Mercury(II) fulminate




Mercury(II) fulminate

mercury (II) oxidoazaniumylidynemethane
IUPAC name
Chemical formula C)2
Molar mass 284.624 mol
Shock sensitivity High
Friction sensitivity High
Density 4.43 g/cm³
Explosive velocity 4,250 m/s
RE factor  ?
Melting point N/A
Autoignition temperature 150 °C
Appearance Grey crystalline
solid
CAS number 628-86-4
PubChem 12359
SMILES [C-]#[N+][O-].[C-]
#[N+][O-].[Hg+2]

Mercury(II) isomers.

Today mercury fulminate tends to be replaced by other primary explosives which are less toxic and more stable over time: tetrazene derivatives.

Used in percussion caps, this compound quickly replaced flints as a means to ignite a black powder charge in a firearm.

Preparation

It is prepared by dissolving ethanol to the solution. It was first prepared by Edward Charles Howard in 1800.[1]

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.  

References

  • 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:10.1002/zaac.200700176.
  1. ^ Edward Howard (1800). "On a New Fulminating Mercury.". Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London 90 (1): 204-238.
 
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