| Mercury(II) fulminate | |
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| Identifiers | |
| CAS number | 628-86-4 |
| PubChem | 12359 |
| Properties | |
| Molecular formula | Hg(CNO)2 |
| Molar mass | 284.624 g/mol |
| Appearance | Grey Crystalline solid |
| Density | 4.43 g/cm3 |
| Solubility in water | slightly soluble |
| Solubility | soluble in ethanol, ammonia |
| Explosive data | |
| Shock sensitivity | High |
| Friction sensitivity | High |
| Explosive velocity | 4250 m/s |
| Hazards | |
| Autoignition temperature |
180 °C |
| Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C, 100 kPa) | |
| Infobox references | |
Mercury(II) fulminate, Hg(CNO)2, is a primary explosive. It is highly sensitive to friction and shock. It 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 and/or potassium chlorate became widely used in primers for rifle and pistol ammunition. Mercury fulminate has the distinct advantage over potassium chlorate, 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 the compounds which replace Hg(II) fulminate require mercury for their manufacture, supplies of which can be unreliable in wartime.
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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.[1] The crystal structure of this compound was only determined in 2007.[2]
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.
In Popular Culture
Mercury fulminate was featured in an episode of the television series Breaking Bad. In the second season episode 'Crazy Handful of Nothin, the character Walter White uses fulminated mercury as a weapon in a confrontation with a murderous drug dealer.
References
- ^ Edward Howard (1800). "On a New Fulminating Mercury". Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London 90 (1): 204–238. doi:.
- ^ W. Beck, J. Evers, M. Göbel, G. Oehlinger and T. M. Klapötke (2007). "The Crystal and Molecular Structure of Mercury Fulminate (Knallquecksilber)". Zeitschrift für anorganische und allgemeine Chemie 633 (9): 1417–1422. doi:.
External links
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