Ammonium nitrate itself is not deadly, but makes it deadly? AN itself do not blow, but due to some reasons it might be! US has ranked no.1 in fertilizers Disaster's list due to Ammonium nitrate. Recent Disaster happened on Aug 4,2020 involved chemicals leakage at Port of Beirut, Lebanon. Approximately 36 Explosions have been occurred till this time due to chemical leakage.

1. 1
DEADILY HISTORY OF AMMONIUM NITRATE
BY SAKSHI THAKUR

2. OUTLINE OF PRESENTATION
 Introduction
 Uses/Application
 How Safe?
 Observable Danger
 Risk and Hazards of Ammonium Nitrate
 Recommendation
2

3. INTRODUCTION
Ammonium nitrate is a chemical
inorganic compound with the
chemical formula NH4NO3.
3

4. PREPARATION
It is manufactured by a chemical reaction of Ammonia and concentrated nitric acid under
controlled environment. It is manufactured and marketed in both solid and liquid form.
4

5. APPEARANCE
It is a white colorless crystalline solid
consisting of ions of Ammonium and
nitrate.
5

6. PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
Appearance: Colorless Crystal
Odour: Odourless
Solubility: Easily Soluble
Decomposition: Stable under ordinary condition of use and storage but emit nitrous oxide
when heated to decomposition.
General: Hygroscopic in nature
6

7. SPECIFICATION
It is highly soluble in water
and hygroscopic as a solid, although
it does not form hydrates. It is
predominantly used in agriculture as
a high-nitrogen fertilizer. Global
production was estimated at 21.6
million tones in 2017.
7

8. USAGE OR APPLICATIONS
Usage:
 Used as a key ingredient in the
Explosives for Mines, Quarries, Blasting
and Infrastructure.
 Used in production of nitrous gases for
Anesthesia Purpose in hospitals.
 Dyes and Chemicals
 Metal Cladding in the engineering
Industry
 Fertilizer companies used it as an interim
product to manufacturer complex
fertilizers.
Uses: Other industries
 Used in instant cold packs
 Used in the treatment of some titanium ores
 Used in preparation of nitrous oxides
 Used in survival kits mixed with zinc dust and
ammonium chloride
 Used for making rocket propellant and in making
Guanidine nitrate
 Products of Ammonium Nitrate reactions are used in
cars
8

9. WORLD CONSUMPTION OF AN
9

10. AGRICULTURAL USES
Agriculture Segment Accounted for Major Share of the Ammonium Nitrate Market
• In the agricultural industry, fertilizers are used to enrich the growth of plants. They contain
essential nutrients for plants, which provide healthy growth and keep them disease free.
There are various types of fertilizers that are available in soluble, dry crystalline, and time-
release forms. Ammonium nitrate is one such fertilizer that is used for providing adequate
levels of nitrogen to plants.
• It is a high-nitrogen fertilizer and is used as an oxidizing agent. Ammonium nitrate
(NH4NO3) is made by combining ammonia with nitric acid.
10

11. CONTINUING…
 Upon the application of ammonium nitrate fertilizer, it dissociates into ammonium (NH4
+)
and nitrate (NO3
-). This dissociated nitrogen present in the soil can be directly consumed
by the plants. The instant availability of nitrate ions makes ammonium nitrate superior
over other fertilizers.
11

12. CONTINUING…
 Plants preferred NO3
- in the drier environments and NH4
+ in the wetter environments
(moist).
 NO3
- is the main form of nitrogen taken up by upland crops while NH4
+ is prevalent form
taken up by plant growth under submerged conditions.
 Hence, with the rapidly growing agricultural activities across the world, the demand for
ammonium nitrate is expected to rapidly increase over the forecast period.
12

13. AMMONIUM NITRATE MARKET
13

14. AN-SAFE IN USE
Does not Blow on its own:
Not used singularly for any explosive activity- As it Requires a primary charge and a
detonator which are controlled and regulated by the Explosive rules.
 Its Physical Hazards on human beings and the environment is minimal.
 The number of accidents in explosives/ blasting have come down drastically after the
stoppage of Nitro-glycerine (i.e. gelatines).
Ammonium Nitrate is not an explosive. It is an Oxidizer.
14

15. OBSERVABLE DANGER
 Naxals and terrorists used in anti-national activities – therefore require stringent
regulations.
 Due to loose import bulky supply – a rampage pilferage
 The entire operation is non standard without any accounting norm- vulnerable to pilferage.
 Serious risk perception and considering the location of port and the nearby areas having
presence of extremist and Naxals.
 Higher risk as large quantity of the material is available at any given point of time and the
port area having sensitive habitation in terms of men and machinery.
15

16. REASON OF AMMONIUM NITRATE AS A LETHAL CHEMICAL
COMPOUND
Ammonium Nitrate is not an explosive by itself. However, it is one of the ingredients used for
manufacture of explosives. It is classified as an oxidizer as per UN classification for
Dangerous Goods.
Other ingredients like fuel, etc., have to be added to make it an explosive. For such explosive
mixtures to explode, initiators like detonators(a blasting cap: is a device used to trigger an
explosive device) are required.
16

17. REASON OF AMMONIUM NITRATE AS A LETHAL CHEMICAL
COMPOUND
Ammonium nitrate has a potentially lethal downside: The compound is considered an
oxidizer, meaning at an atomic level, it removes electrons from other substances in a
chemical reaction. What that means in a more practical sense is that it increases the burning
of fuels by increasing the oxygen that's available to those fuels. To start the reaction,
ammonium nitrate must come into contact with an open flame or other ignition source.
17

18. CONTINUING…
Also when heated, ammonium nitrate decomposes non-explosively
into gases of oxygen, nitrogen, and water vapor; however, it can be induced to decompose
explosively by detonation into nitrous oxide and water vapor.
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(US) disaster of 1947 which led to major
changes in the regulations for storage and handling.
18

19. LIST OF DISASTERS CAUSED BY AMMONIUM NITRATE
Till this time approximately 35 explosions have occurred.
1. United states has become No. 1 in the list of Fertilizers Plant explosions caused by
Ammonium nitrate. (Years: 1916(Jan, Sept); 1924,1925 and in 1947 in the month of
April(Texas-City-Disaster); also, an explosion occurred in August 1947;
1959,1960,1988,1994,2009,2013(West Fertilizer Company Explosion).
2. Other countries like UK, Germany, France, Belgium, Canada, Finland, Australia, Guinea,
China, Spain, Romania, North Korea, Mexico are also in Deadliest Explosion List due to
Ammonium Nitrate.
19

20. LIST OF DISASTERS CAUSED BY AMMONIUM
NITRATE
20

21. LIST OF DISASTERS CAUSED BY AMMONIUM
NITRATE
21

22. CONTINUING…
Now here the most trending and A recent 2020 Beirut Explosion happened on August
4,2020 which cause immense damage throughout the entire city from the shock wave that
was reportedly so intense it was felt in Cyprus, an island about 250 km (150 miles) north-
west of Lebanon.
22

23. AMMONIUM NITRATE- THE EXPLOSIVE
LINKED TO THE BEIRUT
BLAST(LEBANON)
23

24. THE BEIRUT EXPLOSION
The devastating explosion at a port in Beirut evening of Aug. 4, that killed more than 100
people and injured at least 4,000. It seems to have stemmed from a storage unit housing, an
enormous amount of ammonium nitrate, according to news reports.
The initial explosion ignited a fire, while the second painted the sky in an apocalyptic
mushroom cloud and sent a shock wave rippling across the city, leveling buildings and
wounding thousands.
24

25. THE BEIRUT EXPLOSION
Ammonium nitrate, which is used in fertilizers and bomb making, is a salt made from
ammonium and nitric acid, and it is highly explosive. The more ammonium nitrate, or NH4-
NO3, the bigger its explosive capacity. And there was a lot, reportedly, being stored at the
port: The Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab said 2,700 metric tons, or more than 2,900
tons, of ammonium nitrate had been being stored at the port since 2014.
25

26. THE BEIRUT EXPLOSION
It was kept at the port because it is frequently used in fertilizers, added to increase a
fertilizer's nitrogen content. It is relatively stable under most conditions and is inexpensive to
manufacture, making the chemical a popular alternative to other more expensive nitrogen
sources.
But ammonium nitrate has a potentially lethal downside: The compound is considered an
oxidizer. In more practical sense, it increases the burning of fuels by increasing the oxygen
that's available to those fuels.
To start the reaction, ammonium nitrate must come into contact with an open flame or other
ignition source.
In the Beirut incident, Experts suggest fireworks were involved.
26

27. THE BEIRUT EXPLOSION
Once a reaction is sparked, ammonium
nitrate explodes violently. The explosive
force occurs when solid ammonium nitrate
decomposes very rapidly into two gases,
nitrous oxide and water vapor.
That explosive force from the Beirut blast
triggered a shock wave that rippled across
the city, causing destruction that some
witnesses are comparing to the nuclear
bomb’s aftermath at Hiroshima.
27

28. BEIRUT BLAST 4TH AUGUST 2020 LEBANON

29. CONTINUING…
A giant orange cloud was seen following the detonation. As of August 13, 2020, there are at
least 6000 confirmed injuries and over 220 confirmed deaths.
According to Beirut's city governor, up to 300,000 people have lost their homes in the deadly
explosion.
29

30. RISK AND HAZARDS OF AMMONIUM NITRATE
 Ammonium nitrate does not burn. However, it will support and increase the rate of
combustion in the presence of flammable or combustible materials even in the absence of
oxygen.
 When heated it will melt, decompose and release toxic gases including nitrogen oxides
(NOx) and ammonia gas (NH3). When heated excessively (e.g. as in a fire) it can cause
an explosion in an enclosed space and closed containers or vessels may rupture violently.
30

31. MANAGING RISK AND HAZARDS OF AMMONIUM NITRATE
After reviewing the safety data sheet and container label:
1. Identify the hazards from ammonium nitrate in the context of how the material is being
stored and handled.
2. Conduct a risk assessment to determine the nature, likelihood and severity of any
incidents that may result in harm to persons, property of the environment (e.g. fire,
explosion or spillage).
3. Decide on and implement appropriate control measures to ensure that the risk to people,
property and the environment is minimized as far as possible. 31

32. THANK YOU
32