AMMONIUM TRIIODIDE CRYSTALS

Ammonium triiodide crystals are foul-smelling purple colored crystals

that decompose under the slightest amount of heat, friction, or shock, if they

are made with the purest ammonia (ammonium hydroxide) and iodine. Such

crystals are said to detonate when a fly lands on them, or when an ant walks

across them. Household ammonia, however, has enough impurities, such as soaps

and abrasive agents, so that the crystals will detonate when thrown,crushed,

or heated. Ammonia, when bought in stores comes in a variety of forms. The

pine and cloudy ammonias should not be bought; only the clear ammonia should

be used to make ammonium triiodide crystals. Upon detonation, a loud report is

heard, and a cloud of purple iodine gas appears about the detonation site.

Whatever the unfortunate surface that the crystal was detonated upon will

usually be ruined, as some of the iodine in the crystal is thrown about in a

solid form, and iodine is corrosive. It leaves nasty, ugly, permanent

brownish-purple stains on whatever it contacts. Iodine gas is also bad news,

since it can damage lungs, and it settles to the ground and stains things

there also. Touching iodine leaves brown stains on the skin that last for

about a week, unless they are immediately and vigorously washed off. While

such a compound would have little use to a serious terrorist, a vandal could

utilize them in damaging property. Or, a terrorist could throw several of

them into a crowd as a distraction, an action which would possibly injure a

few people, but frighten almost anyone, since a small crystal that may not be

seen when thrown produces a rather loud explosion.

Ammonium triiodide crystals could be produced in the following manner:

Materials Equipment

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iodine crystals funnel and filter paper

paper towels

clear ammonia

(ammonium hydroxide, two throw-away glass jars

for the suicidal)

1) Place about two teaspoons of iodine into one of the glass jars. The jars

must both be throw away because they will never be clean again.

2) Add enough ammonia to completely cover the iodine.

3) Place the funnel into the other jar, and put the filter paper in the

funnel. The technique for putting filter paper in a funnel is taught in

every basic chemistry lab class: fold the circular paper in half, so that a

semi-circle is formed. Then, fold it in half again to form a triangle with

one curved side. Pull one thickness of paper out to form a cone, and place

the cone into the funnel.

4) After allowing the iodine to soak in the ammonia for a while, pour the

solution into the paper in the funnel through the filter paper.

5) While the solution is being filtered, put more ammonia into the first jar

to wash any remaining crystals into the funnel as soon as it drains.

6) Collect all the purplish crystals without touching the brown filter paper,

and place them on the paper towels to dry for about an hour. Make sure

that they are not too close to any lights or other sources of heat, as they

could well detonate. While they are still wet, divide the wet material into

eight pieces of about the same size.

7) After they dry, gently place the crystals onto a one square inch piece of

duct tape. Cover it with a similar piece, and gently press the duct tape

together around the crystal, making sure not to press the crystal itself.

Finally, cut away most of the excess duct tape with a pair of scissors, and

store the crystals in a cool dry safe place. They have a shelf life of

about a week, and they should be stored in individual containers that can

be thrown away, since they have a tendency to slowly decompose, a process

which gives off iodine vapors, which will stain whatever they settle on.

One possible way to increase their shelf life is to store them in airtight

containers. To use them, simply throw them against any surface or place

them where they will be stepped on or crushed.

-= Exodus =-