Ammonium nitrate
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Description
Colorless deliquescent crystals that are made by the action of ammonia on Nitric acid. Ammonium nitrate is a strong oxidizer and can explode when heated. Ammonium nitrate also can produce shock induced explosions when exposed to organic materials. Commercially, it is used as an explosive, a fertilizer, a corrosion inhibitor, and an ingredient in insecticides.
Synonyms and Related Terms
Norway saltpeter; Norway saltpetre
Other Properties
Soluble in water. Slightly soluble in ethanol, methanol. pH of 0.1 M solution in water = 5.43
| Composition | HN4NO3 |
|---|---|
| CAS | 6484-52-2 |
| Melting Point | 169.6 |
| Density | 1.72 |
| Molecular Weight | mol. wt. = 80.1 |
| Refractive Index | 1.413, 1.611 (He), 1.63 |
Hazards and Safety
Explosive in closed containers and high temperatures. Strong oxidizing agent.
International Chemical Safety Card
Sources Checked for Data in Record
- Richard S. Lewis, Hawley's Condensed Chemical Dictionary, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 10th ed., 1993
- The Merck Index, Martha Windholz (ed.), Merck Research Labs, Rahway NJ, 10th edition, 1983 Comment: entry 567
- Van Nostrand's Scientific Encyclopedia, Douglas M. Considine (ed.), Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 1976
- CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, Robert Weast (ed.), CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida, v. 61, 1980 Comment: ref. index=1.413, 1.611 (He), 1.63
- Random House, Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, Grammercy Book, New York, 1997
- The American Heritage Dictionary or Encarta, via Microsoft Bookshelf 98, Microsoft Corp., 1998