Ammonium Nitrate:
A leasing agreement was signed between Bharat Coal Gasification and Chemicals Limited (BCGCL) and Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) for the upcoming Coal to Ammonium Nitrate Project at Lakhanpur, Odisha.
- Ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3) is a crystal-like white solid which is made in large industrial quantities.
- It is a salt of ammonia and nitric acid.
- Properties of Ammonium Nitrate:
- It has a melting point of 170°C.
- It is highly soluble in water; heating of the water solution decomposes the salt to nitrous oxide (laughing gas).
- It is commonly used in agriculture as a high-nitrogen fertilizer, and it has also been used as an oxidizing agent in explosives.
- It is one of the base ingredients used in the manufacture of commercial explosives.
- It is the main component of slurry explosives used for mining.
- Legal Controls on Ammonium Nitrate in India
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- Under rules introduced in 2012 and updated in 2021, any mixture containing over 45% ammonium nitrate is legally classified as an explosive.
- A District Magistrate may permit possession of up to 30 metric tonnes, while larger quantities need approval from the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO).
- PESO issues licences for the manufacture, storage, transport, and use of large quantities of ammonium nitrate.
