Appendix S

Some Common Shock Sensitive and Explosive Chemicals

Shock sensitive refers to the susceptibility of a chemical to rapidly decompose or explode when struck, vibrated or otherwise agitated. Explosive chemicals are those chemicals which have a higher propensity to explode under a given set of circumstances than other chemicals (extreme heat, pressure, mixture with an incompatible chemical, etc.). The label and SDS will indicate if a chemical is shock sensitive or explosive. The chemicals listed below may be shock sensitive or explode under a given number of circumstances. This list is not all-inclusive.

Shock Sensitive and Explosive Chemicals:
2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (dry) acetylene fulminate of mercury nitroguanidine calcium nitrate guanyltetrazene picratol
acetylides of heavy metal fulminate of silver nitroparaffins chlorate picryl sulphonic acid compounds with functional copper acetylide hydrazine
amatex cyanuric triazide nitrated carbohydrate silver acetylide
amatol ethyl-tetryl organic nitramines cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine nitrated glucoside silver azide
ammonal fulminating gold ozonides di- and tri-nitro compounds, nitrocellulose tetranitromethane
ammonium nitrate fulminating mercury pentolite dinitrophenol nitrogen triiodide
ammonium perchlorate fulminating platinum perchlorates of heavy metals dinitrophenyl hydrazine nitrogen trichloride
ammonium picrate fulminating silver peroxide forming compounds dinitrotoluene nitroglycerin
azides of heavy metals gelatinized nitrocellulose picramic acid erythritol tetranitrate nitroglycol
baratol guanyl picramide ether
benzoyl peroxide(dry) guanyl nitrsamino picric acid(dry) ethylene oxide nitrourea
groups diazo, nitroso, haloamine ednatol nitroglycide

Mixtures:
Germanium tetracene
Hexanitrodiphenyamine tetrytol
Hexanitrostilbene trimethylolethane
hexogen trimonite
hydrazoic acid trinitroanisole
lead azide trinitrobenzene
lead mononitroresorcinate trinitrobenzoic acid
lead styphnate trinitrocresol
mannitol hexanitrate trinitroresorcinol
sodium picramate tritonal
tetranitrocarbazole urea nitrate
References: Safety data sheets, various chemical companies.