#34
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         Improvised Explosives

  Gelatine Explosive from Anti-Freeze

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Written by: The Lich

 This explosive is almost the same as the nitro-gelatin plastique
explosive exept that it is supple and pliable to -10 to -20 deg. C..
Antifreeze is easier to obtain than glycerine and is usually cheaper. It
needs to be freed of water before the manufacture and this can be done
by treating it with calcium chlor- ide until a specific gravity of 1.12
@ o deg. C. or 1.11 @ 20 deg. C. is obtained. This can be done by adding
calcium chloride to the antifreeze and checking with a hydrometer and
continue to add calcium chloride until the proper reading is obtained.
The antifreeze is then filtered to remove the calcium chloride from the
liquid. This explosive is superior to nitro-gelatin in that it is easier
to collidon the IMR smokeless powder into the explosive and that the
50/50 ether ethyl alcohol can be done away with. It is superior in that
the formation of the collidon is done very rapidly by the nitroethelene
glycol. It's detonation properties are practically the same as the
nitro- gelatine. Like the nitro-gelatine it is highly flammable and if
caught on fire the chances are good that the flame will progress to
detonation. In this explosive as in nitro-gelatine the addition of 1%
sodium carbonate is a good idea to reduce the chance of recidual acid
being present in the final explos- ive. The following is a slightly
different formula than nitro-gelatine:

Nitro-glycol            75%
Guncotton (IMR)          6%
Potassium Nitrate       14%
Flour (baking)           5%

 In this process the 50/50 step is omitted. Mix the potassium nitrate
with the nitro-glycol. Remember that this nitro-glycol is just as
sensitive to shock as is nitroglycerin. The next step is to mix in the
flour and sodium carbonate. Mix these by kneading with gloved hands
until the mixture is uniform. This kneading should be done gently and
slowly. The mixture should be uniform when the IMR smokeless powder is
added. Again this is kneaded to uniformity. Use this explosive as soon
as possible. If it must be stored, store in a cool, dry place (0-10 deg.
C.). This explosive should detonate at 7600-7800 m/sec.. These two
explosives are very powerful and should be sensitive to a #6 blasting
cap or equivelent. These explosives are dangerous and should not be made
unless the manufacturer has had experience with this type compound. The
foolish and ignor- ant may as well forget these explosives as they won't
live to get to use them. Don't get me wrong, these explosives have been
manufactured for years with an amazing record of safety. Millions of
tons of nitroglycerine have been made and used to manufacture dynamite
and explosives of this nature with very few mis- haps. Nitroglycerin and
nitroglycol will kill and their main victims are the stupid and
foolhardy. Before manufacturing these explosives take a drop of
nitroglycerin and soak into a small piece of filter paper and place it
on an anvil. Hit this drop with a hammer and don't put any more on the
anvil. See what I mean! This explosive compound is not to be taken
lightly. If there are any doubts DON'T.

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         Improvised Explosives

    Plastique Explosive from Aspirin

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Written by: The Lich

 This explosive is a phenol dirivative. It is toxic and explosive
compounds made from picric acid are poisonous if inhaled, ingested, or
handled and absor- bed through the skin. The toxicity of this explosive
restrict's its use due to the fact that over exposure in most cases
causes liver and kidney failure and sometimes death if immediate
treatment is not obtained.

 This explosive is a cousin to T.N.T. but is more powerful than it's
cousin. It is the first explosive used militarily and was adopted in
1888 as an artillery shell filler. Originally this explosive was derived
from coal tar but thanx to modern chemistry you can make this explosive
easily in approximately three hours from acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin
purified).

 This procedure involves dissolving the acetylsalicylic acid in warm
sulfuric acid and adding sodium or potassium nitrate which nitrates the
purified aspirin and the whole mixture drowned in water and filtered to
obtain the final pro- duct. This explosive is called trinitrophenol.
Care should be taken to ensure that this explosive is stored in glass
containers. Picric acid will form dang- erous salts when allowed to
contact all metals exept tin and aluminum. These salts are primary
explosive and are super sensitive. They also will cause the detonation
of the picric acid.

 To make picric acid obtain some aspirin. The cheaper brands work best
but buffered brands should be avoided. Powder these tablets to a fine
consistancy. To extract the acetylsalicylic acid from this powder place
this powder in methyl alcohol and stir vigorously. Not all of the powder
will dissolve. Filter this powder out of the alcohol. Again wash this
powder that was filtered out of the alcohol with more alcohol but with a
lesser amount than the first extrac- tion. Again filter the remaining
powder out of the alcohol. Combine the now clear alcohol and allow it to
evaporate in a pyrex dish. When the alcohol has evaporated there will be
a surprising amount of crystals in the bottom of the pyrex dish.

 Take fourty grams of these purified acetylsalicylic acid crystals and
dissolve them in 150 ml. of sulfuric acid (98%, specify gravity 1.8) and
heat to diss- olve all the crystals. This heating can be done in a
common electric frying pan with the thermostat set on 150 deg. F. and
filled with a good cooking oil. When all the crystals have dissolved in
the sulfuric acid take the beaker, that you've done all this dissolving
in (600 ml.), out of the oil bath. This next step will need to be done
with a very good ventilation system (it is a good idea to do any
chemistry work such as the whole procedure and any procedure on this
disk with good ventilation or outside). Slowly start adding 58 g. of
sodium nitrate or 77 g. of potassium nitrate to te acid mixture in the
beaker very slowly in small portions with vigorous stirring. A red gas
(nitrogen tri- oxide) will be formed and this should be avoided. The
mixture is likely to foam up and the addition should be stopped until
the foaming goes down to prevent the overflow of the acid mixture in the
beaker. When the sodium or potassium nitrate has been added the mixture
is allowed to cool somewhat (30- 40 deg. C.). The solution should then
be dumped slowly into twice it's volume of crushed ice and water. The
brilliant yellow crystals will form in the water. These should be
filtered out and placed in 200 ml. of boiling distilled water. This
water is allowed to cool and then the crystals are then filtered out of
the water. These crystals are a very, very pure trinitrophenol. These
crystals are then placed in a pyrex dish and places in an oil bath and
heated to 80 deg. C. and held there for 2 hours. This temperature is
best maintained and checked with a thermometer. The crystals are then
powdered in small quantities to a face powder consistency. These
powdered crystals are then mixed with 10% by weight wax and 5% vaseline
which are heated to melting temperature and poured into the crystals.
The mixing is best done by kneading together with gloved hands. This
explosive should have a useful plsticity range of 0-40 deg. C.. The
detonation velocity should be around 7000 m/sec.. It is toxic to handle
but simply made from common ingredients and is suitable for most
demolition work requiring a moderately high detonation velocity. It is
very suitable for shaped charges and some steel cutting charges. It is
not as good an explosive as C-4 or other R.D.X. based explosives but it
is much easier to make. Again this explosive is very toxic and should be
treated with great care. AVOID HANDLING BARE-HANDED, BREATHING DUST AND
FUMES, AVOID ANY CHANCE OF INGESTION. AFTER UTENSILS ARE USED FOR THE
MANUFACTURE OF THIS EXPLOSIVE RETIRE THEM FROM THE KITCHEN AS THE CHANCE
OF POISONING IS NOT WORTH THE RISK. THIS EXPLOSIVE, IF MANUFACTURED AS
ABOVE, AHOULD BE SAFE IN STORAGE BUT WITH ANY HOMEMADE EXPLOSIVE STORAGE
OS NOT RECOMENDED AND EXPLOSIVES SHOULD BE MADE UP AS NEEDED. A V O I D
C O N T A C T   W I T H   A L L   M E T A L S   E X E P T   T I N


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         Improvised Explosives

    Plastique Explosive from Bleach

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Written by: The Lich

 This explosive is a potassium chlorate explosive. This explosive and
explo- sives of similar composition were used in World War II as the
main explosive filler in gernades, land mines, and mortar used by
French, German, and other forces involoved in that conflict. These
explosives are relatively safe to manufacture. One should strive to make
sure these explosives are free of sulfur, sulfides, and picric acid. The
presence of these compounds result in mixtures that are or can become
highly sensitive and possibly decompose ex- plosively while in storage.
The manufacture of this explosive from bleach is given as just an
expediant method. This method of manufacturing potassium chlorate is not
economical due to the amount of energy used to boil the sol- ution and
cause the 'dissociation' reaction to take place. This procedure does
work and yields a relatively pure and a sulfur/sulfide free product.
These explosives are very cap sensitive and require only a #3 cap for
instigating detonation. To manufacture potassium chlorate from bleach
(5.25% sodium hypochlorite solution) obtain a heat source (hot plate
stove etc.) a battery hydrometer, a large pyrex or enameled steel
container (to weigh chemicals), and some potassium chloride (sold as
salt substitute). Take one gallon of bleach, place it in the container
and begin heating it. While this solution heats, weigh out 63 g.
potassium chloride and add this to the bleach being heated. Bring this
solution to a boil and boiled until when checked by a hydrometer the
reading is 1.3 (if a battery hydrometer is used it should read full
charge).

 When the reading is 1.3 take the solution and let it cool in the
refrigerator until it's between room temperature and 0 deg. C.. Filter
out the crystals that have formed and save them. Boil the solution again
until it reads 1.3 on the hydrometer and again cool the solution. Filter
out the crystals that have formed and save them. Boil this solution
again and cool as before. Filter and save the crystals. Take these
crystals that have been saved and mix them with distilled water in the
following proportions: 56 g. per 100 ml. distilled water. Heat this
solution until it boils and allow it to cool. Filter the solution and
save the crystals that form upon cooling. The process if purifi- cation
is called fractional crystalization. These crystals should be relatively
pure potassium chlorate.

 Powder these to the consistency of face powder (400 mesh) and heat
gently to drive off all moisture. Melt five parts vasoline and five
parts wax. Dissolve this in white gasoline (camp stove gasoline) and
pour this liquid on 90 parts potassium chlorate (the crystals from the
above operation) in a plastic bowl. Knead this liquid into the potassium
chlorate until immediately mixed. Allow all the gasoline to evaporate.
Place this explosive in a cool, dry place. Avoid friction, sulfur,
sulfide, and phosphorous compounds. This explosive is best molded to the
desired shape and density (1.3g./cc.) and dipped in wax to water proof.
These block type charges guarantee the highest detonation velocity. This
explosive is really not suited to use in shaped charge applications due
to its relatively low detonation velocity. It is comparable to 40%
ammonia dynamite and can be considered the same for the sake of charge
computation. If the potassium chlorate is bought and not made it is put
into the manufacture pro- cess in the powdering stages preceding the
addition of the wax/vaseline mix- ture. This explosive is bristant and
powerful. The addition of 2-3% aluminum powder increases its blast
effect. Detonation velocity is 3300 m/sec..


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         Improvised Explosives

       Plastique Explosives From
   Swimming Pool Clorinating Compound

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Written by: The Lich

 This explosive is a chlorate explosive from bleach. This method of
production of potassium or sodium chlorate is easier and yields a more
pure product than does the plastique explosive from bleach process. In
this reaction the H.T.H. (calcium hypochlorite CaC10) is mixed with
water and heated with either sodium chloride (table salt, rock salt) or
potassium chloride (salt substitute). The latter of these salts is the
salt of choice due to the easy crystalization of the potassium chlorate.
This mixture will need to be boiled to ensure complete reaction of the
ingredients. Obtain some H.T.H. swimming pool chlorination compound or
equivilant (usually 65% calcium hypochlorite). As with the bleach
process mentioned earlier the reaction described below is also a
dissociation reaction. In a large pyrex glass or enamled steel container
place 1200g. H.T.H. and 220g. potassium chloride or 159g. sodium
chloride. Add enough boiling water to dissolve the powder and boil this
solution. A chalky substance (calcium chloride) will be formed. When the
formation of this chalky substance is no longer formed the solution is
filtered while boiling hot. If potassium chloride was used potassium
chlorate will be formed. This potassium chlorate will drop out or
crystalize as the clear liquid left after filtering cools. These
crystals are filtered out when the solution reaches room temperature. If
the sodium chloride salt was used this clear filtrate (clear liquid
after filter- ation) will need to have all water evaporated. This will
leave crystals which should be saved.

 These crystals should be heated in a slightly warm oven in a pyrex dish
to drive off all traces of water (40-75 deg. C.). These crystals are
ground to a very fine powder (400 mesh).

 If the sodium chloride salt is used in the initial step the
crystalization is much more time consuming. The potassium chloride is
the salt to use as the resulting product will crystalize out of the
solution as it cools. The powdered and completely dry chlorate crystals
are kneaded together with vaseline in a plastic bowl. ALL CHLORATE BASED
EXPLOSIVES ARE SENSITIVE TO FRICTION AND SHOCK AND THESE SHOULD BE
AVOIDED. If sodium chloride is used in this explosive it will have a
tendancy to cake and has a slightly lower detonation velocity. This
explosive is composed of the following:

   potassium/sodium chlorate    90%
   vaseline                     10%

 The detonation velocity can be raised to a slight extent by the
addition of 2-3% aluminum sunstituted for 2-3% of the vaseline. This
addition of this aluminum will give the explosive a bright flash if set
off at night which will ruin night vision for a short while. The
detonation velocity of this explosive is approximately 3200 m/sec. for
the potassium salt and 2900 m/sec. for the sodium salt based explosive.
