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eppur_se_muova

(41,950 posts)

18. Not at all. Ammonia is a flammable gas which forms explosive mixtures in air ...

Reply to Renew Deal (Reply #8)

Thu Apr 18, 2013, 01:22 PM

Apr 2013

ammonium nitrate is a fertilizer, and also a blasting compound. It is not easy to trigger an ammonium nitrate explosion, but it can be done -- a fire in a large pile will do it. See the Texas City Disaster

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Just saw this stat: "54,000 pounds of anhydrous ammonia" in the plant [View all] rainbow4321 Apr 2013 OP

Mayor: Fire Crews Were at Texas Plant Before Blast elleng Apr 2013 #1

The mayor is a volunteer firefighter and was headed that way to help. tammywammy Apr 2013 #6

Holy.Shit. (no pun intended) dorkzilla Apr 2013 #2

... Catherine Vincent Apr 2013 #3

Not only is the ammonium nitrate present but the feeder Arctic Dave Apr 2013 #4

KnR for the link. Appalling beyond words. Hekate Apr 2013 #5

My Aunt lives in a little town close to Waco, not that far away. texanwitch Apr 2013 #7

... tammywammy Apr 2013 #9

Thank you. texanwitch Apr 2013 #10

Are anhydrous ammonia and ammonia nitrate the same thing? Renew Deal Apr 2013 #8

Not the same thing. tammywammy Apr 2013 #13

No PD Turk Apr 2013 #14

Not at all. Ammonia is a flammable gas which forms explosive mixtures in air ... eppur_se_muova Apr 2013 #18

ugh geez Libertas1776 Apr 2013 #11

Same thing that devastated Texas City, TX, in 1947. Manifestor_of_Light Apr 2013 #12

No, ammonium nitrate is a different substance. Bolo Boffin Apr 2013 #15

It's smaller - 54,000 lbs is 27 short tons muriel_volestrangler Apr 2013 #17

Math is hard! Bolo Boffin Apr 2013 #19

Isn't anhydrous a key ingredient used to make meth? Soundman Apr 2013 #16