The Big Bang!

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G0BHD
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Location: Shropshire

The Big Bang!

Unread post by G0BHD »

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-53659282
It was a huge explosion, well two really a smaller one followed seconds later by a really huge one.
Being blamed on a stockpile of 2000 plus tonnes of Ammonium Nitrate fertiliser, that had years ago been confiscated from some container ship and stored in a dockside warehouse, with rumors that a working on site "welder" set it off.
This is technically possible, as if melted in a very hot fire it can break down into other chemicals which can lead to an explosion, but temperatures have to be very high.
It is of course a staple of agriculture, and also commonly used in the manufacture of various explosives.
But if I remember right from my school day's chemistry lessons, it actually requires some form of additional catalyst in a measured mix to become literally "explosive" in nature?
So either it had laid there for years forgotten about and become contaminated with a suitable agent, or a fire started of suitable temperature to break it down, or someone deliberately on discovering it was stored there added said agent or agents and set it off? ;)
Farmers used to store large stockpiles of it in nothing more than stacked up plastic bags, and if stored correctly and kept away from other reagents, or sources of heat it remains quite stable.
I smell a deliberate act of sabotage somewhere down the line, rather than an accidental detonation.
Don't know what others think?
One big question must remain, how do you "forget" for six years plus that you have a warehouse on the dockside, with 2700 tonnes of Ammonium nitrate sat festering within it?
Sangoma
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Re: The Big Bang!

Unread post by Sangoma »

Yes, LAN is commonly used on grazing and lawns etc., it encourages leaf growth, but not flowers or fruit.

The most common additive to make it go bang is diesel, which there would be plenty of in a dock, added on purpose or mistake.

It then needs a means to detonate it, of which there are several alternatives.

And you are right, we just stored it in piles of bags, biggest worry was water, as it cakes it together and can jam up the spreader.
G 3 E J S
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G0BHD
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Re: The Big Bang!

Unread post by G0BHD »

Thanks for that, yes good old fuel oil was one of the additives I had forgotten!
There are others as I recall, aluminium oxide plus powdered aluminium turns it into another different form of explosive mix.
But the fuel oil one is the most common.
I still smell a rat, and deliberate act somewhere down the line! ;)
Whatever the cause, it was one huge bang for sure, the videos of it are quite eye watering!
gw7unv
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Re: The Big Bang!

Unread post by gw7unv »

Sangoma wrote: Wed Aug 05, 2020 7:29 am Yes, LAN is commonly used on grazing and lawns etc., it encourages leaf growth, but not flowers or fruit.

The most common additive to make it go bang is diesel, which there would be plenty of in a dock, added on purpose or mistake.

It then needs a means to detonate it, of which there are several alternatives.

And you are right, we just stored it in piles of bags, biggest worry was water, as it cakes it together and can jam up the spreader.
Ammonium nitrate and diesel, in the form of a slurry, have been used in quarries for decades, it's very safe and easy to handle and only goes bang when detonated with a primary explosive.

Evan
M0XXQ
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Re: The Big Bang!

Unread post by M0XXQ »

The mushroom cloud and shock wave looked like a small nuke going off, no escaping that. :!:
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G6CSL
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Re: The Big Bang!

Unread post by G6CSL »

G0BHD wrote: Wed Aug 05, 2020 7:51 am
I still smell a rat, and deliberate act somewhere down the line! ;)
Same here, but I guess we'll never really know.
They wouldn't put a "Hezbollah Bomb Factory" sign on it, would they? :)

https://www.foxnews.com/world/beirut-bl ... r-scrutiny
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