Silver fulminate, AgCNO, a powerful, touch-sensitive explosive used in percussion caps, is prepared through the reaction of silver metal with nitric acid in the presence of ethanol.
White crystals of needle shape; explodeson heating; very slightly soluble in water(approximately 750 mg/L) (CRC Handbook1996); soluble in NH4OH.
It is used as a detonator. A potential risk ofits formation may arise when silver metal,silver nitrate or any other silver salt is mixedwith nitric acid and ethanol..
It is one of the most powerful detonating
fulminates. Its detonating power and sensitivity
to heat and impact are greater than for mercury fulminate. The heat of formation,
?Hz is C361.5 kJ (C86.4 kcal)/mol for the
dimer (Collins 1978). Reaction with hydrogen
sulfide at ambient temperature could proceed
to explosive violence (Bretherick 1995).
Although soluble in ammonia, however, at a
pH of >13, it is likely to produce an explosive
precipitate.
