Ammonium nitrate decomposes into gases including oxygen when heated (non-explosive reaction); however, ammonium nitrate can be induced to decompose explosively by detonation. Large stockpiles of the material can be a major fire risk due to their supporting oxidation, and may also detonate, as happened in the Texas City disaster of 1947, which led to major changes in the regulations for storage and handling. Related Compounds Other anions Ammonium nitrite; ammonium perchlorate Other cations Sodium nitrate; potassium nitrate; hydroxylammonium nitrate Related compounds Nitrous oxide Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 Â°C, 100 kPa) Infobox disclaimer and references The chemical compound ammonium nitrate, the nitrate of... For other uses, see Gas (disambiguation). ... General Name, symbol, number oxygen, O, 8 Chemical series nonmetals, chalcogens Group, period, block 16, 2, p Appearance colorless (gas) very pale blue (liquid) Standard atomic weight 15. ... The most fundamental reactions in chemistry are the redox processes. ... The Texas City Disaster of April 16, 1947, started with the mid-morning fire and detonation of approximately 17,000,000 pounds (8,500 tons) of ammonium nitrate on board the French-registered vessel SS Grandcamp in the port at Texas City, Texas, killing 581 people. ...

There are two major classes of incidents resulting in explosions:

• In the first case, the explosion happens by the mechanism of shock to detonation transition. The initiation happens by an explosive charge going off in the mass, by the detonation of a shell thrown into the mass, or by detonation of an explosive mixture in contact with the mass. The examples are Kriewald, Morgan, Oppau, Tessenderlo and Traskwood.
• - In the second case, the explosion results from a fire that spreads into the ammonium nitrate itself (Texas City, Brest, Oakdale), or to a mixture of an ammonium nitrate with a combustible material during the fire (Repauno, Cherokee). The fire must be confined at least to a degree for successful transition from a fire to an explosion (a phenomenon known as "transition from a decomposition or deflagration", or DDT). Pure, compact AN is stable and very difficult to initiate. However, there are numerous cases when even impure AN did not explode in a fire.

Ammonium nitrate decomposes in temperatures above 210 °C. Pure AN is stable and will stop decomposing once the heat source is removed, but when catalysts are present (combustible materials, acids, metal ions, chlorides. ..) the reaction can become self-sustaining (known as self-sustaining decomposition, SSD). This is a well-known hazard with some types of NPK fertilisers, and is responsible for the loss of several cargo ships. Morgan is both a given name and a surname, as well as the name of many places. ... Crater after the Oppau explosion. ... Tessenderlo is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg. ... Traskwood is a town in Saline County, Arkansas, United States. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... The Texas City Disaster of April 16, 1947, started with the mid-morning fire and detonation of approximately 17,000,000 pounds (8,500 tons) of ammonium nitrate on board the French-registered vessel SS Grandcamp in the port at Texas City, Texas, killing 581 people. ... Brest is a city in Brittany, or the Bretagne région, north-west France, sous-préfecture of the Finistère département. ... Oakdale is the name of several places in the United States of America: Oakdale, California Oakdale, Connecticut Oakdale, Illinois (also an unrelated setting in the soap opera As the World Turns. ...

Morgan, New Jersey, 1918 (Now Sayreville)

On October 4, 1918, the T.A. Gillespie Company Shell Loading Plant explosion occurred leading to many artillery shells being launched into the air, some of which landed on a neighbouring warehouse where 4000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate were stored in barrels. One of the shells caused a large explosion, but the majority of the ammonium nitrate did not detonate. Sayreville is a borough located on the Raritan River, near Raritan Bay in Middlesex County, New Jersey. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... is the 277th day of the year (278th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1918 (MCMXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. ... The T.A. Gillespie Company Shell Loading Plant explosion, sometimes called the Morgan Depot Explosion, occurred at 7:30 p. ... A tonne or metric ton (symbol t), sometimes referred to as a metric tonne, is a measurement of mass equal to 1,000 kilograms. ...

Krieweld, Germany, 1921

• - On July 26, 1921 in this railway town (now in Poland) workers tried to dislodge 30 tonnes of ammonium nitrate which had aggregated in two wagons. When mining explosives were used on solid mass the wagons exploded and killed nineteen people.

Image File history File links Flag_of_Germany. ... is the 207th day of the year (208th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1921 (MCMXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar). ...

Oppau, Germany, 1921

Main article: Oppau explosion

• - Another attempt at disagregation of a fertilizer mix with industrial explosives caused the death of 450 people and the destruction of 700 houses on September 21, 1921. The fertilizer was a 50:50 mixture of ammonium nitrate and ammonium sulphate and the factory had used this method of disagregation over 20,000 times without incident. It is thought that, on this occasion, poor mixing had led to certain parts of the mass to contain more ammonium nitrate than others. Only 450 tonnes exploded, out of 4500 tonnes of fertilizer stored in the warehouse.

Crater after the Oppau explosion. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Germany. ... is the 264th day of the year (265th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1921 (MCMXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar). ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ...

Nixon, New Jersey, 1924 (Now Edison Township)

• - A fire and several large explosions destroyed a warehouse containing ammonium nitrate on March 1, 1924. The explosivity of the product was perhaps enhanced, as it had been prepared using nitric acid which had previously been used for the production of TNT.

“NJ” redirects here. ... Map of Edison Township in Middlesex County Coordinates: , Country State County Middlesex County Settled 1651 Incorporated March 17, 1870 (as Raritan Township) Government  - Type Faulkner Act Mayor-Council  - Mayor Jun Choi Area  - Township  30. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... is the 60th day of the year (61st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1924 (MCMXXIV) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The chemical compound nitric acid (HNO3), also known as aqua fortis and spirit of nitre, is an aqueous solution of hydrogen nitrate (anhydrous nitric acid). ... R-phrases S-phrases Related Compounds Related compounds picric acid hexanitrobenzene Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 Â°C, 100 kPa) Infobox disclaimer and references Trinitrotoluene (TNT) is a chemical compound with the formula C6H2(NO2)3CH3. ...

Muscle Shoals, Alabama, 1925

On April 4, 1925, and May 3, 1925, two carloads, each containing 220 barrels of ammonium nitrate, were dispatched from Muscle Shoals, Alabama and caught fire in transportation. The barrels had been stored in a warehouse with varying humidity for 6 years, so it is believed that they were ignited by friction with their nitrate-impregnated manilla paper lining. Other shipments were reportedly more successful. Muscle Shoals is a city, famous for its music and contributions to American popular music, in Colbert County, Alabama, USA. As of the 2000 census, the population of the city is 11,924, and is included in The Shoals MSA. // Muscle Shoals is located at (34. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... is the 94th day of the year (95th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1925 (MCMXXV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 123rd day of the year (124th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1925 (MCMXXV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Muscle Shoals is a city, famous for its music and contributions to American popular music, in Colbert County, Alabama, USA. As of the 2000 census, the population of the city is 11,924, and is included in The Shoals MSA. // Muscle Shoals is located at (34. ...

Rouen, France, 1940

• - During a bombing raid on June 5, 1940, a bomb exploded in a warehouse containing ammonium nitrate: the fertilizer was dispersed around the crater, but did not explode.

Rouen (pronounced in French, sometimes also ) is the historical capital city of Normandy, in northwestern France on the River Seine, and currently the capital of the Haute-Normandie (Upper Normandy) région. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... is the 156th day of the year (157th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Miramas, France, 1940

• - August 5, 1940: 240 tonnes of ammonium nitrate in sacks exploded after being hit by a shell from a nearby fire in a munitions train.

Miramas is a commune of the Bouches-du-Rhône département in France. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... is the 217th day of the year (218th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Tessenderlo, Belgium, 1942

• - another attempt to disagregate a pile of 150 tonnes of ammonium nitrate with industrial explosives ended tragically on April 29, 1942: several hundred people were killed.

Tessenderlo is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Belgium_(civil). ... is the 119th day of the year (120th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Texas City, United States, 1947

Main article: Texas City Disaster

The cargo ship Grandcamp was being loaded on April 16, 1947 when a fire was detected in the hold: at this point, 2600 tonnes of ammonium nitrate in sacks were already aboard. The captain responded by closing the hold and pumping in pressurised steam. One hour later, the ship exploded, killing several hundred people and setting fire to another vessel, the High Flyer, which was moored 250 metres away and which contained 1050 tonnes of sulfur and 960 tonnes of ammonium nitrate. The Grandcamp explosion also created a powerful earthshock and knocked two small planes flying at 1500 feet out of the sky. The High Flyer exploded the next day, after having burned for sixteen hours. 500 tonnes of ammonium nitrate on the quayside also burned, but without exploding, probably due to the fact that it was less tightly packed. Texas City is a city located in Galveston County, Texas. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... The Texas City Disaster of April 16, 1947, started with the mid-morning fire and detonation of approximately 17,000,000 pounds (8,500 tons) of ammonium nitrate on board the French-registered vessel SS Grandcamp in the port at Texas City, Texas, killing 581 people. ... is the 106th day of the year (107th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1947 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... General Name, Symbol, Number sulfur, S, 16 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 16, 3, p Appearance lemon yellow Standard atomic weight 32. ...

Brest, France, 1947

• - The cargo ship Ocean Liberty was loaded with 3300 tonnes of ammonium nitrate and various inflammable products when it caught fire at 12:30 July 28, 1947. The captain ordered the hold to be sealed and pressurised steam was pumped in. As this did not stop the fire, the vessel was towed out of the harbour at 14:00, and exploded at 17:00. The explosion caused 29 deaths and serious damage to the port of Brest.

Brest is a city in Brittany, or the Bretagne région, north-west France, sous-préfecture of the Finistère département. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... is the 209th day of the year (210th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1947 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Red Sea, 1954

• - a fire was detected on the cargo ship Tirrenia on January 23, 1954, while it was carrying 4000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate. Attempts to extinguish the fire with steam were unsuccessful, and the ship was abandoned before it exploded later in the night.

Location of the Red Sea The Red Sea is an inlet of the Indian Ocean between Africa and Asia. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Italy. ... A seashore of Tirrenia during the summer Tirrenia is a frazione of Pisa, Italy with a population of 3,112 inhabitants. ... is the 23rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Roseburg, Oregon, 1959

• - a truck carrying dynamite and ammonium nitrate caught fire early in the morning of August 7, 1959. When it exploded it killed 14 people and injured 125 more. Several blocks of downtown Roseburg were destroyed. The accident is locally referred to as "The Blast."

To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... is the 219th day of the year (220th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Kansas City, Missouri, 1988

• - on November 29, 1988, at 4:07 AM two trailers containing approximately 50,000 lbs of ammonium nitrate exploded at a construction site located near the 87th street exit of Highway 71 in Kansas City, Missouri. The explosives were to be used in the blasting of rock while constructing Highway 71. The result of the explosions were the deaths of six firemen from the Kansas City Fire Department's Pumper Companies 30 and 41. Both companies were dispatched after 911 calls indicated that a fire had been set to a pickup truck located near the trailers. The responding companies were warned that there were explosives on-site; however, they were unaware that the trailers were essentially magazines filled with explosives. At 4:07 AM one of the "magazines" caught fire and a catastrophic explosion occurred, killing all six firemen instantly — only sparing remains were found. A second blast occurred 40 minutes later, although all fire crews had been pulled back at this time. The blasts created two craters, each approximately 100 feet wide and 8 feet deep. The explosions also shattered windows within a 10-mile area and could be heard 40 miles away. It was later determined that the explosions were acts of arson, set by individuals embroiled in a labor dispute with the construction company contracted to build the highway.[1]

Nickname: Location in Jackson, Clay, Platte, and Cass Counties in the state of Missouri. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... is the 333rd day of the year (334th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar). ... Nickname: Location in Jackson, Clay, Platte, and Cass Counties in the state of Missouri. ... The Skyline Parkway Motel in Afton, Virginia after an arson fire on July 9, 2004. ...

Toulouse, France, 2001

• - on September 21, 2001, at 10:15 AM, in the AZF (Azote de France) fertiliser factory in Toulouse, France, an explosion occurred in a warehouse where the off-specification granular AN was stored flat, separated by partitions. About 200–300 tons is said to be involved in the explosion, resulting in 31 people dead and 2,442 injured, 34 of them seriously. The blast wave shattered windows up to 3 kilometres away and the resulting crater was 10 metres deep and 50 metres wide. The exact cause remains unknown. The material damage was estimated at 2.3 billion euros. [2]

New city flag (Occitan cross) Traditional coat of arms Motto: (Occitan: For Toulouse, always more) Location Coordinates Time Zone CET (GMT +1) Administration Country Region Midi-Pyrénées Department Haute-Garonne (31) Intercommunality Community of Agglomeration of Greater Toulouse Mayor Jean-Luc Moudenc  (UMP) (since 2004) City Statistics Land... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... is the 264th day of the year (265th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... For the terrorist group AZF, see AZF (Terrorist group). ... New city flag (Occitan cross) Traditional coat of arms Motto: (Occitan: For Toulouse, always more) Location Coordinates Time Zone CET (GMT +1) Administration Country Region Midi-Pyrénées Department Haute-Garonne (31) Intercommunality Community of Agglomeration of Greater Toulouse Mayor Jean-Luc Moudenc  (UMP) (since 2004) City Statistics Land... One thousand million (1,000,000,000) is the natural number following 999,999,999 and preceding 1,000,000,001. ... For other uses, see Euro (disambiguation). ...

Barracas, Spain, 2004

• - a truck carrying 25 tonnes of ammonium nitrate fertilizer exploded half an hour after a traffic accident on March 9, 2004, killing two people and injuring three others. The explosion, which could be heard at a distance of 10 km (6 miles) caused a crater five metres deep.

Barracas is a barrio, or district, in the southeast part of Buenos Aires, Argentina. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Spain. ... is the 68th day of the year (69th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Ryongchŏn, North Korea, 2004

Main article: Ryongchon disaster

• - a freight train carrying ammonium nitrate exploded in this important railway town near the Chinese border on April 22, 2004, killing 162 people and injuring over 3000 others. The station was destroyed, as were most buildings within 500 metres, and nearly 8000 homes were destroyed or damaged. Two craters of about ten metres in depth were seen at the site of the explosion. The authorities blamed "human error" for the explosion, although rumours persist that it was in fact an attempt to assassinate the Korean leader Kim Jong-Il, who was due to be passing through the station at the time.

Ryongchŏn is a city in North Korea. ... The Ryongchŏn disaster was a train disaster that occurred in the town of Ryongchŏn, North Korea near the border with China on April 22, 2004. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Peoples_Republic_of_China. ... is the 112th day of the year (113th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Kim Jong-il (also written as Kim Jong Il) (born February 16, 1942) is the leader of North Korea. ...

Monclova, Coahuila, Mexico, 2007

• - Another case has been registered on September 10, 2007 near Monclova, Coahuila, México, when a trailer loaded with 22 tons of ammonium nitrate crashed to a truck leaving three dead on the crash, then a fire on the trailer cabin started, and approximately 40 minutes after that, a very huge explosion occurred, resulting in around 150 people injured and 37 more dead, also a crater 30 ft wide and 6 ft deep was created due to the explosion.

^[1] Monclova is a city in the northern Mexican state of Coahuila. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Mexico. ...

References

1. ^ The Economist 15 September 2007 p 47 but in less detail than above