If, as seems to be the case, the Beirut explosion was caused by thousands of tonnes of ammonium nitrate stored in a warehouse, the blast demonstrates the deadly potential of this common agricultural chemical.
With the chemical formula NH4NO3, ammonium nitrate is a naturally occurring, highly soluble white crystalline solid, more commonly known as saltpetre. The largest deposits are found in the Atacama Desert in Chile, from where it was mined.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player. Ammonium nitrate is predominantly used in agriculture as a high-nitrogen fertiliser.
It's relatively stable under most conditions and is inexpensive to manufacture, making the chemical a popular alternative to other, more expensive nitrogen sources. By itself, ammonium nitrate is not regarded as particularly volatile or dangerous, but under certain conditions it can be deadly. Particular sets of circumstances are needed to turn ammonium nitrate from a stable compound into an explosive, without any fuel or external catalyst.
It is classified as an "energetic material", one that produces heat as it decomposes, similar to the way heat is generated by rotting material in a compost heap. If there is sufficient quantity of ammonium nitrate, it can generate enough heat to catch fire and keep the fire going, without the need for an external catalyst such as a flame. As it burns, ammonium nitrate goes through chemical changes that lead to the production of oxygen, precisely what a fire needs to keep going and get bigger.
Create your free account or Sign in to continue. See Subscription Options. Discover World-Changing Science. What could have caused the explosion? Ammonium nitrate does not burn on its own. Ammonium nitrate. An important reminder Here in Australia, we produce and import large amounts of ammonium nitrate, mostly for use in mining.
The explosion in Beirut shows us just how important these regulations are. Get smart. Sign up for our email newsletter. Sign Up. Support science journalism.
Knowledge awaits. See Subscription Options Already a subscriber? Create Account See Subscription Options. Continue reading with a Scientific American subscription. The metal keeps its name and is named and written first. Name the polyatomic ion as you would normally. Therefore, we have:. The name is ammonium nitrate. The chemical name of NH 4 NO 3 is ammonium nitrate. If it weren't for Clutch Prep, I would have definitely failed the class.
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