Fun with Nitroglycerin and Nitrogen Triiodide

April 16, 2009 by Geeks are Sexy | 4 comments

Warning: Do NOT attempt to do any of these experiments at home. Doing so could result in serious injuries or even worse. You’ve been warned!

Nitroglycerin is moderately easy to detonate, and a hammer is more than enough. Nitrogen triiodide will detonate if it is breathed on. It is an explosive with no use other than a novelty.

A few factoids -

Nitric acid, the acid shown in the beginning of the video, will cause very deep chemical burns that take weeks to heal after contact of just five seconds. It also fumes, and the vapor is very choking. The red gas in the flask is nitrogen dioxide, a very toxic gas that can produce, and be produced from, nitric acid. Sulfuric acid is also dangerous and very reactive to flesh, but is not close to the danger of nitric acid.

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4 Comments »

Comment by Anonymous Coward
2009-04-16 06:35:26

Uhm, yeah. How does this contribute to geekiness or sexiness?

Comment by Casey
2009-04-16 14:10:29

I would say it’s the “science” part of the “tech, science, news, and social issues.” :)

 
 
Comment by Loren Pechtel
2009-04-16 07:22:04

I will disagree about NI3 having no use beyond the novelty–read Farnham’s Freehold by Robert Heinlein. Place the charge while it’s still wet, don’t go near it until it’s dried and detonated.

 
Comment by Bennettt
2009-04-18 06:30:46

You know if you play the MacGyver theme with this video, it matches the this theme perfectly

 
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