% = % = % = % = % = % = % = % = = % P h r a c k X V I I % = = % = % = % = % = % = % = % = % Phrack Seventeen 07 April 1988 File 4 of 12 : Nitrogen-Trioxide Explosives ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Working notes on Nitrogen Tri-Iodide (NI-3) By: Signal Sustain INTRODUCTION This particular explosive is a real loser. It is incredibly unstable, dangerous to make, dangerous to work with, and you can't do much with it, either. A string of Black Cats is worth far more. At least you can blow up anthills with those. NI-3 is basically a compound you can make easily by mixing up iodine crystals and ammonia. The resulting precipitate is very powerful and very unstable. It is semi stable when wet (nothing you want to trust) and absolutely unstable when dry. When dry, anything will set it off, such as vibration, wind, sun, a fly landing on it. It has to be one of the most unstable explosives you can deal with. But it's easy to make. Anyone can walk into a chem supply house, and get a bottle of iodine, and and a supermarket, and get clear ammonia. Mix them and you're there. (See below for more on this) So, some of you are going to try it, so I might as well pass on some tips from hard experience. (I learned it was a loser by trying it). Use Small Batches First, make one very small batch first. Once you learn how powerful this stuff is, you'll see why. If you're mixing iodine crystals (that's right, crystals, iodine is a metal, a halogen, and its solid form is crystals; the junk they sell as "iodine" in the grocery store is about 3% iodine in a bunch of solvents, and doesn't work for this application), you want maybe 1/4 teaspoonful MAX, even less maybe. 1/4 TSP of this stuff is one hellacious bang; it rattled the windows for a block around when it went off in my back yard. So go with 1/4 TSP, if I can talk you into it. The reason is the instability of this compound. If you mix up two teaspoonfuls and it goes off in your hand, kiss your hand goodbye right down to the wrist. A bucketful would probably level any house you'll find. But 1/4 teaspoon, you might keep your fingers. Since I know you're not going to mix this stuff up with remote tools, keep the quantities small. This stuff is so unstable it's best to hedge your bets. Note: When holding NI3, try to hold with remote tools -- forceps? But if you have to pick it up, fold your thumb next to your first finger, and grip around with your fingers only. Do not grip the flask the conventional way, fingers on one side, thumb of the other. This way, if it goes, you may still have an opposing thumb, which is enough to get by with. The compound is far more stable when wet, but not certain-stable. That's why companies that make explosives won't use it; even a small chance of it blowing up is too dangerous. (They still lose dynamite plants every now and then, too, which is why they're fully automated). But when this stuff gets dry, look out. Heinlein says "A harsh look will set it off", and he isn't kidding. Wind, vibration, a breath across it, anything will trigger it off. (By the way, Heinlein's process, from SF book "Farnham's Freehold", doesn't work, either -- you can't use iodine liquid for this. You must use iodine crystals.) Don't Store It What's so wickedly dangerous is if you try to store the stuff. Say you put it in a cup. After a day, a crust forms around the rim of the liquid, and it dries out. You pick up the cup, kabang!, the crust goes off, and the liquid goes up from the shock. Your fingers sail into your neighbor's lawn. If you make this, take extreme pains to keep it all wet. At least stopper the testtube, so it can't evaporate. Making It Still want to make it? Okay. Get some iodine crystals at a chem supply store. If they ask, say you need to purify water for a camping trip, and they'll lecture you on better alternatives (halazone) but you can still get it. Or, tell them you've been elected to play Mr. Wizard, and be honest -- you'll probably get it too. Possession is not illegal. Get as little as possible. You need little and it's useless once you've tried it once. Aim for 1/4 teaspoonful. Second, get some CLEAR, NON SUDSY ammonia at the store, like for cleaning purposes (BUT NO SUDS! They screw things up, it doesn't make the NI-3). Third, pour ammonia in a bowl. Peeew! Nice smell. Fourth, add 1/4 TSP or less of iodine crystals. Note these crystals, which looks like instant coffee, will attack other metals, so look out for your tableware. Use plastic everything (Bowl, spoon) if you can. These crystals will also leave long-standing iodine stains on hands, and that's damned incriminating if there was just an NI-3 explosion and they're looking for who did it. Rubber gloves, please, dispose after use. Now the crystals will sort of spread out. Stir a little if need be. Be damned careful not to leave solution on the spoon that might dry. It'll go off if you do, believe me. (Experience). Let them spread out and fizzz. They will. Then after an hour or so there will be left some reddish-brown glop in the bottom of the clear ammonia. It's sticky like mud, hard to handle.. That's the NI-3. It is safe right now, as it is wet. (DO NOT LET A RIM FORM ON THE AMMONIA LIQUID!) Using It Now let's use up this junk right away and DON'T try to store it. Go put it outside someplace safe. In my high school, someone once sprinkled tiny, tiny bits (like individual crystals) in a hallway. Works good, it's like setting off a cap under someone's shoe after the stuff dries. You need far less than 1/4 TSP for this, too. Spread it out in the sun, let it dry. DO NOT DISTURB. If you hear a sudden CRACK!, why, it means the wind just blew enough to set it off, or maybe it just went off by itself. It does that too. It must be thoroughly dry to reach max instability where a harsh look sets it off. Of course the top crystals dry first, so heads up. Any sharp impact will set it off, wet or dry. While you're waiting for it to dry, go BURN the plastic cup and spoon you made it with. You'll hear small snapping noises as you do; this is the solution drying and going off in the flames. After two hours or so, toss rocks at the NI3 from a long ways away, and you'll see it go off. Purplish fumes follow each explosion. It's a sharp CRACK, you can't miss it. Anyway. Like I say, most people make this because the ingredients are so easily available. They make it, say what the hell do I do now?, and sprinkle tiny crystals in the hallway. Bang bang bang. And they never make it again, because you only get one set of fingers per hand, and most people want to keep them. Or they put it in door locks (while still in the "sludge" form), and wait for it to try. Next person who sticks a key in there has a big surprise. (This is also why most high school chem teachers lock up the iodine crystals.) Getting Rid Of It If you wash the NI-3 crystals down your kitchen sink, then you have to only wait for them to dry out and go off. They'll stick to the pipe (halogen property, there). I heard a set of pipes pop and crackle for days after this was done. I'd recommend going and throwing the mess into a vacant lots or something, and trying to set it off so no one else does accidentally. If you do this, good luck, and you've been warned. -- Signal Sustain