Explosives
- Ammonium nitrate is used as an oxidizing agent in explosives.
- When ammonium nitrate is mixed with fuel oil an extreme exothermic reaction takes place. This mixture (ANFO) has become popular in bomb making.
Oklahoma City Bombing
- In 1993 a fiery stand off between the FBI and the Branch Davidian Cult in Waco, Texas resulted in the death of 75 followers of the cult, including many children.
- When the FBI tried to gas the complex in order to end the stand off, the complex caught on fire.
- Many people blamed the U.S. government and wanted retribution for the tragedy. One of these person was Timothy McVeigh.
- McVeigh believed that agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) were mostly responsible for the horrible occurrence in Waco. The ATF had a Bureau branch located in the federal building in Oklahoma City, as did several other government agencies. There was also a childcare nursery located in the building for children of the employees.
- In 1994 McVeigh and his partners purchased 5,000 pounds of ammonium nitrate fertilizer to illegally create a bomb constructed in a rented van.
- On April 19, 1995 McVeigh parked the van filled with ammonium nitrate, and the other necessary materials to make a bomb, in front of the building where the AFT offices were located. The bomb was detonated at 9:02 am.
- 168 innocent people were killed in the bombing, including 19 children.
Improvised Explosive Devices (IED)
- An IED is any type of homemade device that is designed to cause death or injury through explosives alone or in combination with toxic chemicals, biological toxins, or radiological material.
- IEDs have wounded approximately 3,200 American soldiers in 2011 alone. It is reported that the Taliban uses about 480,000 pounds of ammonium nitrate a year to make bombs.
- Ammonium nitrate fertilizer is cheaper and more readily available than other explosive materials making it the weapon of choice for many Middle East insurgents.
- In March 2010 the Afghan government banned ammonium nitrate fertilizer so the insurgents have begun to smuggle it into the country.
Construction Projects
- Some construction companies now prefer ammonium nitrate explosives over dynamite.
- It is far more stable than traditional explosives.
- Ammonium nitrate won't ignite without a fuel (a hydrogen and carbon compound).
- It also won't detonate without a detonation point.