List of Shock sensitive and explosive chemicals

Acetylene

  • CAS number 74-86-2

  • DG cat. 2.3 Dissolved gas

  • The gas mixes well with air, explosive mixtures are easily formed.

  • Acetylene is an extremely flammable gas. To avoid flashback, a flash arrestor (a back flow preventive device) should be connected in-line on the output side of the pressure regulator.

  • Acetylene supplied is dissolved in acetone, thus the cylinder Must be stored in an upright position to prevent acetone entering the burner.

  • The substance may polymerize due to heating.  The substance decomposes on heating and increasing pressure, causing fire and explosion hazard.  The substance is a strong reducing agent and reacts violently with oxidants and with fluorine or chlorine under influence of light, causing fire and explosion hazard.  Reacts with copper, silver, and mercury or their salts, forming shock sensitive compounds (acetylides).

  • Piping material for this gas must not contain over 63% of copper.

Ammonium Perchlorate

  • CAS number 7790-98-9

  • DG cat. 5.1 Oxidizing substances

  • Contact with combustible materials, flammable materials, or powdered metals can cause fire or explosion.

  • The powdered oxidant functions as an explosive when mixed with finely divided metals, organic materials or sulfur, which increase the shock sensitivity up to that of picric acid.

Perchloric Acid

  • CAS number 7601-90-3

  • DG cat. 5.1 Oxidizing Substances

  • Not combustible, but substance is a strong oxidizer and its heat of reaction with reducing agents or combustibles may cause ignition.  Can react with metals to release flammable hydrogen gas.  Reactions may cause fire and explosion.

  • The anhydrous form of Perchloric acid is a serious explosion hazard due to its unstable nature and ability to react violently with many organic materials.

  • Hot Perchloric acid is a strong oxidizing agent and its oxidizing power increase with increasing in temperature.

  • All work with concentrated Perchloric acid requires special precautions such as use of Perchloric acid fumehood which installed with a water wash down system such as scrubber.

Perchlorates of Heavy Metals

  • DG cat. 5.1 Oxidizing Substances

  • Contact with reducing agents may cause extremely violent combustion.  Contact with combustible materials, flammable materials, or powdered metals can cause fire and explosion.

  • Sensitive to mechanical impact and friction.

Ozonides

  • The presence of peroxidic impurities is thought to cause the violently explosive decomposition.

  • A very few isomeric linear trioxide (ROOOR) are known, they are also explosively unstable.  Inroganic ozonides, salt of the radical O3- anions, are also hazardous.

  • Polymeric alkene ozonides are shock sensitive.

  • Ozonides are decomposed, sometimes explosively by finely divided palladium, platinum or silver.

Nitrourea
  • A rather unstable explosive material, insensitive to heating or impact, which gives mercuric and silver salts which are rather sensitive to impact.
Nitroguanidine

  • CAS number 556-88-7

  • DG cat. 1.3.2 Explosives and Blasting Agents, Nitro-compound

  • Dusts at sufficient concentrations can form explosive mixtures with air.

  • Containers may explode in the heat of a fire.  This material poses an explosion hazard when dry.

Nitroglycol

  • CAS number 628-96-6

  • Explosive.  Gives off irritating or toxic fumes (or gases) in a fire.

  • Heating may cause violent combustion or explosion-producing toxic fumes (nitrogen oxides).  May explosively decompose on shock, friction, or concussion.  

  • Reacts with acids.

Nitroglycerin

  • CAS number 55-63-0

  • Explosive.  Many reactions may cause fire or explosion.  Gives off irritating or toxic fumes (or gases) in a fire

  • Heating may cause violent combustion or explosion.  May explosively decompose on shock, friction or concussion.  On concussion, from toxic fumes including nitrogen oxides.  Reacts with ozone causing explosion hazard.

Nitrogen trichloride

  • CAS number 10025-85-1

  • Reaction of ammonium compounds with chlorine may form explosive chlorine-nitrogen compounds.

  • The solid frozen under vacuum in liquid nitrogen explodes on thawing, and the liquid explodes on heating to 60 to 95oC.

  • Exposure to impact or light will cause detonation.

  • A wide variety of solids, liquids and gases will initiate the violent and often explosive decomposition of nitrogen trichloride.  These include concentrated ammonia, arsenic, hydrogen sulfide, nitrogen oxide, organics, potassium hydroxide solution or selenium.  All four hydrohalide acids (HF, HCl, HBr and HI) will also initiate explosion of the trichloride.

Nitrogen Triiodide

  • Ammonia solutions react with iodide to produce highly explosive addition compounds of nitrogen triiodide and ammonia.

  • It is extremely sensitive when dry.

  • Unstable detonator capable of initiation by minimal amounts of any form of energy (light, heat, sound, mechanical vibration), even at sub-zero temperatures, and occasionally even with moisture present.

  • It explodes possibly owing to heat-initiation on contact with virtually any concentrated acid, with chlorine or bromine, ozone or hydrogen peroxide solution.

Nitric Acid

  • CAS number 7697-37-2

  • Nitric acid and organic is very unstable and may explode in a sealed container, this involving formation of unstable fulminic acid (HCºNO)

  • Concentrated nitric acid is a power oxidizing agent which oxidize organics to carbon monoxide and reduce itself to nitrogen oxide.   The pressure build up in a sealed container may cause an explosion.

Nitrate

  • Nitrate have combustion-supporting properties.

  • Mixtures of the nitrate with organic solvents, after the solvent has evaporated, the remaining solid may be with explosive properties.

Lead Styphnate

  • CAS number 15245-44-0

  • Explosive at temperature above 65.5oC with mechanical shock or impact, electrical (static) discharge, friction.  Extremely hazards when dry.

  • Store in cool, dry well-vent place away from all sources of ignition.  Do not store at temperature above 65.5oC.  Do not subject to mechanical shock.  

  • 2-years shelf life limitation.

Lead Azide
  • Lead azide, on prolonged contact with copper, zinc or their alloys, forms trace of the extremely sensitive copper or zinc azides which may initiate detonation of the whole mass of azide.
Ammonium Nitrate

  • CAS number 6484-52-5

  • DG cat. 5.1 Oxidizing substances

  • Heating may cause violent combustion or explosion.  The substance decomposes on heating or on burning producing toxic fumes (nitrogen oxides).  The substance is a strong oxidant and reacts with combustible and reducing materials.

  • Become shock sensitive when mixed with organic materials.

  • Aluminum, antimony, bismuth, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, copper, iron, lead, magnesium, manganese, nickel, tin, and zinc etc reacted violently or explosively with fused ammonium nitrate below 200oC.

Ammonium Picrate

  • CAS number 131-74-8

  • Decomposes on melting and explodes at 423oC.

  • The presence of traces metallic picrates (arising from metal contact) increases heat sensitivity.

Formic Acid

  • CAS number 64-18-6

  • Pure formic acid slowly decomposes to release carbon monoxide and may pressurize containers.  Extreme care needed in opening containers of unknown age.

  • Use only containers as originally supplied by manufacturer which have vent on caps.

 

Fulminating Silver

  • Fulminating silver is largely silver nitride (AgN3)

  • Fulminating silver is the most violently explosive compound among the nitrogen derivatives of the noble metals.  Formed from action of ammonia on silver oxide, or on addition of potassium hydroxide to an ammoniacal solution of a silver salt.  

  • There is evidence that Tollens reagent (use in organic laboratory to test aldehyde, also called Silver Mirror Test) can, in reasonably short time, result in the formation of silver fulminate.

  • It is black power, which explodes violently in the liquid in which it is formed if the slightly stirring is used.

 

Hydrazoic Acid

  • CAS number 7782-79-8

  • Hydrogen azide is quite safe in the dilute solution, but is violently explosive and of variable sensitively in the concentrated (17 - 50%) or pure states.

  • The solid acid (- 80oC) is also very unstable.

  • It is necessary to prevent formation of explosive heavy metal azides from unsuspected contact of hydrogen azide with heavy metals.

 

Hydrazine

  • CAS number 302-01-2

  • DG cat. 6.1 Toxic Substances

  • Stable under ordinary conditions of use and storage.  Unstable above 160oC.

  • Incompatible with oxidizing agents.

  • Dangerous explosion hazard when dry.  Sensitive to mechanical impact.  Sensitive to static charge.

Hexanitrodiphenylamine

  • CAS number 131-73-7

  • Powder ignites and burns when heated.  Material is shock sensitive and potentially explosive.

  • Material can decompose above 251oC.

Germanium

  • CAS number 7440-56-4

  • The powdered metal ignites in chlorine, and lumps will ignite on heating in chlorine or bromine.

  • The powdered metal reacts violently with nitric acid, and mixture with potassium chlorate or nitrate explode on heating.

  • Reacts slowly with water or moisture and liberate explosive hydrogen gas

Metal Fulminate
  • The metal fulminates are powerful explosive.  Of several salts examined, those of cadmium, copper and silver were more powerful detonators than mercury fulminate, while thallium fulminate was much more sensitive to heating and impact.  Formally related salts are also explosive.  Sodium, potassium, rubidium and cesium fulminates are all easily detonated by feeble friction or heat.  They all form double salts with mercury (II) fulminate which also explode easily, that of the rubidium salt at 45oC.
Fulminate of Mercury

  • Readily formed by interaction of mercury (II) nitrate, nitric acid and ethanol.

  • It may be initiated when dry by flame, heat, impact, friction or intense radiation.

  • Contact with sulfuric acid causes explosion.

Fulminating Gold

  • Prepared by gold chloride and aqueous ammonia, the explosive precipitate is largely (ClAuNH2)2NH, but on washing with ammonia hydrolysis to the more explosive (OHAuNH2)2NH.

Azides of Heavy Metals

  • Risk of fire and explosion on contact with acids and many metals (Lead, Brass, Copper, Mercury and Silver)

  • May explode on heating above melting point, especially on rapid heating, causing fire and explosion hazard.  The solution in water is a weak base.  Reacts with copper, lead, silver, mercury and carbon disulfide to form particularly shock sensitive compounds.  Reacts with acids, forming toxic and explosive hydrogen azide.

  • Metal azide is reported to react with dichloromethane (CH2Cl2) in the presence of DMSO to form explosive products.

Ethylene Oxide

  • CAS number 75-21-8

  • DG cat. 2.2 Liquefied Gas

  • Gas / Air mixture are explosive.  Risk of fire and explosion as a result of violent decomposition when heated.

  • The gas is heavier than air and may travel along the ground; distant ignition possible.

  • The substance may polymerize due to heating, under the influence of acids, bases, metal chlorides and metal oxides with fire or explosion hazard.  The substance decomposes on heating above 500oC, causing fire and explosion hazard.  Metal fittings containing silver, copper, mercury, or magnesium should not be used since they may react with impurities in the gas to form explosive compounds.

Acetylides of Heavy Metals

  • Shock sensitive compounds are formed with silver nitrate and copper salts.  The substance decomposes violently on contact with moisture and water producing highly flammable and explosive acetylene gas, causing fire and explosion hazard.  Reacts with chlorine, bromine, iodine, hydrogen chloride, lead, fluoride, magnesium, sodium peroxide and sulfur, causing fire and explosion hazard.  Mixtures with Iron (III) chloride, Iron (II) oxide and Tin (II) chloride ignite easily and burn fiercely.

  • Reacts violently with fire extinguishing agents such as water, producing explosive gas.

Dinitrophenol

  • CAS number 25550-58-7

  • DG cat. 4.1 Readily Combustible Substances (>15% water)

  • May explosively decompose on shock, friction, or concussion.  May explode on heating.  Shock sensitive compounds are formed with alkalis, ammonia and most metals. 

  • It decomposes on heating producing toxic gases including nitrogen oxides.

Dinitrotoluene

  • CAS number 25321-14-6

  • DG cat. 6.1 Toxic Substances

  • Dust explosion possible if in powder or granular form, mixed with air.

  • May explode on heating.  The substance decomposes on heating producing toxic and corrosive fumes including nitrogen oxides even in absence of air.  A maximum handling temperature of 150oC was recommended.  Reacts with strong bases, oxidants and reducing agents.

Chlorate

  • The substance is a strong oxidant and reacts violently with combustible and reducing materials, causing fire and explosion hazard.  Reacts with strong acids giving off carbon dioxide.  Reacts with organic contaminants to form shock sensitive mixture. 

  • Metal chlorates in contact with strong acids liberate explosive chlorine dioxide gas.

  • Risk of fire and explosion on contact with flames, sparks and organic materials (such as clothing, leather and paper) or other incompatible materials.

Calcium Nitrate

  • CAS number 39368-85-9

  • Can cause explosions in contact with combustible dusts or vapors; occasionally explosive by shock or friction.  Sensitive to mechanical impact.

  • Unstable.  Exposure to heat may result in build-up of dangerous pressures.  A strong oxidizer, reacts violently upon contact with many organic substances, particularly textile and paper.

  • Mixtures of the nitrate with organic materials may be explosive.

Picric Acid

  • CAS number 88-89-1

  • DG Cat. 5.1 Oxidizing Substances

  • Common use as Bouin's Solution in histology and pathology laboratories.

  • Water content less than 30% is classified as explosive substance.

  • Dangerous explosion hazard when dry.   Becoming increasingly shock, heat and friction sensitive as it loses its moisture.

  • Store in nonmetal containers and wet screw tops before sealing to prevent formation of dry picric acid around the cap.

  • Incompatible with metals including copper, lead iron and zinc (corrodes the metal to form shock sensitive metal salts); aluminum and water (ignites after a delay period), ammonia and concrete (forms explosive salts such as calcium picrate).