Saturday, May 19, 2007
Acetone peroxide explosion
Video of the acetone peroxide explosion.
Acetone peroxide (triacetone triperoxide, peroxyacetone, TATP, TCAP) is an organic peroxide and a primary high explosive. It takes the form of a white crystalline powder with a distinctive acrid smell. It is highly susceptible to heat, friction, and shock. For its instability, it has been called the "Mother of Satan". It has perhaps sprung into notoriety due to its alleged use in the July 2005 London bombings and has also been reported as the explosive favored by suspects arrested on August 10, 2006 who allegedly intended to destroy aeroplanes flying from the United Kingdom to the United States. Acetone peroxide was discovered in 1895 by Richard Wolffenstein. He was the first chemist who used inorganic acids as a catalyst. He was also the first researcher who received a patent for using the peroxide as an explosive compound. In 1900 Bayer and Villiger described in some articles in the same journal the first synthesis of the dimer and used acids for the synthesis of both peroxides too. Information about it including the relative proportions of monomer, dimer, and trimer is also available an article of Milas and Golubović. Other sources include crystal structure and 3d analysis in "The Chemistry of Peroxides" edited by Saul Patai (pp. 396–7), as well as the "Textbook of Practical Organic Chemistry" by Vogel. (from wikipedia)
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Magnesium burning and reacting with water
Video of magnesium burning and then reacting with water vapors:
2 Mg + O2 = 2 MgO
Mg + H2O = MgO + H2
Emerging hydrogen consequently burns in the air with a big flame:
2 H2 + O2 = 2 H2O
