mercury fulminate
Quick Summary
Mercury fulminate, also known as fulminating mercury, is a crystalline chemical compound with the formula Hg(ONC)₂. This substance is highly unstable and will explode violently when dry if subjected to percussion or heat.1
It is typically synthesized by reacting mercury with alcohol and nitric acid. Due to its explosive nature, mercury fulminate is primarily used in blasting caps, percussion caps, and detonators.1
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chemical industryNitric acid[Pb(N3)2], silver azide (AgN3), and mercury fulminate [Hg(ONC)2]. These are not nitrates or nitro compounds, although some other detonators are, but they all contain nitrogen, and nitric acid is involved in their manufacture.
Read More[Pb(N3)2], silver azide (AgN3), and mercury fulminate [Hg(ONC)2]. These are not nitrates or nitro compounds, although some other detonators are, but they all contain nitrogen, and nitric acid is involved in their manufacture.
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explosiveNitroglycerin…settled on a charge of mercury fulminate, which had been known for many years, in a copper capsule. With one or two minor changes, this blasting cap remained in general use until the 1920s.
Read More…settled on a charge of mercury fulminate, which had been known for many years, in a copper capsule. With one or two minor changes, this blasting cap remained in general use until the 1920s.
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