Ammonium perchlorate ("AP") is an inorganic compound with the formula NH4ClO4. It is a colorless or white solid that is soluble in water. It is a powerful oxidizer and a major component of ammonium perchlorate composite propellant. Its instability has involved it in accidents such as the PEPCON disaster, and has been suspected as the cause of the Port of Shahid Rajaee explosion.
| Names | |
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| IUPAC name Ammonium perchlorate | |
| Other names AP | |
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| ECHA InfoCard | 100.029.305 |
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| UN number | 1442 |
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| Properties | |
| NH4ClO4 | |
| Molar mass | 117.49 g/mol |
| Appearance | White crystalline |
| Density | 1.95 g/cm3 |
| Melting point | Exothermic decomposition before melting at >200 °C |
| 11.56 g/100 mL (0 °C) 20.85 g/100 mL (20 °C) 57.01 g/100 mL (100 °C) | |
| Solubility | Soluble in methanol Partially soluble in acetone, ethanol Insoluble in diethyl ether |
| Structure | |
| Orthorhombic (<240 °C) Cubic (>240 °C) | |
| Thermochemistry | |
Std enthalpy of formation (ΔfH⦵298) | −295.77 kJ/mol |
| Hazards | |
| GHS labelling: | |
Signal word | Danger |
| H201, H271, H319, H373 | |
| P210, P220, P221, P230, P240, P250, P260, P264, P280, P283, P305+P351+P338, P306+P360, P314, P337+P313, P370+P378, P370+P380, P371+P380+P375, P372, P373, P401, P501 | |
| NFPA 704 (fire diamond) | 1 0 2 OX |
| Safety data sheet (SDS) | External MSDS |
| Related compounds | |
Other anions | Ammonium chlorate Ammonium chloride |
Other cations | Potassium perchlorate Sodium perchlorate Lithium perchlorate |
Related compounds | Perchloric acid Ammonium perbromate |
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa). verify (what is ?) Infobox references | |
Production
Ammonium perchlorate (AP) is produced by reaction between ammonia and perchloric acid. This process is the main outlet for the industrial production of perchloric acid. The salt also can be produced by salt metathesis reaction of ammonium salts with sodium perchlorate. This process exploits the relatively low solubility of NH4ClO4, which is about 10% of that for sodium perchlorate.
AP crystallises as colorless rhombohedra.
Decomposition
Like most ammonium salts, ammonium perchlorate decomposes before melting:[citation needed]
- 4 NH4ClO4 → 4 HCl + 2 N2 + 5 O2 + 6 H2O
The combustion of AP is quite complex and is widely studied. AP crystals decompose before melting, even though a thin liquid layer has been observed on crystal surfaces during high-pressure combustion processes. Strong heating may lead to explosions. Complete reactions leave no residue. Pure crystals cannot sustain a flame below the pressure of 2 megapascals (290 psi).[citation needed]
AP is a Class 4 oxidizer (can undergo an explosive reaction) for particle sizes over 15 micrometres and is classified as an explosive for particle sizes less than 15 micrometres.[citation needed]
Applications
During World War I England and France used mixtures featuring ammonium perchlorate (such as "perammons") as a substitute high explosive.[additional citation(s) needed]
The primary use of ammonium perchlorate is in making solid rocket propellants.[citation needed] When AP is mixed with a fuel (like a powdered aluminium and/or with an elastomeric binder), it can generate self-sustained combustion at pressures far below atmospheric pressure. It is an important oxidizer with a decades-long history of use in composite rocket propellants (including the Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster), military, amateur, and hobbyist high-power rockets, as well as in some fireworks.[citation needed]
Toxicity
Perchlorate itself confers little acute toxicity. For example, sodium perchlorate has an LD50 of 2–4g/kg and is eliminated rapidly after ingestion. However, chronic exposure to perchlorates, even in low concentrations, has been shown to cause various thyroid problems, as it is taken up in place of iodine.[citation needed]
Further reading
- Schmidt, Eckart W. (2022). "Perchlorate Oxidizers". Encyclopedia of Oxidizers. De Gruyter. pp. 3383–3880. doi:10.1515/9783110750294-028. ISBN 978-3-11-075029-4.
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