                71% Nitroglycerin           62% Ammonium Nitrate
                23% Ammonium Nitrate        25% Nitroglycerin
                 4% Collodion               12% Charcoal
                 2% Charcoal                 1% Collodion

  Description- This material is crumbly and plastic between the fingers.
               This material can be detonated with any detonating cap.

3.334     Table Of Dynamite Formulae:
       INGREDIENT                             STRENGTH
                          15%  20%  25%  30%  35%  40%  45%  50%  55%  60%
 Nitroglycerin..........  15   20   25   30   35   40   45   50   55   60
 Combustible Material...  20   19   18   17   16   15   14   14   15   16
 Sodium Nitrate.........  64   60   56   52   48   44   40   35   29   23
 Calcium or Magnesium
    Carbonate...........   1    1    1    1    1    1    1    1    1    1
                            **********AMOUNTS GIVEN IN PERCENTAGES*******

3.335     Table Of More Dynamite Formulae:
                                         STRENGTH
       INGREDIENT             ORDINARY             LOW FREEZING
                         30% 35% 40% 50% 60%    30% 35% 40% 50% 60%
Nitroglycerin..........  15  20  22  27  35     13  17  17  21  27
Nitrosubstitution
    Compounds..........   0   0   0   0   0      3   4   4   5   6
Ammonium Nitrate.......  15  15  20  25  30     15  15  20  25  30
Sodium Nitrate.........  51  48  42  36  24     53  49  45  36  27
Combustible Material...  18  16  15  11  10     15  14  13  12   9
Calcium Carbonate or
    Zinc Oxide.........   1   1   1   1   1      1   1   1   1   1
                           *****AMOUNTS GIVEN IN PERCENTAGES*****

3.336     Master Table Of Dynamites:
       INGREDIENT                               FORMULA
                             1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9  10  11  12
Ammonium Nitrate..........  52  53  60  61  66  73  78  83   0   0   0   0
Potassium Nitrate.........  21   0   0   0   0  2.8  5   7 30.5 34   0   0
Sodium Nitrate............   0  12   5   3   0   0   0   0   0   0 30.5 24.5
Barium Nitrate............   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   2   4   1   0   0
Na or K Chloride..........   0   0  21 20.5 22  15   8   0   0   0   0   0
Hydrated Ammonium Oxalate.  16  19   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0
Ammonium Chloride.........   6   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0
Cereal or Wood Meal.......   0   4   4  7.5  2   1   5   2   0 38.5 39.5 40.5
Glycerin..................   0   0   0   4   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0
Spent Tan Bark Meal.......   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0  40   1   0   0
Potassium Dichromate......   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   5   5
Sodium Carbonate..........   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0  .5  .5   0   0
Powdered Coal.............   0   0   0   0   4   0   0   0   0   0   0   0
Nitrotoluene..............   0   0   6   1   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0
Dinitrotoluene............   0   0   0   0   0   5   0   0   0   0   0   0
Trinitrotoluene...........   0   6   0   0   0   0   0   2   0   0   0   0
Nitroglycerin.............   5   5   4   4   4  3.2  4   4  25  25  25  30
                                     ALL AMOUNTS ARE IN PERCENTAGES

Well, that's it for now... have fun.... hehehehehe!

3.337     American Dynamite

Author: The Rocker (Metallibashers Inc.)
From: Phrack


    Mix 170 parts tolulene with 100 parts acid. The acid made of 2 parts
of 70% nitric and 3 parts of 100% sulfuric. Mix below 30 degrees. Set this
down for 30 min. and let it separate. Take the mononitrotolulene and mix
100 part of it with 215 parts of acid. This acid is 1 part pure nitric and
2 parts pure sulfuric. Keep the temperature at 60- 70 degrees while they
are slowly mixed. Raise temp to 90-100 and stir for 30 min. The
dinitrotoluene is separated and mix 100 parts of this stuff with 225 parts
of 20% oleum which is 100% sulfuric with 20% extra dissolved sulfur
trioxide, and 65 parts nitric acid. Heat at 95 degrees for 60 min. Then at
120 degrees for 90 min.

    Separate the trinitrotoluene and slosh it around in hot water.
Purify the powder by soaking it in benzyne.

              Presto!  American Dynamite!

    Thanx to S.A. for the idea! Thanx to Phrack Inc. for just being a
sponsor!

    Don't forget to call these systems after you obliterate someone's
house with that T.N.T...

3.338     "Norbin & Ohlsson's Patent Dynamite (c)1896"

    Once you have made the Nitro and saturated it with Bicarb. You can
make a really powerful explosive that won't go off by itself by simply mixing
it with as much cotton as you can and then saturating that with molten (but
as cool as possible, of course) parifine--just enough to make it sealed and
hard. Typically, use the same amounts (by weight) of each Nitro, cotton and
parifine. This, when wrapped in newspaper, was once known as "Norbin &
Ohlsson's Patent Dynamite," but that was back in 1896.


3.339     King Arthur's Dynamite Table

Author: King Arthur

     Dynamite is nothing more than just nitroglycerin and a stablizing
agent to make it much safer to use. For the sake of saving time, I
will abbreviate nitroglycerin with a plain NG. The numbers
are percentages, be sure to mix these carefully and be sure to use the
exact amounts. These percentages are in weight ratio, not volume.

no.  ingredients                 amount
---------------------------------------
#1   NG                          32
     sodium nitrate              28
     woodmeal                    10
     ammonium oxalate            29
     guncotten                    1

#2   NG                          24
     potassium nitrate            9
     sodium nitate               56
     woodmeal                     9
     ammonium oxalate             2

#3   NG                          35.5
     potassium nitrate           44.5
     woodmeal                     6
     guncotton                    2.5
     vaseline                     5.5
     powdered charcoal            6

#4   NG                          25
     potassium nitrate           26
     woodmeal                    34
     barium nitrate               5
     starch                      10

#5   NG                          57
     potassium nitrate           19
     woodmeal                     9
     ammonium oxalate            12
     guncotton                    3

#6   NG                          18
     sodium nitrate              70
     woodmeal                     5.5
     potassium chloride           4.5
     chalk                        2

#7   NG                          26
     woodmeal                    40
     barium nitrate              32
     sodium carbonate             2

#8   NG                          44
     woodmeal                    12
     anhydrous sodium sulfate    44

#9   NG                          24
     potassium nitrate           32.5
     woodmeal                    33.5
     ammonium oxalate            10

#10  NG                          26
     potassium nitrate           33
     woodmeal                    41

#11  NG                          15
     sodium nitrate              62.9
     woodmeal                    21.2
     sodium carbonate              .9

#12  NG                          35
     sodium nitrate              27
     woodmeal                    10
     ammonium oxalate             1

#13  NG                          32
     potassium nitrate           27
     woodmeal                    10
     ammonium oxalate            30
     guncotton                    1

#14  NG                          33
     woodmeal                    10.3
     ammonium oxalate            29
     guncotton                     .7
     potassium perchloride       27

#15  NG                          40
     sodium nitrate              45
     woodmeal                    15

#16  NG                          47
     starch                      50
     guncotton                    3

#17  NG                          30
     sodium nitrate              22.3
     woodmeal                    40.5
     potassium chloride           7.2

#18  NG                          50
     sodium nitrate              32.6
     woodmeal                    17
     ammonium oxalate              .4

#19  NG                          23
     potassium nitrate           27.5
     woodmeal                    37
     ammonium oxalate             8
     barium nitrate               4
     calcium carbonate             .5



3.34    OTHER


3.341      AMMONIUM NITRATE

     Ammonium nitrate could be made by a terrorist according to the hap-
hazard method in section 2.33, or it could be stolen from a construction site,
since it is usually used in blasting, because it is very stable and insensitive
to shock and heat.  A terrorist could also buy several Instant Cold-Paks from a
drug store or medical supply store.  The major disadvantage with ammonium
nitrate, from a terrorist's point of view, would be detonating it.  A rather
powerful priming charge must be used, and usually with a booster charge.  The
diagram below will explain.

          _________________________________________
          |       |                               |
  ________|       |                               |
     |        | T.N.T.|     ammonium nitrate      |
     |primer |booster|                            |
     |_______|       |                            |
          |       |                               |
          |_______|_______________________________|

     The primer explodes, detonating the T.N.T., which detonates, sending
     a tremendous shockwave through the ammonium nitrate, detonating it.


3.342     ANFOS

     ANFO is an acronym for Ammonium Nitrate - Fuel Oil Solution.  An ANFO
solves the only other major problem with ammonium nitrate: its tendency to pick
up water vapor from the air. This results in the explosive failing to detonate
when such an attempt is made. This is rectified by mixing 94% (by weight)
ammonium nitrate with 6% fuel oil, or kerosene. The kerosene keeps the ammonium
nitrate from absorbing moisture from the air. An ANFO also requires a large
shockwave to set it off.


3.343     Potassium Chlorate

     Potassium chlorate itself cannot be made in the home, but it can be
obtained from labs. If potassium chlorate is mixed with a small amount of
vaseline, or other petroleum jelly, and a shockwave is passed through it, the
material will detonate with slightly more power than black powder. It must,
however, be confined to detonate it in this manner. The procedure for making
such an explosive is outlined below:

     MATERIALS                    EQUIPMENT
     ─────────                    ─────────
      potassium chlorate           zip-lock plastic bag
     (9 parts, by volume)
      petroleum jelly              clay grinding bowl
     (vaseline)                          or
     (1 part, by volume)          wooden bowl and wooden spoon

1)  Grind the potassium chlorate in the grinding bowl carefully and slowly,
    until the potassium chlorate is a very fine powder.  The finer that it is
    powdered, the faster (better)  it will detonate.

2)  Place the powder into the plastic bag.  Put the petroleum jelly into the
    plastic bag, getting as little on the sides of the bag as possible, i.e.
    put the vaseline on the potassium chlorate powder.

3)  Close the bag, and kneed the materials together until none of the potassium
    chlorate is dry powder that does not stick to the main glob.  If necessary,
    add a bit more petroleum jelly to the bag.

4)  The material must me used within 24 hours, or the mixture will react to
    greatly reduce the effectiveness of the explosive.  This reaction, however,
    is harmless, and releases no heat or dangerous products.


3.344     NITROSTARCH EXPLOSIVES

    Nitrostarch explosives are simple to make, and are fairly powerful.
All that need be done is treat various starches with a mixture of
concentrated nitric and sulfuric acids. 10 ml of concentrated sulfuric acid
is added to 10 ml of concentrated nitric acid. To this mixture is added 0.5
grams of starch. Cold water is added, and the apparently unchanged
nitrostarch is filtered out. Nitrostarch explosives are of slightly lower
power than T.N.T., but they are more readily detonated.


3.345     Picric Acid

     Picric acid, also known as Tri-Nitro-Phenol, or T.N.P., is a military
explosive that is most often used as a booster charge to set off another less
sensitive explosive, such as T.N.T. It another explosive that is fairly simple
to make, assuming that one can acquire the concentrated sulfuric and nitric
acids. Its procedure for manufacture is given in many college chemistry lab
manuals, and is easy to follow. The main problem with picric acid is its
tendency to form dangerously sensitive and unstable picrate salts, such as
potassium picrate. For this reason, it is usually made into a safer form, such
as ammonium picrate, also called explosive D. A social deviant would probably
use a formula similar to the one presented here to make picric acid.

     MATERIALS                         EQUIPMENT
     ─────────                         ─────────
     phenol (9.5 g)                    500 ml flask
     concentrated                      adjustable heat source
     sulfuric acid (12.5 ml)
                                       1000 ml beaker
     concentrated nitric               or other container
     acid (38 ml)                      suitable for boiling in
     distilled water                   filter paper
                                       and funnel
                                       glass stirring rod

1) Place 9.5 grams of phenol into the 500 ml flask, and carefully add 12.5
   ml of concentrated sulfuric acid and stir the mixture.

2) Put 400 ml of tap water into the 1000 ml beaker or boiling container and
   bring the water to a gentle boil.

3) After warming the 500 ml flask under hot tap water, place it in the boiling
   water, and continue to stir the mixture of phenol and acid for about thirty
   minutes.  After thirty minutes, take the flask out, and allow it to cool for
   about five minutes.

4) Pour out the boiling water used above, and after allowing the container to
   cool, use it to create an ice bath, similar to the one used in section 3.13,
   steps 3-4.  Place the 500 ml flask with the mixed acid an phenol in the ice
   bath.  Add 38 ml of concentrated nitric acid in small amounts, stirring the
   mixture constantly.  A vigorous but "harmless" reaction should occur.  When
   the mixture stops reacting vigorously, take the flask out of the ice bath.

5) Warm the ice bath container, if it is glass, and then begin boiling more tap
   water.  Place the flask containing the mixture in the boiling water, and heat
   it in the boiling water for 1.5 to 2 hours.

6) Add 100 ml of cold distilled water to the solution, and chill it in an ice
   bath until it is cold.

7) Filter out the yellowish-white picric acid crystals by pouring the solution
   through the filter paper in the funnel.  Collect the liquid and dispose of it
   in a safe place, since it is corrosive.

8) Wash out the 500 ml flask with distilled water, and put the contents of the
   filter paper in the flask.  Add 300 ml of water, and shake vigorously.

9) Re-filter the crystals, and allow them to dry.

10) Store the crystals in a safe place in a glass container, since they will
    react with metal containers to produce picrates that could explode
    spontaneously.


3.346     Ammonium Picrate (Explosive D)

    Ammonium picrate, also called Explosive D, is another safety
explosive. It requires a substantial shock to cause it to detonate,
slightly less than that required to detonate ammonium nitrate. It is much
safer than picric acid, since it has little tendency to form hazardous
unstable salts when placed in metal containers. It is simple to make from
picric acid and clear household ammonia. All that need be done is put the
picric acid crystals into a glass container and dissolve them in a great
quantity of hot water. Add clear household ammonia in excess, and allow the
excess ammonia to evaporate. The powder remaining should be ammonium
picrate.

3.347      Nitrogen Trichloride

     Nitrogen trichloride, also known as chloride of azode, is an oily yellow
liquid. It explodes violently when it is heated above 60 degrees celsius, or
when it comes in contact with an open flame or spark. It is fairly simple to
produce.

1)  In a beaker, dissolve about 5 teaspoons of ammonium nitrate in water.
    Do not put so much ammonium nitrate into the solution that some of it
    remains undissolved in the bottom of the beaker.

2)  Collect a quantity of chlorine gas in a second beaker by mixing hydrochloric
    acid with potassium permanganate in a large flask with a stopper and glass
    pipe.

3)  Place the beaker containing the chlorine gas upside down on top of the
    beaker containing the ammonium nitrate solution, and tape the beakers
    together.  Gently heat the bottom beaker.  When this is done, oily yellow
    droplets will begin to form on the surface of the solution, and sink down
    to the bottom.  At this time, remove the heat source immediately.

    Alternately, the chlorine can be bubbled through the ammonium nitrate
    solution, rather than collecting the gas in a beaker, but this requires
    timing and a stand to hold the beaker and test tube.

    The chlorine gas can also be mixed with anhydrous ammonia gas, by gently
    heating a flask filled with clear household ammonia.  Place the glass tubes
    from the chlorine-generating flask and the tube from the ammonia-generating
    flask in another flask that contains water.

4)  Collect the yellow droplets with an eyedropper, and use them immediately,
    since nitrogen trichloride decomposes in 24 hours.


3.348         Lead Azide  Pb(N )
                            3 2

     Lead Azide is a material that is often used as a booster charge for
other explosive, but it does well enough on its own as a fairly sensitive
explosive. It does not detonate too easily by percussion or impact, but it
is easily detonated by heat from an igniter wire, or a blasting cap. It is
simple to produce, assuming that the necessary chemicals can be procured.

     By dissolving sodium azide and lead acetate in water in separate
beakers, the two materials are put into an aqueous state.  Mix the two beakers
together, and apply a gentle heat. Add an excess of the lead acetate
solution, until no reaction occurs, and the precipitate on the bottom of the
beaker stops forming.  Filter off the solution, and wash the precipitate in
hot water. The precipitate is lead azide, and it must be stored wet for safety.
If lead acetate cannot be found, simply acquire acetic acid, and put lead
metal in it. Black powder bullets work well for this purpose.


Unlike many explosives that must be enclosed in a casing to explode, and
others that require a detonator to set them off, Lead Azide will explode in
open air, either due to heat or percussion. Mixed with gum arabic glue,
tiny dots of it are placed under match heads to make trick exploding
matches. The same mixture coated onto 1/2 " wood splinters are used to
"load" cigars. In larger amounts, it is used as a detonator. A moderately
light tap will set it off, making it much more sensitive than the
percussion explosives already mentioned. It is very easy to make.

[        Incidentally, lead azide is no longer used for cigars and I don't
think it's used for trick matches either, because of the toxicity of lead.
I'd guess that either silver amide, silver azide, or an acetylide would be
used, but I'm not sure. ]

Take about 1.3 grams of sodium azide and dissolve it in water. It's best
not to use any more water than necessary. In a separate container, dissolve
about 3.3 grams of Lead Nitrate, again only using as much water as needed
to get it to dissolve. When the two clear liquids are mixed, a white
precipitate of Lead Azide will settle out of the mixture. Add the Lead
Nitrate solution, while stirring, until no more Lead  Azide precipitates
out. You may not need to use it all. Note that the above weights are given
only for your convenience if you have the necessary scales, and give the
approximate proportions needed. You need only continue to mix the solutions
until no more precipitate forms.

[       PLEASE note that if you follow the above procedure, you should make
SURE that:

     1) the solutions of lead nitrate and sodium azide ARE concentrated,
and  2) that you use cold water (it's best to pour BOTH solutions into a beaker
        half-filled with 5 degrees C water).

        It also is a good idea to make sure the water is distilled; trace
metal ions can greatly increase the sensitivity and nastiness of the azide.

        If you see any crystals form, dump into acetic acid and run.  Lead
azide becomes spontaneously explosive when crystals exceed 0.1mm and it WILL
explode when crystals exceed 1mm.  This stuff is incredibly powerful. ]

The precipitate is filtered out and rinsed several times with distilled
water.  It is a good idea to store this in its wet form, as it is less
sensitive this way. It's best not to store it if possible, but if you do,
you should keep it in a flexible plastic container that wont produce sharp
fragments in case of an explosion. (NO MORE THAN A GRAM AT A TIME !!!!)
Also, make sure that the mouth of the container is wiped CLEAN before
putting the lid on. Just the shock of removing the lid is enough to set off
the dry powder if it is wedged between the container and the stopper. Don't
forget that after you've removed the precipitate from the filter paper,
there will still be enough left to make the filter paper explosive.

Lead Azide is very powerful as well as very sensitive. Never make more than a
couple of grams at one time.


[      Ditto here. Less than 0.1 gram can detonate TNT. Incidentally, it
does NOT produce a flame front and so is not useful for setting off any
low explosive mixtures. Mercury fulminate, on the other hand, does produce
a flame front. But it's not the easiest stuff to make, nor is it all that
environmentally friendly. ]


            Reaction Equations

Lead        Sodium        Lead     Sodium
Nitrate      Azide       Azide    Nitrate

Pb(NO )   +  2NaN   ---> Pb(N )  + 2NaNO
     3 2         3           3 2        3

Don't try to salvage the Sodium Nitrate that's left over (dissolved in the
water). Sodium nitrate is cheap, not really useful for good pyrotechnics, and
this batch will be contaminated with poisonous lead. It's worthless stuff.
Dump it out.

[        No.  DON'T dump it out, we've got enough lead in the environment
already.  Instead, add an equal volume of 7 to 10% acetic acid (available
as 28% from photo stores, dilute 1:3), stir for 10 minutes, neutralize
with NaOH (lye), add HCl, and make the solution neutral or basic by again
adding NaOH.  Cool the water to room temp. or below with ice, and filter
off the resulting precipitate (lead chloride).  You may now safely discard
the solution, or evaporate it if you really want to be nice to the Earth
(I suggest the latter) with no danger of azides remaining.

        Dispose the lead chloride by placing it in a small bottle, and
embedding that inside cement (for example, inside a quart-size paint can).
Take to a chemical-approved sanitary landfill.

        I suggest you save up your wastes like this and make only one trip
every few months or years or so; it's a lot cheaper.

        Nice little package, otherwise. ]


To demonstrate the power of a little bit of Lead Azide, cut out a piece of
touch paper in the following shape



-----------------------------
!                            !
!                            !
!                             ---------------
!                                            !
!                             ---------------
!                            !
!                            !
-----------------------------

Where the size of the wide rectangle is no more than one inch x 1/2 inch,
and the length of the little fuse is at least 3/4 inch. Apply a thin layer
of wet Lead Azide to the large rectangle with a paint brush and let it dry
thoroughly. When done, set this tester out in the open, light the fuse at
the very tip and step back. If done properly, the tiny bit of white powder
will produce a fairly loud explosion.



3.3481      A Lead Azide Booby Trap


Get some string that's heavy enough so that it won't break when jerked
hard. A couple of feet is enough to test this out. You may want to use a
longer piece depending on what you plan to do with this. Fold a small "Z"
shape in the center of the string, as shown in figure 1. The middle section
of the "Z" should be about one inch long.


-------------------------------------.
                             .
                   .
           .
       --------------------------------------------------

                  Figure 1. Fold string into a small Z

Next, twist the Z portion together as tightly as you can. Don't worry if it
unwinds a bit when you let go, but it should still stay twisted closely
together. If it doesn't, you will need a different kind of string. Figure 2
tries to show what this will look like.


-------------//////////////////-----------------

                  Figure 2. Twist the Z portion tightly

Next, apply some wet Lead Azide to the twisted portion with a paint brush.
The Lead Azide should have a bit of Gum Arabic in it to make it sticky. Cut
out a piece of paper, two inches by 6 inches long, wrap it around the
twisted portion, and glue the end on so that it stays put. You should now
have a two inch narrow paper tube with a string sticking out each end, as
shown in figure 3.

          -------------------------
          !                       !
----------!                       !-------------------
          !                       !
          -------------------------

                  Figure 3. The completed Booby Trap

You should now set the booby trap aside for at least two weeks so that the
Lead Azide inside can dry completely. Don't try to speed up the process by
heating it. When the two ends of the string are jerked hard, the friction
in the wound up string will set off the Lead Azide. The booby trap can be
attatched to doors, strung out as tripwires, or set up in any other
situation that will cause a quick pull on the strings. Be careful not to
use too much Lead Azide. A little will go a long way. Before trying this on
an unsuspecting soul, make a test booby trap as explained here, tie one end
to a long rope, and set it off from a distance.

The paper wound around the booby trap serves two purposes. It keeps the
Lead Azide from flaking off, and it pads the stuff so it will be less
likely to get set off accidentally. A good vigorous swat will still set it
off though, so store these separately and keep them padded well.


                          Getting The Chemicals

As always, be sure to use your brains when ordering chemicals from a lab
supply house. Those people KNOW what Sodium Azide and Lead Nitrate make
when mixed together. They also know that someone who orders a bunch of
chlorates, nitrates, metal dusts, sulfur, and the like, probably has
mischeif in mind, and they keep records. So break your orders up, order
from different supply houses, get some friends to order some of the
materials, and try to order the things long before you plan do do anything
with them. It's a pain, and the multiple orders cost a lot in extra
shipping charges, but that's what it costs to cover your tracks. DO it!


3.349     Di-NitroNapthalene

Author: GarBleD uSer!

        Say what?

        Anywayz, here I go again.. This is a relatively odd concept, but I
have heard of it being done extensively, in commercial explosives. Follow the
nice step-by-step instructions.

1.  Assemble the following ingrediants:

5    Moth Balls.  The Napthalene kind.
130ml    Nitric acid
100ml    Sulpheric Acid
2x250ml    Erlynmyer flasks.
1x50ml    Beaker.
1    Funnel.
5    MR COFFEE filters.


2.    That should do nicely. OK, now figure it out yerself! Just kidding,
couldn't resist! Grind those moth balls up into a nice, fine powder. Don't
even think about breathing any in.

3.    Ok, this will be done in small amounts. I have not personally done this
experiment, so I am advising caution. But I have heard of people doing it, using
this method.

4.    Mix the nitric acid and the sulpheric acid in a 50 : 50 ratio. ADD the
sulphuric acid to the nitric! Otherwise it will splatter! Mix this in the
beaker. You will want approximately 200 ml of the mixture.

5.    Place your ground up powder in the bottom of the first flask. Lower the
temperature of the flask to around 10C. This is very important, Make sure the
temperature stays below 12C! If it gets too high, RUN LIKE THE DEVIL.

    Also, you will want to cool the acid off to the same temperature,
maybe even lower.

6.    Add 100ml of the acid mixture. Keep the mixture cool, if it starts to
warm up, try to cool it off by adding dry ice to the ice bath. If all else
fails I advise a hasty retreat.

7.    Let this mixture go for about 5-6 hours. Filter off the acid, so that
only the mono-nitronapthalene remains. To my knowledge it does not dissolve.
But if it, by some unlucky chance does, you can boil off the acid, and leave
the area (do this outside!) until the acid is gone. Then try to turn off the
burner without putting yourself in direct danger.

8.    The next step has been known to be EXTREMELY DANGEROUS! Even worse than
trying to boil the acid off! This expirament is not for those without extensive
safety equipment.

9.    Ok, you have your mono-nitronapthalene in hand (not literally). Remove
it from the flask or filter, wash all the acid off, you want NO extra acid on
this mixture!  Add this to the second flask.

10.    Take your 50/50 mix, and add 30 ml of nitric acid to it. This should
give you 130 ml of the acid mixture, and it will be at an 8:5 ratio.

11.    Chill the acid and the second flask to 35C.

12.    Add the acid mixture. Make sure the temp does not go above 40C.This
is VERY important. Like I said, this step is most dangerous, use a blast
shield, and get the hell out of the area.

13.    Keep this reaction going for about 1 day. At the end of it, you should
be able to filter off the di-nitronapthalene. If not, you know what to do. Wash
the substance, let dry, and enjoy.


    Ok. Now this stuff is NOT to be taken lightly, I have seen it in action.
It combines the worst properties of nitroglycerine and flash powder. It is said
to be very explosive, and it also is very unpredictable. One report says that
it usually acts like gunpowder, but one time he left it unconfined to dispose
of some, and when he lit it, it nearly detonated, making a thunder that shook
the ground all around him. He was over 100 feet away!

    I intend to make a batch of this soon, and I will put the results in
the next issue of FBI. If you want to be safe, I suggest that you wait for
that article. But for those of you with alot of courage, go for it!

Just don't blame me if it nukes you, or doesn't work period.

All rights were mistakenly left in an acid bath too long.


3.350     PETN - Pentaerythrite Tetranitrate - (penta, niperyth, penthrit)

Author: Doctor Dissector
From: Anarchy 'n Explosives No.1 (Vol 7)

    PETN is a high explosive used in detonating that is one of the most
powerful military explosives, almost equal in force to nitroglycerine and RDX.
When used in a detonating cord, it has a detonation velocity of 21,000 feet
per second and is relatively insensitive to friction and shock from handling
and transportation.

PREPARATION:

     Four hundred cc. of strong white nitric acid-prepared by adding a
little urea to fuming nitric acid, warming, and blowing dry air through it
until it is completely decolorized-is cooled in a 600 cc. beaker in a freezing
mixture of ice and salt. One hundred grams of pentaerythrite, ground to pass a
50-mesh sieve, is added to the acid a little at a time with efficient stirring
while the temperature is kept below 5 degrees. After all has been added, the
stirring and the cooling are continued for 15 minutes.

    The mixture is then drowned in about 4 liters of cracked ice and water.
The crude product, amounting to about 221 grams or 95% of the theory, is
filtered off, washed free from acid, digested for an hour with a liter of hot
0.5% sodium carbonate solution, again filtered off and washed, dried, and
finally recrystallized from acetone. A good commercial sample of PETN melts at
138.0- 138.5 degrees. The pure material melts at 140.5-141.0 degrees, short
prismatic needles, insoluble in water, difficultly soluble in alcohol and ether.


3.351     Amatol

Author: Doctor Dissector
From: Anarchy 'n Explosives No.1 (Vol 5)


    Amatol is a high explosive, whit to buff in color. It is a mixture of
ammonium nitrate and TNT, with a relative effectiveness slightly higher than
that of TNT alone. Common compositions vary from 80% ammonium nitrate and 20%
TNT to 40% ammonium nitrate and 60% TNT. Amatol is used as the main burstingu
charge in artillery shells and bombs. Amatol absorbs moisture and can form
dangerous compounds with copper and brass. Therefore, it should not be housed
in containers of such metals.


3.352     Tetrytol

Author: Doctor Dissector
From: Anarchy 'n Explosives No.1 (Vol 2)

            Type: High Explosive
     Ingredients: 75% Tetryl
                  25% TNT
     Description: Tetryol is a high explosive bursting charge. It is used as
                  a demolition explosive, a bursting charge for mines, and
                  in artillery shells. The explosive force of tetrytol is
                  approximately the same as that of TNT. It may be initiated
                  by a blasting cap. Tetrytol is usually loaded by casting.
        Comments: This material was tested. It is effective.
      References: TM 9-1900, Ammunition, General, page 55.
                  TM 9-1910, Military Explosives, page 188.


3.353     Fertiliser/Hydrazine Liquid Explosive

Author: Jack The Ripper
From: Anarchy Today, Article #2 Issue #1

    This one is a killer it is more powerful and more brisant than C-4.
However you need a blasting cap to detonate or a homemade compound detonater.
Namely Acetone Peroxide detonaters can be used here or Mini-Compound
Detonaters.

Name                                                    Source
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ammonium Nitrate Fertilizer (no less than               Farm and Feed Stores
32% Nitrogen) or pure

Anhydrous Hydrazine                                     Chemical Supply House
(Be careful with this one it is very reactive!!!)

Large Mixing Container
*GLASS* stirring rod
Storage Container w/tight lid
Blasting Cap or Compound Detonater

-=-=-=-=-=-
-PROCEDURE-
-=-=-=-=-=-

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
*NOTE* mixing these two is the same as baking soda and vinegar so the reaction
is very effervescant and can bubble over the top so use a jar 6 times the
volume of the Hydrazine!  Also large volumes of ammonia gas are realeased when
these two are mixed so wear a gas mask or be upwind of the mixing.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

1)    Pour into the container the an amount of Anhyrdrous Hydrazine equal
    to the amount of explosive required.

2)    Ammonium Nitrate Prilled or Powdered is added a teaspoon at a time
    to the container, then wait for it to dissolve (stirring
    constantly), and then add more.

3)    Continue the above process until the ammonium nitrate no longer
    dissolves into the hydrazine, and don't worry about the small
    amount of ammonium nitrate left over.

4)    Now your basically done and you have an explosive more powerful
    than any military explosive.

5)    To make it more powerful add 20% aluminum powder to the mixture
    (100 mesh or finer)


-=-=-=-
-USES!-
-=-=-=-

    This mixture has unique absorbtion and retention properties, and
can be poured directly on the ground for a liquid land mine. This type of
land mine is totally disquised and cannot be noticed, and all you need to
do is bury a compound detonater in the ground, which can be detonated by a
step switch etc.  This type of land mine remains detonatable for up to four
days regardless of rain etc... It can also be poured into a container and
used as a bomb.


3.354     Acetone Peroxide Explosive

Author: Jack The Ripper
From: Anarchy Today, Article #1 Issue #1

      This explosive can not only be used as an explosive, but also as a
detonator. I will go into this one very detailed and all my following articles
will be the same.

Name                                                   Source
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hydrogen Peroxide                                      Hair Bleach, Drug Stores
                                                        and Hair supply Stores

Acetone                                                Hardware Stores and Drug
                                                       Stores

Sulfuric Acid                                          Clear battery acid
                                                       boiled until white fumes
                                                       appear.

Eye Dropper or Syringe w/ glass tube
Graduated Cylinder (cc or ml)
Thermometer (0 to 100 degrees C)
Glass Containers
Large Pan
Ice and Salt
Water
Paper Towels

All the above can easily be commandeered from your school laboratory for your
own purposes.

-=-=-=-=-=-
-PROCEDURE-
-=-=-=-=-=-

1)  Mix 30 ml of Acetone and 50ml of Hydrogen Peroxide into a glass container
    and mix thoroughly.

2)  Cool it by plaicing it in a larger container containing ice, salt, and
    water.  Now cool it to 5 degrees Celcius.

3)  Add 2.5 ml of concentrated ulfuric acid to the mixture slowly (drop by
    drop w/ the eye dropper). Stir the mixture w/the thermometer keeping the
    the temperature between 5-10 degrees celcius.  If the temperature rises
    don't shit just stop adding the sulfuric acid until it cools down then
    start adding it again.

4)  Now that you got all the acid into the mixture continue stirring for
    another 5 minutes.

5)  Now let the mixture stand for 12 to 24 hours in the ice/salt bath.

6)  After 12 hours the crystals of acetone peroxide will precipitate out of the
    once clear solution.  Precipitation should be done after 24 hours.

7)  Now filter out the crystals through a paper towel attached to a jar with a
    rubber band.  Then after that wash the crystals by pouring ice cold water
    over them, letting the water rinse the crystals and filter down through the
    paper towel into the jar.

8)  Select a container and allow them to dry.

-=-=-=-
-USES!-
-=-=-=-

    Now this can be used as an explosive however it is the simplest detonater
that I have ever encountered. It works best in 2.5 inch lengths of brass
tubing with one end sealed. The only drawback is that it must be used quickly
as Acetone Peroxide deteriorates quickly. I have found that keeping it
refrigerated seems to make it last longer however for optimum effects it
should be used 7 days after manufacture at the latest. It also can be used
to detonate almost every Ammonium Nitrate compound, and Ammonium Nitrate
itself for that matter.