HOW TO MAKE NITROGLYCERIN

Almost all modern explosives are a derivative of a nitric acid base.

Although fuming nitric acid (98 percent solution in water) is not an explosive
in itself, it is explosive when mixed with many other compounds. This process
of mixing a compound with nitric acid chemically is called the nitrating
principle. The best-known nitrating agent is glycerin, but many others can
be and are used. Mercury, sugar, cork, wheat germ, sawdust, starch, lard, and
indigo are all common nitrating agents and are used in modern industry. For
example when sawdustis nitrated, it becomes nitrocellulose, and is used in
smokeless powder. Mercury fulminate (nitrated mercury) is a very powerful
and
effective detonator.
Nitroglycerin is a high explosive, with an incredibly unstable nature. It
can explode for the most minute reasons, such as a change of one or two
degrees
in temperature, or a minor shock. Because of nitroglycerin's unstable nature,
I would suggest that only people with an extensive background training in both
chemistry and explosives try this procedure.
Nitroglycerin
1. Fill a 75-milliliter beaker, to the 13-ml. level, with fuming red nitric
acid, of 98 percent concentration.
2. Place beaker in an ice bath and allow to cool below room
temperature.
3. After it is cooled, add to it three times the amount of fuming sulfuric
acid (99 percent). In other words, add to the now-cool fuming nitric
acid 39 milliliters of fuming sulfuric acid. When mixing any acids,
always do it slowing and carefully to avoid splattering.
4. When the two are mixed, lower their temperature, by adding more ice to the
bath, to about 10 or 15 degrees Centegrade. This can be measured by using
a mercury-operated Centegrade thermometer.
5. When the acid solution has cooled to the desired temperature, it is ready for the
glycerin. The glyverin MUST BE ADDED IN SMALL AMOUNTS USING A
MEDICINE DROPPER. Glycerin is added, slowly and carefully, until the entire
surface of the acid is covered with it.
6. This is a dangerous point, since the nitration will take place as soon
as the glycerin is added. The nitration will produce heat, so the
solution MUST BE KEPT BELOW 30 DEGREES C. If the solution should go
above 30 degrees, the beaker should be taken out of the ice bath and
 the solution should be carefully poured directly into the ice bath,
since this will prevent an explosion.
7. For about the first ten minutes of the nitration, the mixture should
be gently stirred. In a normal reaction, the nitroglycerin will form as
a layer ontop of the acid solution, while the sulfuric acid will absorb
the excess water.
8. After the nitration has taken place and the nitroglycerin has formed at
the top of the acid solution, the entire beaker should be transferred
very slowly and carefully to another beaker of water. When this is done,
the nitroglycerin will settle to the bottom, so that most of the acid
solution can be drained away.
Firework Colorants

Color Compound
Red strontium salts, lithium salts
lithium carbonate, Li2CO3 = red
strontium carbonate, SrCO3 = bright red
Orange calcium salts
calcium chloride, CaCl2
calcium sulfate, CaSO4·xH2O, where x = 0,2,3,5
Gold incandescence of iron (with carbon), charcoal, or lampblack
Yellow sodium compounds
sodium nitrate, NaNO3
cryolite, Na3AlF6
Electric White white-hot metal, such as magnesium or aluminum
barium oxide, BaO
Green barium compounds + chlorine producer
barium chloride, BaCl+ = bright green
Blue copper compounds + chlorine producer
copper acetoarsenite (Paris Green), Cu3As2O3Cu(C2H3O2)2 = blue
copper (I) chloride, CuCl = turquoise blue
Purple mixture of strontium (red) and copper (blue) compounds
Silver burning aluminum, titanium, or magnesium powder or flakes

How to Make a Smoke Bomb

1. Pour about 3 parts potassium nitrate to 2 parts sugar into the skillet
(5:3 ratio is also good). Measurements don't need to be exact, but you want
more KNO3 than sugar. For example, you can use 1-1/2 cups KNO3 and 1 cup
sugar. If you use equal amounts of KNO3 and sugar, your smoke bomb will be
 harder to light and will burn more slowly. As you approach the 5:3 KNO3:sugar
ratio, you get a smoke bomb that burns more quickly.

2. Apply low heat to the pan. Stir the mixture with a spoon using long
strokes. If you see the grains of sugar starting to melt along the edges where
you are stirring, remove the pan from the heat and reduce the temperature
before continuing.

3. Basically you are carmelizing sugar. The mixture will melt and become
a caramel or chocolate color. Continue heating/stirring until the ingredients are
liquefied. Remove from heat.

4. Pour the liquid onto a piece of foil. You can pour a smaller amount
onto a separate piece, to test the batch. You can pour the smoke bomb into
any shape, onto an object, or into a mold. The shape and size will affect the
burning pattern.

5. If you aren't going to clean your skillet immediately, pour hot water
into the pan to dissolve the sugar (or else it will be harder to clean). Clean up
any residue you may have spilled out of the pan, unless you want mini-smoke
bombs on your stovetop.

6. Allow the smoke bomb to cool, then you can peel it off the foil.

Now that you've made your smoke bomb, it's time to light it...

How to make Meal Powder (Black Powder)

By hudgi, eHow Member
User-Submitted Article

This is how to make black powder, something found in a lot of fireworks. You
cannot mix them all together and expect a big boom, you've got to measure in
mass. DO NOT measure in weight. See the materials list.
Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions
Things You'll Need:

• Potassium Nitrate (75%)

• Sulfur (10%)
• Charcoal (15%)
 • Mortar and Pestle
• Ball Mill (Optional)
• Mixing utensil
• Non-metal container

1. 1

Powder your KNO3 with a mortar and pestle and pour it any kind of container, as
long as it is not metal.

2. 2

Do the same with the other 2 ingredients. Yes, you can grind those together
because they're just fuel. KNO3 (Potassium nitrate) is the oxidizer (The reason why
it goes boom in the first place) and should not be anywhere near the fuel during
grinding.

3. 3

Mix all of your ingredients with any kind of utensil capable of mixing, and voilà! You
got black powder.

4. 4

(Optional) If you want to make your powder more powerful, use a ball mill. It'll grind
your materials into a fine powder, much faster and more efficiently than a mortar.
Remember, the longer you leave the powder inside the ball mill, the less time it
takes to burn. Or in other words, the longer, the stronger (LOL). Here is a tutorial on
how to make a ball mill:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Make-a-Ball-Mill-in-5-Minutes/

Just pour your ingredients into the ball mill SEPARATELY. Carefully clean the
inside of the ball mill with each use.

Read more: How to make Meal Powder (Black Powder) | eHow.com

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