{"id":2060,"date":"2013-04-18T14:59:30","date_gmt":"2013-04-18T21:59:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/politicalhat.com\/?p=2060"},"modified":"2013-04-18T15:00:56","modified_gmt":"2013-04-18T22:00:56","slug":"about-the-texas-fertilizer-plant-explosion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/impeachreno.org\/politicalhat\/2013\/04\/18\/about-the-texas-fertilizer-plant-explosion\/","title":{"rendered":"About the Texas Fertilizer Plant Explosion"},"content":{"rendered":"

     By now, most people watching the news know about the massive explosions<\/a> at a Texas fertilizer plant.<\/p>\n

     The main chemical in fertilizer, ammonium nitrate, is particularly nasty stuff. \u00a0 Nitrates are themselves partial to exploding:\u00a0 Both TNT and gunpowder have NO3<\/sub> groups that tend to react violently and rapidly.\u00a0 However, the ammonium (NH4<\/sub>+<\/sup>) part is also quite nasty, particularly when it is in the form of its neutral compound, NH3<\/sub> (i<\/em>.e<\/em>. anhydrous ammonia).<\/p>\n

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"Ammonia Suit" used to protect against anhydrous ammonia<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n

     When most people think \u201cammonia,\u201d they think of the liquid (& aqueous) solution of ammonia, which is just ammonium hydroxide.\u00a0 Anhydrous ammonia is far, far nastier.\u00a0 It is a liquid at very low temperatures or under pressure, so its gaseous nature can create clouds of ammonia<\/a>. \u00a0 It is reported that the fertilizer plant had just gotten in about 200 tons<\/a> of anhydrous ammonia.\u00a0 \u00a0 Ammonia can cause blindness and even cessation of breathing.\u00a0 Far beyond the explosion itself, it is the leak of ammonia gas that caused such an extensive evacuation of the town of West, Texas.<\/p>\n

     In fact, it is now being reported that the blast was initiated by a single train car<\/a> of ammonium nitrate. \u00a0To underscore just how powerful this compound can be, one<\/em> of the subsequent explosions was recorded and can be see below:<\/p>\n