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Author	Topic: paraformaldahyde
sharky Frequent Poster	posted September 29, 1999 08:02 PM What is the difference between para and just plain formaldahyde? Also, where can you get para? thanks
nbk2000 Moderator	posted September 30, 1999 02:22 AM Paraformaldehyde is just formaldehyde without the water. Add paraformaldehyde to water and you get formaldehyde. ------------------ "The knowledge that they fear is a weapon to be used against them." www.50megs.com/nbk2000
megalomania Administrator	posted September 30, 1999 02:24 AM Paraformaldehyde is the polymerized version of formaldehyde. If you let formaldehyde sit around for a long time, it will eventually become paraformaldehyde. Paraformaldehyde is more stable, but is easily broken back to formaldehyde by a little heat. The reason you get paraformaldehyde in stores is the stability factor, it is just earier to sell then fighting with formaldehyde to keep it from polymerizing. ------------------ Visit Megalomania's Explosives and Stuff at http://surf.to/megalomania
*Igenx* Frequent Poster	posted October 02, 1999 07:32 PM Anyone know of a type of store that sells this? I don't think that a taxaderrmy shop woiuld be a good place to get this stuff. I seem to remember that is is used in camper toilets- any brand names or stores that sell this stuff?
Ho ju Moderator	posted October 02, 1999 11:13 PM are there any uses for formaldahyde besides preservation? ------------------ Knowledge is power, power leads to corruption, corruption is a crime, crime doesn't pay. So if you know to much you will go broke!!
AlShoot Frequent Poster	posted October 03, 1999 03:59 AM Formaldehyde is used as an antiseptic and enter in the composition of many products in parapharmacy (beta-cyclon......)
Ho ju Moderator	posted October 03, 1999 09:39 PM so there is not practicle use for it bomb making wise? ------------------ Knowledge is power, power leads to corruption, corruption is a crime, crime doesn't pay. So if you know to much you will go broke!!
dlwdaw Frequent Poster	posted October 03, 1999 10:26 PM if you mix formaldehyde with ammonia then evaporate it you supposedly get hexamine. ------------------ -dlwdaw "... always look on the positive side of things, blow things up not down" -- Ragnar Benson
nbk2000 Moderator	posted October 04, 1999 12:22 AM Paraformaldehyde is used to make RDX, in combination with ammonium nitrate and acetic anhydride. I'll post the process here later tonight. It's taken from "Kitchen Improvised Plastic Explosives Volume 2". ------------------ "The knowledge that they fear is a weapon to be used against them." www.50megs.com/nbk2000
nbk2000 Moderator	posted October 04, 1999 06:20 AM This process was developed by the Germans initially prior to WWII. It is still in use today for the manufacture of Type B R.D.X. Military specifications for C4 call for type B R.D.X. This is due to the higher performance of this grade. 10% of the final product is H.M.X. It has much more power than the R.D.X. component in the final product of the "E" process. The basis for this process is the ease of manufacture of the R.D.X.. Acetic anhydride, ammonium nitrate and paraformaldehyde. Acetic anhydride is a very common industrial chemical and at the time of this writing can be purchased for $220.00 per 398 lbs. Ammonium nitrate is available as a common fertilizer. It's cost is approximately $7.00 for 50 lbs. in it's fertilizer form. Parafomaldehyde is available as another common industrial chemical. It is also possible to evaporate the 37% aqueous formaldehyde solution to dryness to obtain paraformaldehyde. Paraformaldehyde costs at the time of writing around sixty cents per pound. Thus it is feasible to make home C4 for under four dollars per pound. This process is very simple and requires a minimum of equipment. This is also a very safe process if the instructions are followed and the fumes produced by the reaction mixture avoided. PROCESS: Place 260 ml acetic anhydride in a one gallon jar. To this add 105 grams of ammonium nitrate in the acetic anhydride. This is placed in a pan partially filled with cooking oil. This is heated to 70-90 degrees C. After reaching this temperature begin an addition of 38 grams of paraformaldehyde. This addition is done in four 9.5 gram portions. CAUTION: This addition will produce fumes that are hazardous and flammable. This should be done with very good ventilation. Paraformaldehyde is a cancer causing agent. A mask and gloves should be worn while handling it. Acetic anhydride and it's vapors are hazardous and all contact should be avoided. It is caustic and very flammable. Allow the reaction to subside before the next addition. After all the additions have been made, take the reaction vessel out of the oil bath and allow it to cool. The crystals of type "B" cyclonite will form. These crystals are filtered out of the liquid. Filtering is best done in a vacuum (e.g. Buchner) filtering apparatus. CAUTION: The liquid remaining is glacial acetic acid. Avoid contact and the fumes. This liquid can then be changed back into acetic anhydride in the process in that section. There is still product dissolved in the glacial acetic acid. If the liquid is to be turned back into acetic anhydride these crystals will fall out in the liquid after the acetic anhydride is formed and could be filtered out after the chemical recovery. If this recovery step is not desired then dilute the remaining reaction liquid from above after removal from the oil bath and it's subsequent cooling. All the crystals will fall out and can be recovered then by filtering. In either case the product should be washed twice with water, twice with boiling water. The product is then dissolved in the least amount of hot acetone possible. Acetone is a common solvent and can be found at any hardware store or paint store. This saturated solution is then cooled and chilled and the final product will fall out as crystals. The resulting fine white to buff colored powder is type "B" cyclonite and is ready to use in plastique explosive manufacture or other suitable uses. ------------------ "The knowledge that they fear is a weapon to be used against them." www.50megs.com/nbk2000

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