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Author: Subject: Silver Fulminate Synthesis
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[*] posted on 22-2-2005 at 17:49
Silver Fulminate Synthesis


Ive been researching fulminates as I have finally gotten all of the chemicals I need to produce them. I have 200mls of 70% HNO3, and +500mls of Ethanol as well as about 2grams of Hg in my personal lab, not to mention a large ammount of other chemicals which I can obtain from my chemistry teacher. So ive decided this weekend im going to finally synth a few fulminates since I just got the ethanol today. Now ive been reading around and have found procedures for the Mercury fulminate and some for the silver.

Both synths are the same but from my research I found that it should be possible to skip the HNO3+Ag and use just AgNO3+Ethanol. Since this would save time and some precious HNO3 id like to try this methoud. The problem is I haven't seen any procedures for this methoud in fact ive seen only 1 or 2 synths of Silver Fulminate even using the normal way. I think im going to just calculate how much AgNO3 would be produced with the regular reaction and just add that to the ethanol. So does anyone know of a synth for Silver fulminate using the AgNO3 with just ethanol?
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[*] posted on 22-2-2005 at 19:09


Look around the powerlabs website http://www.powerlabs.org, i think.

Careful with the silver fulminate, IIRC AgONC is so sensitive that the weight of the solid on top of a AgONC crystal below is enough to initiate it's detonation..

The reaction isn't just a nitrate with ethanol, it requires excess HNO3 to form a fulminate, otherwise you just have an ethanol solution of AgNO3.

Remember, make gram amounts, and be careful. Fulminates aren't friendly :D.



EDIT: Fixed URL



[Edited on 23-2-2005 by cyclonite4]
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[*] posted on 23-2-2005 at 22:55


Right cyclonite4,
HNO3 must be present in the reaction. The HNO3 reacts with the ethanol to produce fulminic acid which reacts with the AgNO3 to produce the insoluble silver fulminate salt, which is why you have never seen a procedure for synthing it this way.

You may have luck adding AgNO3 to ethanol and then adding HNO3 to the reaction but sad to say you will have to use some of you’re most revered Nitric acid.

Edit]Siliver fulminate is EXTREMELY SENSITIVE as already mentioned, only work with small amounts.


[Edited on 24-2-2005 by Joeychemist]
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[*] posted on 24-2-2005 at 03:07


I remember a recent thread on RS, by tom haggen IIRC. NBK, i think, mentioned that large amounts crystallizing out of a solvent can detonate, by their own weight initiating them.



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[*] posted on 25-2-2005 at 15:03


Yea after more research ive found that I will have to use my precious HNO3. But after my results with mercury fulminate, using 10mls of HNO3 would be worth it for the silver fulminate. I too have heard that it can detonate under its own weight at a certain ammount, I think it is like 2-3grams but im not sure it may be less.
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[*] posted on 25-2-2005 at 15:44


If your going to be messing around with silver and nitric acid i would suggest synthesizing siver acetylide.



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[*] posted on 26-2-2005 at 04:36


I second that... silver acetylide is also quite interesting.... an explosive that releases no gas...

Also, theres no need for absolute ethanol, just acetylene




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[*] posted on 1-3-2005 at 10:18


I'd just like to say that most people are actually going to make the double salt. Double salt does produce gaseous products because it's formula is Ag2C2.AgNO3 so CO2 will certainly be made upon detonation. Your correct that true silver acetylide (Ag2C2) will only have atomized Ag and C as products. People rarely make Ag2C2. It is very sensitive and is made by bubbling acetylene through an Ag solution in alcohol (this is what my Organic Chem book said).

[Edited on 1-3-2005 by Skinflint]
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[*] posted on 1-3-2005 at 16:15


Actually I do plan on makeing some Silver Acetylide as well. I probably will make both the regular acetylide and the d-salt as well. I haven't gotten around to getting the silver for the Silver fulminate yet but I should get around to it soon. And yes you just bubble acetylene gas through a silver salt in solution to get the regular form of Silver Acetylide.
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[*] posted on 5-3-2005 at 04:26


What about silver picrate? I see it mentioned many places, but did not find synthesis. I do not have any silver salts such as nitrate, but I have 99.9% pure silver. As I have no nitric acid yet, is there any other soluble silver salt I can make from the metallic silver and react with picric acid to produce a picrate?

[Edited on 5-3-2005 by Quince]




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[*] posted on 5-3-2005 at 11:04


I believe I have seen a mentioning for silver picrate in PATR 2700.

Now everyone forget silver acetylide and silver picrate, this thread is titled silver fulminate and that should give you a pretty good idea to what the thread is 99.9% about.
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[*] posted on 7-4-2005 at 03:23


Hi guys, had an interesting dream a long time ago.

Silver fulminate synthesis

This is a fun explosive because it would be suicidal to make enough of it to fill a blasting cap with. If you dissolve it in ammonia and wet sand with the solution and let the ammonia evaporate you get fulminate coated sand. You can wrap several grains (pieces not the unit of weight) of the fulminate coated sand in paper. This will explode when dropped on the ground.


Dissolve in a test tube 0.5 g Ag in 4 ml HNO3 (50 % HNO3 containing, more concentratet HNO3 can`t keep the AgNO3 in solution). Don`t warm to avoid NO2 production.
Insert a glass thermometer into the test tube.
Make a mixture containing 95 % EtOH (94% white spirits is OK, no absolute alcohol neede) and 5 % CH3COCH3 (pure EtOH won`t work).

Stand the test tube in a small pot filled with water.
Insert 8 ml of the EtOH mixture into the test tube and stir with the thermometer.

Slowly warm the pot with the water and the test tube in it and watch the temperature in the test tube all the time.

Hold the temperature for 20 min between 55°C and 60°C(no NO2 and no fumes will be produced, just a small amount of CO2). After 10 min white shiny crystals should appear.This is the AgONC. Above 65°C the solution gets cloudy and green mud settles at the bottom. This means that the silver fulminate decomposed to useless silver oxide. So look at the thermometer all the time.

Add the contents of the test tube in a filter and rinse with 40 ml tap water. Then air dry. Don`t warm or lay it into bright sunlight.

Yield will be slightly below 0.1 g . But it would be dangerous to make more of the stuff.

It is unbelieveable sensitive. Amounts of less than 10 mg will detonate when lit by flame.
It is at least ten times more shock and friction sensitve than acetone peroxide.
It is also extremly sensitve to sparks generated by static electricity.

You should wear protection glasses when making the stuff. Post your results!

Good luck !!!

PS: This ist the russian original. But I assume that it doesn`t work because the temperatures it states are too high.

the method of synthesis.

This method is most close to the classical (from alcohol - to very in detail described in Shtetbakhera) - with that difference, that, as shows experience (and they also confirm the number of the materials of network), the synthesis of fulminate by interaction of ethyl alcohol with the nitric acid the solution of silver gives the very poor results (extremely small outputs with the low quality of product) or not at all it goes. In my view, this is connected with the quality of utilized alcohol - with the classical method alcohol must contain significant quantities of well-defined admixtures; pure alcohol gives the worst results.
The prescription given further is the combination of classical procedure and that previously worked out of &.tsuot;kholodnogo&.tsuot; method, and it was optimized to the achievement of the maximum brisance of product. Necessary reagents: metallic silver, nitric acid (65-70% solution), acetone (it is suitable technical), ethyl alcohol (in essence it were used 90-95% technical, sustained above the tempered silica gel into 1/3 volumes). Equipment: measuring cylinders 25 ml, small (measured) cone 25 ml, the registrar of temperature, reactor, beaker 50 ml (for the flushing), mixer (thin textolite strip or the rubber-lined glass rod). The registrar of the temperature - either the thermometer (20- 100C) with the rapid response, which makes it possible to read indications from rastoyaniya 2- 3m, or electronic thermometer with the temperature-sensitive element in the glass envelope (it were used the compensated thermocouple chromel-alumel with the amplifier and the digital voltmeter). To the tip of the shell of thermocouple (to the thermometer bulb) stretches the section of teflon tube (1 2cm) with the lateral cuts for guaranteeing the thermal contact with the liquid.
Reactor (simple) - thin-walled beaker 100 ml in ceramic container 200 300 ml; into the containers are introduced the thin (inside diameter 2mm) polyethylene (or PVKH) tubes, which go to the operator. In the external container the shear of tube concerns the bottom, in the internal - it does not reach the bottom to 4 5cm. From other side to the tubes are connected the medical syringes (to 20- 50 ml), filled with cold water. On top small container is loosely covered by the light cover (for example, by plate from polyethylene). Attention! for the the clear of &.tsuot;zapuska&.tsuot; reactions both containers preliminarily progrevayutsya to ya0-.shch0Ch. Reactor (complex) - the thin-walled glass beaker 100ml sufficiently tightly is put into the aluminum heat-insulated container (from 1-2 ml waters), cmbined with the powerful (not less than 30W heat output) refrigerator of Peltier (on the appropriate radiator). The regime of refrigerator (nagrev/okhlazhdeniye) is regulated by the electronic thermostat, connected with the temperature sensor of reaction. As in the simple reactor, into the container is introduced the tip of the long tube, which is concluded shityu shpritsom with the cold water (for the the emergency of &.tsuot;gasheniya&.tsuot; reaction).
Complex reactor makes it possible to easily obtain product with the accurately specific properties. But in any event it is necessary to completely exclude the entering of the gaseous reaction products into the accomodation (i.e. reactor it is established either in the exhaust hood or on the street), since they are highly toxic and possess the expressed terratogennymi properties.



Stages of the synthesis:

1) is prepared in the covered test tube mixture 11 ml alcohol and 3 ml acetone (with the decrease of the content of acetone in the mixture hinders &.tsuot;zapusk&.tsuot; of reaction is reduced output, with an increase reaction too stormy, can occur overheating and decomposition of fulminate);

2) reactor progrevayetsya and further it is supported with 40- 45C;

3) into the small cone are poured 10 ml solution of nitric acid, then they are added 1.2g preliminarily weighed metallic silver (in the pieces or the wire); cone loosely is covered and is placed on the hot (80- 90C) water bath - occurs the violent reaction of the dissolution of silver with the isolation of the significant quantities NO and NO2 (ventilation, thrust);

4) immediately on the dissolution of silver into the internal container of thoroughly heated reactor is poured the mixture of alcohol and acetone, further - the brown acidic solution of silver, everything rapidly gets mixed (by rocking); in the mixture descends the temperature-sensitive element and water tubes are introduced; internal container loosely is covered; an increase in the temperature of mixture begins 15-30 seconds after mixing and the isolation of a large quantity of toxic it is steam; if reaction for some reason or other does not begin (for example, with the dissolution silvers are great loss NO2), then it is necessary to additionally warm up mixture (in the second version of reactor - by the reverse of the refrigerator of Peltier, in the first - for example, by introduction into the partition of the containers of hot water);

5) after reaching 75- 80C temperature is maintained (via vvedeniya/otsosa of cold water into the partition of containers in the simple reactor or by electronic thermostat in the reactor with Peltier) in limits of 75- 82C (more precise values they depend on the inertness of system they are selected in the experience); if occurs the uncontrollable increase in the temperature more than 85C, then IT IS NECESSARY TO IMMEDIATELY INTRODUCE INTO THE INTERNAL CONTAINER (ON THE TUBE, SHPRITSOM) COLD WATER FOR THE SHARP STOP OF REACTION - OTHERWISE WILL BEGIN THE STORMY DECOMPOSITION OF FULMINATE I, PROBABLY, IS POSSIBLE EXPLOSION;

6) with the normal flow reaction in concludes approximately in 10 minutes; end point is fixed on the curtailment of heat liberation and the beginning of cooling; further cooling can be accelerated by introduction into the partition of the containers of a significant quantity of cold water or by start of Peltier's refrigerator; on reaching 20C (desirably - below) into the internal container along the tube it is introduced 20-30 ml the cold distilled water; further reactor is opened, tubes are moved away and THE TEMPERATURE-SENSITIVE ELEMENT (necessary to exclude any action on the sediment), VERY ACCURATELY TAKES OUT ITSELF; internal container takes out itself also after brief settling from the sediment carefully it merges liquid;

7) sediment carefully shakes up with 3-4 small (on 10 ml) portions of water and merges into the container for the flushing (to 50 ml); the liquid merges after settling, then are poured 40 ml the distilled water and are mixed (by rubber-lined rod); further mixture is defended and liquid merges;

8) the operation of flushing is repeated 7-10 times (desirably, before the disappearance of bitterish smell); in any stage in the flushing it is possible to use water with the tracks of chloride ion (for example, the chlorinated water from under the crane);

9) for the storage by pipette with the soft tip the washed clean sediment is transferred (with the part of the liquid) into the penicillin phial; under the layer of water with plotny to thrombosis the fulminate is stored safely and unlimitedly for long;

10) so by pipette fulminate can be transferred into the funnel with the paper filter and filtered; after the runoff of liquid the filter with the sediment takes out itself and is plotted (for additional drainage) to 3-4 layers of filter paper, and further it is dried in the dark place at room temperature;

11) the dry fulminate of silver is stored in the cool dark place for those covered directly into the filter and the additional thin paper, roll is plotted in the empty match of boxes; with initial the quantities indicated are obtained 1,5- 1.6g fulminates (i.e. output 90 96% of the theoretical) in the form of the smallest silvery white fish-scales; if fulminate takes the form of yellowish (to the light brown) powder, then overheating was allowed with the synthesis, the partial decomposition of product occurred and its brisance was reduced. The remainder of mother liquor and wash water is recommended to mix with 10-20 ml of 5-10% solution NaCl - this it precipitates the remainders of silver in the form AGCl. Sediment several times by decantation washes in water and it is filtered. To precipitate (to defend) sediment, and also to dry and to store AGCl is desirable in the darkness.
Obtained AGCl it is possible to add with the synthesis of fulminate to the nitric acid (to 10% additionally to a quantity of metallic silver). This additive, practically without influencing the brisance of product, increases its output. To plasticize the fulminate of silver is possible either with traditional means - by mixing to the finished fulminate plasticizer (possibly, with the volatile solvent), or the dissolution relative to inert plasticizer in the alcohol-acetonic mixture directly before the synthesis. In particular, was tested addition (with the indicated procedure synthesis) 0.3g dinitrotoluenes (DNT) - in this case fulminate were separated not by fine scales, but it were cemented into the sufficiently long soft needles. The compressibility of this product is sufficiently great, and the losses of brisance are lower than with other tested methods of plasticization. In also the time from the admixtures it washes clean with difficulty and requires more thorough washing; its shock sensitivity (however, as with the usual plasticization) somewhat higher than clean fulminate.





the syntheses of the fulminate of silver

synthesis 1 The standard method of obtaining fulminic silver is based on interaction of ethyl alcohol and nitric acid solution of silver. Known also that alcohol (as the supplier of methyl groups) it can be in this reaction substituted with other substances - in particular, acetone. Moreover fulminate is obtained under the effect of acetone and nitric acid on silver nitrate already at room temperature. However, a similar synthesis occurs by exceptionally unstable in view of tendency toward the self-accelerating decomposition not only of the resultant fulminate, but also acetone- acidic mixture. Therefore were investigated some possibilities of the stabilization of a similar synthesis - in particular, conducting reaction in the presence of the passivating solvent, as which satisfactorily recommended itself acetic acid. It is immediately necessary to note that fulminic silver, obtained on writing presented below, contains the noticeable admixture of acetate and is differed from that described higher than &.tsuot;goryachego&.tsuot; fulminate by somewhat larger sensitivity to the mechanical actions. Necessary equipment: small cone 25 ml, pipette with the soft tip, filter, small measuring cylinders or graduated pipettes, weights, container or cup for the water bath, it is desirable - refrigerator. Necessary reagents: nitric acid (with density of 1,42 g/cc), acetone (it is suitable qualitative technical), acetic acid (completely it works 70% food), metallic silver (in the wire or the trimmings).
Stages of the synthesis: 1. into the cone are poured 4 ml nitric acid, where are added and get mixed 2 ml acetic acid; 2. further there are poured 2 ml acetone (mixture in this case slightly it razogrevayetsya) and they rush by 0.5g silvers; cone loosely is shut (for example, by the crumpled teflon film) and is placed in the container with the layer of cold water; container is placed in the dark cool (10 15C) place on day; Note: The mixture because of the possibility of self-heating in question is so inclined to the violent reaction of decomposition with the ejection of acidic solution and toxic it is steam; the improved heat withdrawal (through the water) and a reduced temperature prevent decomposition. 3. in days the large part of silver passes into the sediment of the white lamellar crystals of acid nitrate; further another twenty-four hours container with the cone is maintained at room temperature (20- 25C); the remainders of silver in this case are dissolved, acid nitrate is converted into the fulminate, and sediment acquires a somewhat amorphous form; 4. on the completion of endurance acidic solution accurately is drawn off (by pipette with the soft tip) and sediment in the cone of 4-5 times directly washes in the small (on 10 ml) portions of water; the washed fulminate washes off to the filter, it is filtered it is dried analogously with points 10) -11) &.tsuot;goryachego&.tsuot; the synthesis of fulminate; output of approximately 0,65- 0.68g white powders from the amorphous- lamellar crystals. As in the case of &.tsuot;goryachego&.tsuot; synthesis from the acidic the solution and the wash water one should precipitate the remainders of silver in the form of chloride. It should be noted that in conclusion temperatures indicated in the writing and duration of both stages are, in general, recommending. Actually optimum conditions will be determined by the concentration of the utilized nitric acid, by the presence of admixtures in acetone and silver, so forth in principle, entire synthesis can be executed, also, at room temperature. However, the rise in temperature of reaction (especially during the first stage) increases the risk of the stormy decomposition of mixture. Reduction in the temperature or decrease of the duration of the second stage leads to the decrease of output because of the incomplete conversion of sediment. Increased duration or temperature cause the gradual decomposition of the synthesized fulminate - it acquires first yellowish, and further brown painting and grain structure; brisance and its durability in this case are reduced, and sensitivity grows. Clear red small crystals appear with an even long exposure in the sediment - probably, salt of nitronic acids. Mikhail @mihailru.freeservers.com

[Edited on 7-4-2005 by redneck]

[Edited on 7-4-2005 by redneck]
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[*] posted on 7-4-2005 at 08:36


Yah, redneck/cyclonite, I just removed this argument, it served no point.

Redneck, it obviously is ok if you got the info from somewhere else, as not everyone can be expected only to post radically new methods&inventions here. If you don't remember where you got it from, so be it, although references are of course always appreciated. As long as you don't claim it's your patentable invention :P

I wonder though - the yield of 0.1 g is very low, considering you start off with 0.5 g of Ag?

At least you can recycle the Ag, I presume (reduction & precipitation)?

[Edited on 7-4-2005 by chemoleo]




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[*] posted on 7-4-2005 at 08:48


http://mihailru.freeservers.com/
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[*] posted on 7-4-2005 at 09:16


Silver is cheap enough(round about 30 cents per gramm) that its not worth the work recycling it in so small amounts.

If you want a higher yield try out the same amount of a 80% EtOH 20% CH3COCH3 mix. This could give you a four times higher yield. But That`s just a guess. But I prefer a lower yield instead of risking to have glass fragments sticking in my face.

I dreamed that other recipes without CH3COCH3 lead to no AgONC at all.
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[*] posted on 7-4-2005 at 16:44


Rosco, how do you view that site? I get a bunch of weird characters, it must be encrypted?

EDIT: Ohhh....stupid me...really should have read the first few lines on that page instead of skipping right ahead to the chemical links.:P

[Edited on 8-4-2005 by rogue chemist]




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[*] posted on 7-4-2005 at 16:54


;) It's a secret , Shhhhh.


In the toolbar of Internet Explorer
pull down the menu under " view "
and select for " encoding " UTF .

You will also need browser language support installed for cyrillic characters .

Then you can copy and paste the Russian
text into a Chemistry specific translation engine , all of which are not so great :D
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[*] posted on 15-4-2007 at 06:34
silver fulminate


Ok so a while back now I tried to prepare some silver fulminate.

I used the following method:
1. Heat 8-10 ml of Nitric acid to 40*C.
2. Dissolve 1 g of silver into this. (I ran into a issue where the metal was passivated by the acid and had to add water to get it to dissolve.)
3. Pour this mix into 15-20 ml of ethyl alcohol that has been chilled to 10*C, keeping the temperature below 18*C.
4. Allow this to sit for 15-20 minutes. (I noticed a small white precipitate that began to form.)
5. Add 200-250 ml of cold water to further precipitate the crystals.
6. Filter them out.

I did all of this and I ended up with a very very small amount of Fulminate in the end, so little that I couldn't get it to react. Are any of these steps wrong or what could I have done wrong?

Any help would be great. :)
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[*] posted on 15-4-2007 at 07:16


You left it too cold. Fulminates are hot and ugly reactions. See the attachment for what seems to be the most modern published synthesis of silver fulminate. They start with silver nitrate though disolving Ag into HNO3 should work as well or better due to residual NOx triggering the reaction through oxidation of the ethanol. Though with this said, I've never had luck with silver fulminate using hardware store bought "methylated spirits" as the ethanol, which works fine for mercury fulminate.

What you filtered was most likely AgNO3, if it were AgCNO there no way you would have "so little you couldnt get it to react".

[Edited on 16-4-2007 by Axt]

Attachment: A Reappraisal of Silver Fulminate as a Detonant .pdf (487kB)
This file has been downloaded 5594 times

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[*] posted on 15-4-2007 at 07:30
wow


Wow, they take it as high as 68*C. I would never think to let it get that hot. Now I have to ask since it seems I lack in the dry silver nitrate department. Would adding silver metal to nitric acid have the same effect in the end? It seems logical that silver nitrate would be formed somewhere in that. Ill have to re-run my experiments with this method.

Just out of curiosity, what formed in the first reaction I outlined then? :o
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[*] posted on 15-4-2007 at 07:51


Adding ethanol would probably have precipitated some of the AgNO3 formed via dissolving the Ag in HNO3. Though if anything remained after diluting it with that much water, yet still failed to respond to ignition, who knows. Here the synthesis from PATR2700 vol.6 F224, from elemental silver.

1)To 1 g of pure silver powder, placed in a flask, was added a mixture of 8.5g of nitric acid (d 1.42) & 1.2g water preheated to 90-95° and this was left at RT until complete dissoln of silver.

Note: All these manipulations were conducted under the hood behind a safety screen.

2) The resulting soln of Ag in dilute nitric acid had temp of 60°C. It was carefully added to a 150-ml balloon flask provided with a thermometer and contg 12.25g of 95% ethanol (preferably not denatured).

3) The flask was then placed in a trough I which could be filIed with either cold or hot w. The temp in the flask was kept below 60°C by cooling the flask, if necessasy. If the reaction started to slow down, the flask was slightly heated by adding some hot w to the trough. If some brown fumes started to appear in the flask the reaction was slowed down by cooling the flask under cold w tap. Note: As the fumes evolved during this operation are very toxic, care was taken not to inhale them.

4) As the reaction proceeded, all of the SF precipitated in about 20 mins, giving practically 100% yield.

For the plant procedure, Livingston recommended using 10-15g of silver and to increase the amounts of other ingredients correspondingly.

[Edited on 16-4-2007 by Axt]
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[*] posted on 15-4-2007 at 08:12


Well no wonder it didn't react if all I made was Silver Nitrate. But that explains when it didn't react after hitting it, I tried to light some filter paper that had a residue left on it on fire. When I did this it simply burnt with a mildly increased flame where, what I now presume was Silver Nitrate, was. It also left a oily residue behind, which I'm guessing was just leftover from the acid/ethyl?

Heres a video of the burning, nothing to spectacular minus the minor mishap at the end. http://s97.photobucket.com/albums/l223/ssdd534/?action=view&...

Thanks for the instructions above I'll give them a run when I get the chance.
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[*] posted on 15-4-2007 at 10:21


I used to enjoy silver fulminate. It is really nifty if you only work small scale, and keep the majority of it under water.

If you use less reagents then the ammounts in the procedure in your first post, the reaction of the acidic nitrate solution with alcohol will not have enough 'critical mass' to react producing fulminate. I somehow survived(:o) and managed to make the fulminate by boiling the solution with an alcohol burner. I did that once, and really do not recomend anyone try that for themselves. Heating was continued till the reaction started, as evidenced by the gasses produced.
I really don't recomend working below the 1g silver starting, due to the extra heating that must take place. I always found that adding the hot(pretty much boiling, just cooled briefly) acidic silver nitrate solution to warmed alcohol would get the reaction started quick,and it would not require more energy to get the reaction going. After that adding water would produce 'enough' silver fulminate. I never once dried it all at once, so I never took a yield, but there was more then enough fulminate for a while. Just washed the fulminate a lot and stored it under water, removing very small ammounts as necessary(with a soft wooden stick). NEVER USE A GLASS STIRRING ROD at any step in which you have a precipitate of the fulminate, it can grind the crystals and have them explode, even under water. Only swirl.

I also do not recomend more than a gram of silver for starting either. This is obscenly sensitive stuff. I've had a couple minor accidents from it exploding under water.

Have fun. but be careful.

[Edited on 15-4-2007 by The_Davster]




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[*] posted on 15-4-2007 at 12:35


Yea I've had one Silver Fulminate accident some time back now. When I was first starting out with my interest in pyrotechnic material I thought it would be a grand idea to take the little snaps you chuck at the ground and pour the contents of a few into a film canister. After about 5 of them it went off in my face with a great deal of sound and some small sand getting thrown around pretty hard. I was lucky not to loose an eye. :o

Now I'm just wondering. If this other method I had originally used to produce the Fulminate is wrong, how come many others say it works? Or are they just bluffing.

Now when a fulminate is set off what exactly happens? By this I mean what bonds are broken? My guess from what background I have is that the O-N bond breaks leaving AgO and NC?
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[*] posted on 15-4-2007 at 13:59


This would be my guess for the decomposition of silver fulminate:
2AgCNO --> 2Ag + N<sub>2</sub> + 2CO

Of course the heated products in an oxygen atmosphere would probably form carbon dioxide, silver oxide and some NO<sub>x</sub>.

What is the exact mechanism for the reaction between silver nitrate and ethanol? I can't figure out where the CN bond is coming from.




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