What is 'ammonium nitrate' that caused the big explosion in Beirut?
The large-scale explosion that occurred on August 4, 2020 (local time) in Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, is believed to be due to 'ammonium nitrate' stored in the warehouse. What kind of substance is this “ammonium nitrate”? The Conversation of scientific media is collecting information.
What is ammonium nitrate, the chemical that exploded in Beirut?
The explosion in Beirut on August 4th caused enough damage to create a crater in the port . About 2,700 tons of ammonium nitrate has been stored in the warehouse where the explosion occurred from around 2014, and it is believed that this was the cause of the explosion. A movie that captures the state of the explosion and information about the place where the explosion occurred are summarized in the following article.
Explosion accident in the port area of Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, damage occurred 10 km away-GIGAZINE
Lebanon's Prime Minister Hassan Diab said the cause of the explosion in Beirut was about 2700 tons of ammonium nitrate stored in a warehouse. The chemical formula of ammonium nitrate is “NH 4 NO 3 ”. Produced as a porous, granular 'prill', it is also one of the most widely used fertilizers in the world. Ammonium nitrate is also used as the main ingredient in mining explosives when mixed with fuel oil, but ammonium nitrate rarely causes an explosion accident. However, it seems that this very rare case happened in the explosion accident in Beirut this time.
Ammonium nitrate does not burn by itself, but acts as an oxygen source that can accelerate the combustion of other substances. Combustion requires oxygen, but ammonium nitrate can provide much more concentrated oxygen than the surrounding air. Therefore, ammonium nitrate becomes explosive when mixed with petroleum and other fuels, and is used for mining.
However, at sufficiently high temperatures, ammonium nitrate itself can decompose violently. When ammonium nitrate decomposes, gases such as nitrogen oxides and water vapor are generated, but the rapid generation of these gases may cause the explosion itself.
The cause of the explosion that occurred in Beirut is not clear, but it is said that welding work for repairing the outer wall was being carried out at the warehouse, and the sparks and fires generated by this work may have contributed. there is.
From a friend in #beirut pic.twitter.com/XAKSmUOau5
— Alia Malek عليا مالك (@AliaMalek) August 4, 2020
However, it is relatively difficult for a fire to induce an explosion of ammonium nitrate, and 'the fire must be confined in the place where ammonium nitrate is stored' for the explosion to occur.
The Conversation said, ``It was reported that 2700 tonnes of ammonium nitrate had been stored in warehouses without proper safety controls for six years, which was arguably related to what caused this catastrophic explosion. Let's point out.
Furthermore, he pointed out that the explosion of ammonium nitrate produces a large amount of nitrogen oxides such as nitrogen dioxide. A video capturing the orange smoke that can actually enter after the explosion has been released, and The Conversation points out that this orange smoke is nitrogen dioxide.
Strong explosion rocks Beirut | AFP-YouTube
Nitrogen dioxide is a substance found in the polluted air of cities and is a substance that can be irritating to the respiratory system. As a result, the release of large amounts of nitrogen dioxide into the air during this explosion is of particular concern to people with respiratory illness, The Conversation points out. Also, the smoke produced by the explosion poses a health risk to the surrounding residents until it naturally dissipates, and it may take several days to dissipate depending on the weather.
The Conversation says, 'In Australia, we manufacture and import large amounts of ammonium nitrate, primarily for use in the mining industry. Ammonium nitrate is produced by combining ammonia gas with liquid nitric acid. The ammonium nitrate is classified as dangerous in Australia. And all aspects of its use are tightly regulated. For decades, Australia has been manufacturing, storing and using ammonium nitrate without causing serious accidents. Explosions in Beirut are Australian regulations. Is important,” arguing that strict control is necessary for ammonium nitrate.
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