PowerLabs Acetylide Explosives
Synthesis

INTRODUCTION:

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molecule picture here>

Acetylide or Carbide salts are the
reason why you should never work acetylene gas with Silver, Copper or Ag/Cu
plated utensils: These unstable crystalline explosive compounds form with
relative ease by the ionic exchange between acetylene gas and silver or copper
salts (reaction outlined below). Silver Nitrate was chosen as the silver donor
for the first synthesis as it is both readily soluble in water (1 gram per 0,4ml
at 25C) and is easily available at reasonable prices, much like Acetylene gas.
Both are perfectly legal and unrestricted substances.
Below, FOR
INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY, the manufacture of a small batch of each is
outlined. The entire synthesis takes less than an hour if done properly. Do not
try to scale up the procedure, as these are very sensitive compounds which are
capable of causing great damage in large enough quantities... It should be noted
that although the possession of the compounds required for this synthesis does
not constitute in the infringement of any law, the synthesis of any explosive
compound consists in a serious criminal offence.
Once again I
discourage anyone to attempt these procedures, and if you choose to do so you
are doing it at your own risk.

Silver Acetylide Synthesis:

MATERIALS:

Reactants:

Materials:

1g Silver
Nitrate (AgNO3(s)) (d. 4.35g/cc)

100mL Vacuum Filtering
Erlenmeyer flask.

10g Calcium
Carbide (CaC2(s)) (d. 2.22g/cc) (unnecessary if acetylene
gas is available, as from a welding torch)

250mL Vacuum Filtering
Erlenmeyer flask

100mL
Distilled Water ((H2O)(l))
(d.1g/cc)

60mL Buchner
Funnel.

50mL
Ethanol ((C2H5OH (l)) (d.
0.8g/cc)

Glass tubing, 6mm
diameter.

Rubber corks, rubber
tubing.

The reaction in this lab was carried out in a specially
constructed apparatus, which splits up the reaction in two steps, which are
carried out simultaneously in two reactor vessels. The two reactions
are:
Vessel one, the gas generator (first step), produces Acetylene Gas
from the reaction of Calcium Carbide in water (this is, of course, unnecessary
if acetylene is available from a welding gas tank):
CaC2(s) +
H2O(l) => C2H2(g) +
CaO(s) (300cc of Acetylene gas are produced per gram of
Calcium Carbide)
Than Acetylene Gas reacts with
Silver Nitrate in solution to produce the insoluble Silver Acetylide
crystals:
C2H2(g) +
AgNO3(aq)  =>
Ag2C2(s) +
HNO3(aq)
Silver (Ag+) cation has +1
charge, Acetylide(-C2) anion has -2 charge, simply exchanging charges gives:
Ag2C2, Silver (I) Acetylide.

A note on proportions:
Acetylene dissolves 1cc per gram of water at 25C

PROCEDURES:

The apparatus is set up as outlined above with
10 grams CaC2 in the 250mL Erlenmeyer, 50mL water in the buchner funnel and 1
gram of AgNO3 solution in 20mL water on the 100mL Erlenmeyer. The valve on the
buchner funnel is opened so as to provide a steady trickle of water into the
calcium carbide. As the Calcium Carbide reacts with water it produces Acetylene
Gas (300 litres per kilogram) and leaves an insoluble Lime (Calcium Oxide, CaO).
Calcium Hydroxide forms if excess water is used (CaO(s) + H2O(l)
=> Ca(OH)2(s)). The acetylene gas travels along the rubber tube
and bubbles through the silver nitrate solution out of the glass tube that goes
through the cork.

As
the two reactions proceed simultaneously, more calcium carbide is converted into
Calcium Oxide on the left flask, and the brown/black silver fulminate
precipitate forms in the other flask. A brown gas is emitted out of the second
flask. This gas must be properly vented as it consists mainly of Hydrogen and
Acetylene, and is explosively flammable. The reaction takes about 10 minutes to
complete, after which the silver acetylide is removed from the flask, filtered,
washed with 100mL of distilled water and 50mL of ethanol, and allowed to
dry.

RESULTS:

Properties:
Detonation velocity: 3460
m/s.
Trauzl test: 145cm³ (181).
Shock-sensitivty: 2 kg - 3.4
cm.
Explosion.Temp.: 217° C.

There are 2 other ways of producing
Silver Acetylide:

1. Precipitation of SA out of ammoniacial
solution
2. Precipitation out of Nitric acid solution
The apparatus
and procedures used as exactly the same as outlined above, except ammonia or
Nitric Acid are used instead of distilled water on the small flask.
For
1:
Silver nitrate is solubilized in water and so much Ammonia
(-Solution.) is added until the brownish Silver oxide-precipitate disappears and
goes into solution. Then Acetylene is bubbled into this solution. One can first
see a yellow, then brown, and finally a grey-white precipitate. 5.0 g Silver
nitrate yields exactly 3.498 g between 3.521 g SA - according to the formula is
of a secondary silver carbide(Ag2C2).
For 2):
Silver nitrate is in
solubilized in water, Nitric acid being added. It appears just like with the
neutral SA a white, flaky precipitate that also is light-sensitive. Presumed
Formula: Ag2C2*AgNO3 or Ag3C2NO3. It is not light sensitive, unlike the
acetylide formed by the method outlined above.
The precipitation of SA in
neutral and nitric acid solution goes faster and cleaner than in ammonicial
solution.

Explosive Properties for the ammonia-precipitated silver
acetylide are as follows:
Deflagration with release of soot (C) , dull
explosion(report). More shock-sensitive than Mercury fulminate.  Detonation
velocity: 1880 m/s, Trauzl test: 132 cm³. Shock-sensitivity: 0,5 kg 15 cm.
Explosion. Temp.: 177° C

For the nitric acid precipitated Ag2C2 the
properties are the same as the water precipitated acetylide (properties above.)
C.
Decompositon Reaction.: Ag2C2*AgNO3 --> 3 Ag + CO2 + CO + 0,5 N2 + 185
cal.

References:
* Stettbacher/Escales,
Initialexplosivstoffe
* Federoff, Encyclopedia of Explosives Vol.1
*
Kast
* Taylor/Rinkenbach"

Acetylide explosives are unique in that unlike almost every
other explosive known their detonation results in the formation of absolutely no
gases (Ag2C2(s) => Ag2(s) + C(s)). The heat liberated is not sufficient to
gasify the products and the explosive effect is entirely due to the rapidity of
liberation of heat and its expansive effect on the adjacent air (this is akin to
what occurs in an atomic bomb, where all the energy output is radiative and the
blast results from the expansion of the surrounding air as it absorbs the energy
and heats up).
Silver Acetylide is very sensitive to shock, friction
and heat, exploding violently when ground hard between two solid surfaces or
when struck by a solid blow between two hard surfaces. Upon burning, even single
crystals detonate with a very loud report and substantial shock. Surfaces around
the explosive are stained by metallic silver. The picture to the right shows one
gram of the low power Ammonia precipitated Silver Acetylide detonating over a
10cm diameter glass dish. Despite the lower velocity of detonation and gas
displacement, the shock was still enough to crush the dish. Click on the picture
to watch a short (208k) video of the detonation.
Other
videos:
Acetylide Heat
test (206k): Two small amounts of silver acetylide are dropped on a hot
plate first set to 200C, than to 250C. The first one is a very small amount and
detonates in steps. The second amount is larger and detonates instantly. The
sound on the video is poor because it overwhelms the microphone.

Copper
Carbide:

Similar in properties to Silver
Acetylide, except that like Calcium Carbide it is easily decomposed in water.
The synthesis has to be performed very rapidly and the product must be washed
thoroughly in anhydrous ethanol and vacuum desiccated if any reasonable yield is
to be had. This particularly procedure employed a solution of Copper Chloride in
dilute ammonia. The result is a rust colored powder which detonates with a
bright orange (due to carbon) fireball. The detonation is more energetic than
for the Acetylide (47% TNT, as compared to 33% TNT for Ag2C2), but less violent
when unconfined.
Click on the pictures to watch the Copper Carbide detonation video: (696k)

Synthesis adapted by POWERLABS.

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