410 DEFINITE NON-CARBURETTED EXPLOSIVE COMPOUNDS. 



5. This salt commences to decompose a little above 100, not 

 without being partly sublimed (p. 243). Towards 200, it 

 separates in a sufficiently definite manner into nitrogen mon- 

 oxide and water, without, however, there being a fixed tempera- 

 ture at which this destruction takes place. 



If the salt be superheated, and especially from 230 upwards, 

 the decomposition grows more and more rapid (nitrum flammans) 

 and ends by becoming explosive at the same time as the salt 

 becomes incandescent (p. 6). 



6. A sudden decomposition yields at the same time as 

 nitrogen monoxide various products corresponding to simul- 

 taneous decompositions, so that ammonium nitrate can undergo 

 eight distinct transformations, several of which are simultaneous 

 in certain explosive decompositions. We proceed to enumerate 

 them, calculating for each of them the heat developed, the 

 permanent pressure, the theoretical temperature and pressure. 



7. (1st) The integral volatilisation absorbs an unknown 

 quantity of heat, and therefore affords no opportunity for 

 calculation. 



8. (2nd) The integral dissociation into acid and base, 



N0 3 HNH 3 (solid) = N0 3 H (gas) -f NH 3 (gas), would absorb - 41 '3 ; 

 The fused salt, - 37'3. 



This makes, for one kgm. of solid salt, 516 Cal. Hence this 

 reaction is not explosive and cannot be produced without foreign 

 energy. 



9. (3rd) The formation of nitrogen and free oxygen 



N0 3 HNH 3 (solid) * N ? + O + 2H 2 0, 

 would, on the contrary, liberate heat, viz. at constant pressure. 



The water being liquid, 4- 50*1 Cal. ; the water being gaseous, 

 4- 307 ; at constant volume these figures become -1- 50*9 and 

 4- 337. There is, therefore, produced, at the temperature t, a 

 gaseous volume equal to 



33*5 litres (1 4- ^IT ), the water being liquid ; 



or 781 litres ( 1 4- 0=5), tne water being gaseous. 

 Or for 1 kgm., 4187 litres (l 4- <Tzr ),the water being liquid; 



> Zfo/ 



or 976 litres (l 4- ^), the water being gaseous. 

 V 2*1 &' 



The theoretical temperature developed at constant volume would 







