Mercury(II) fulminate

Mercury(II) fulminate
Mercury(II) fulminate

Identifiers CAS number PubChem ChemSpider ChEBI Jmol-3D images 628-86-4

[1]

11022444 9197626

[2] [4]

[3]

CHEBI:39152 Image 1 Properties

[5]

Molecular formula Molar mass Appearance Density Melting point Boiling point Solubility in water Solubility

C N O Hg
2 2 2

284.624 g/mol Grey, Pale Brown, or White Crystalline solid 4.42 g/cm3 160C 356.6C slightly soluble soluble in ethanol, ammonia Explosive data

Shock sensitivity Friction sensitivity

High High

Mercury(II) fulminate

2
4250 m/s Hazards

Explosive velocity

Main hazards Autoignition temperature

(verify) [6]

Highly Toxic, Shock Sensitive Explosive 170 C

(what is: / ?) Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25C, 100kPa)

Infobox references

Mercury(II) fulminate, or Hg(CNO)2, is a primary explosive. It is highly sensitive to friction and shock and is mainly used as a trigger for other explosives in percussion caps and blasting caps. Mercury(II) cyanate, though its formula is identical, has a different atomic arrangement; the cyanate and fulminate anions are isomers. First used as a priming composition in small copper caps after the 1830s, mercury fulminate quickly replaced flints as a means to ignite black powder charges in muzzle loading firearms. Later, during the late 19th century and most of the 20th century, mercury fulminate or potassium chlorate became widely used in primers for self-contained rifle and pistol ammunition. Mercury fulminate has the distinct advantage over potassium chlorate of being non-corrosive, but it is known to weaken with time. Today, mercury fulminate has been replaced in primers by more efficient chemical substances. Those are non-corrosive, less toxic and more stable over time: lead azide, lead styphnate and tetrazene derivatives. In addition, none of these compounds replacing Hg(II) fulminate requires mercury for manufacture, supplies of which can be unreliable in wartime.

Preparation
Mercury(II) fulminate is prepared by dissolving mercury in nitric acid and adding ethanol to the solution. It was first prepared by Edward Charles Howard in 1800.[7] The crystal structure of this compound was only determined in 2007.[8] Silver fulminate can be prepared in a similar way, but this salt is even more unstable than mercury fulminate; it can even explode under water and is impossible to accumulate in large amounts because it detonates under its own weight.

In popular culture
On AMC's Breaking Bad, Walter White throws a piece of fulminated mercury to the ground to cause an explosion at Tuco Salamanca's hangout. The effect demonstrated in the scene, while theoretically plausible, is generally considered to have been exaggerated for dramatic effect. [9] In Law & Order's Season 7, Episode 6 "Double Blind" the killer uses bullets tipped with fulminated mercury to kill a former school janitor. In Burn Notice's Season 4, Episode 13 "Eyes Open" Michael Westen uses decoy Mercury Fulminate in order to distract a bomb man while Sam Axe searches his house. In the movie Mister Roberts, Jack Lemmon's character Ensign Pulver uses "fulminate of mercury" to create a very large "firecracker." In the eighth episode of the anime Code Geass, the Japanese Liberation Front uses a Mercury (II) Fulminate cannon as an anti-Knightmare long range weapon.

Mercury(II) fulminate

References
[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] http:/ / www. commonchemistry. org/ ChemicalDetail. aspx?ref=628-86-4 http:/ / pubchem. ncbi. nlm. nih. gov/ summary/ summary. cgi?cid=11022444 http:/ / www. chemspider. com/ 9197626 https:/ / www. ebi. ac. uk/ chebi/ searchId. do?chebiId=39152 http:/ / chemapps. stolaf. edu/ jmol/ jmol. php?model=%5BO-%5D%5BN%2B%5D%23C%5BHg%5DC%23%5BN%2B%5D%5BO-%5D http:/ / en. wikipedia. org/ wiki/ Special%3Acomparepages?rev1=477000105& page2=%3AMercury%28II%29+ fulminate Edward Howard (1800). "On a New Fulminating Mercury". Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London 90 (1): 204238. doi:10.1098/rstl.1800.0012. [8] W. Beck, J. Evers, M. Gbel, G. Oehlinger and T. M. Klaptke (2007). "The Crystal and Molecular Structure of Mercury Fulminate (Knallquecksilber)". Zeitschrift fr anorganische und allgemeine Chemie 633 (9): 14171422. doi:10.1002/zaac.200700176. [9] http:/ / chemistry. about. com/ b/ 2008/ 03/ 05/ mercury-fulminate-breaking-bad. htm

External links
National Pollutant Inventory - Mercury and compounds Fact Sheet (http://www.npi.gov.au/database/ substance-info/profiles/53.html) "300 years after discovery, structure of mercury fulminate finally determined" (http://www.physorg.com/ news107176552.html). physorg.com. 24 August 2007.

Article Sources and Contributors

Article Sources and Contributors

Mercury(II) fulminate Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=535249074 Contributors: Adamrush, Amorim Parga, Anon lynx, Aussie Alchemist, Beetstra, BenM, Benjah-bmm27, Blmpxcvd, Brane.Blokar, Bryan Derksen, Bucketsofg, Buyerstand, Byrdd, Calvero JP, Captain Infinity, Centrx, Chem-awb, Dan653, Danny955, Dbernat32, Dewey Finn, DocWatson42, Eye.earth, Frank-Wilcox, GCarty, GeeJo, Gentgeen, Georgewilliamherbert, Gruzd, Hamfist, Heron, Huppybanny, Jackjayatherton, Jegardol, JeremyA, Jmath666, Jni, Jtvisona, Kelley258, Ketiltrout, Knutux, Krispos42, LWF, Looxix, LorenzoB, Manawings, Materialscientist, Mdeby, Mdewman6, MiPe, Mikael V, Mikespedia, Munita Prasad, NawlinWiki, Nicolaiplum, Night Gyr, Nirmos, Oktanyum, OlEnglish, OllieW72, Oromagi, Oydman, Pegasus1138, Phe, Physchim62, Rcvaughan, Richard Arthur Norton (1958- ), Rifleman 82, Rjwilmsi, Rmrf1024, Romanm, Shadowjams, Slashme, Socksysquirrel, Spectre9, Stone, Stybn, The High Fin Sperm Whale, Thricecube, Toddst1, Turbo852, Vanderdecken, Vegaswikian, Whoop whoop pull up, Wikibob, Woohookitty, Wtmitchell, Z10x, 122 anonymous edits

Image Sources, Licenses and Contributors

Image:Mercury fulminate.svg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Mercury_fulminate.svg License: Public Domain Contributors: Mercury-fulminate.png: Ben Mills derivative work: -Zeus- (talk) Image:Mercury-fulminate-3D-vdW.png Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Mercury-fulminate-3D-vdW.png License: Public Domain Contributors: Ben Mills Image:Mercury-fulminate-xtal-3D-vdW.png Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Mercury-fulminate-xtal-3D-vdW.png License: Public Domain Contributors: Ben Mills Image:Mercuryfulminate puryfied.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Mercuryfulminate_puryfied.jpg License: GNU Free Documentation License Contributors: Original uploader was Paramilitary at de.wikipedia (Original text : Tobias Maximilian Mittrach) File:X mark.svg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:X_mark.svg License: Public Domain Contributors: User:Gmaxwell File:Yes check.svg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Yes_check.svg License: Public Domain Contributors: Anomie

License
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported //creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/