Silver fulminate

Silver fulminate (AgONC) is an ionic compound of silver and the fulminate anion. It has CAS number 5610-59-3. It is a primary explosive that has very little practical value due to its extreme sensitivity. The impact of a single water droplet has been known to detonate several milligrams of silver fulminate. Even small amounts of this explosive can cause extensive shrapnel damage, and should be treated with extreme caution. Silver fulminate is often confused with fulminating silver (silver nitride or silver azide, speculated decomposition products of Tollen's reagent. Fulminating silver does not contain the fulminate anion, although it is also an explosive compound. Silver fulminate, often in combination with potassium chlorate, is used in trick noise-makers known as "crackers", "snappers", "pop-its", or "bang-snaps", a popular type of novelty firework. Only very tiny amounts of silver fulminate should be prepared at once, as even the weight of the crystals can cause them to self detonate. Silver fulminate was first prepared in 1800 by Edward Charles Howard in his research project to prepare a large variety of fulminates. For 200 years it has been only useful as a curiosity explosive in toys and tricks.

Preparation

It can be prepared by the reaction of concentrated nitric acid with silver metal and ethyl alcohol, under careful control of the reactional conditions, to avoid explosion.

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