***^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^*** *** C.I.A. FIELD EXPEDIENT *** *** METHODS FOR *** *** EXPLOSIVES PREPARATIONS *** *** SECTION I *** ***^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^*** Converted to text file by The Cheshire Cat PREPARATION OF LEAD PICRATE Lead Picrate is used as a primary explosive in the fabrication of detonators. It is to be used with a booster explosive such as picric acid or RDX. MATERIALS REQUIRED (For 1 detonator): - Litharge (lead monoxide) (field prepared; also is used in plumbing and ceramic cements) - Picric Acid (field prepared) - Wood alcohol (methanol) (some antifreezes and paint removers) - Wooden or plastic rod - Dish or saucer (china or glass) - Teaspoon - Improvised scale PROCEDURE: 1. Weigh out 2 grams (or equal amounts) by weight of picric acid and lead monoxide. 2. Add the picric acid to 2 teaspoons (10 ml) of methanol in a container (dish or saucer) and stir. 3. Add lead monoxide and stir. 4. Continue stirring and allow the alcohol to evaporate. NOTE: The mixture will suddenly thicken. 5. Carefully break up this mixture and stir occassionally until a powder is formed (a few lumps will remain). 6. Remove and spread out to air dry. NOTE: if possible, dry at 100 degrees C (212 F) for two hours. * * * PREPARATION OF PICRIC ACID FROM ASPIRIN Picric acid can be used as a booster explosive in detonators or as an intermediate to preparing lead picrate or DDNP. MATERIAL REQUIRED: - Aspirin, 20 tablets (5 grain/tablet) - Alcohol, 95% pure - Concentrated sulfuric acid (boil battery acid until white fumes appear) - Potassium nitrate (saltpeter) - Water - Canning jar (1 pint) - Hot water bath - Paper towels (for filter) - Glass tube or rod - Glass containers - Dish (ceramic or glass) - Heat source - Cup - Teaspoon PROCEDURE: 1. Crush 20 tablets of aspirin in a glass container and work into a paste with a teaspoon of water. 2. Add approximately 1/3 - 1/2 cup (100 ml) of alcohol with stirring and filter through a paper towel into another glass container. If aspirin is pure enough (usually cheap priced aspirin are) then Steps 1, 2 and 3 can be omitted and can proceed and add crushed aspirin to Sulfuric Acid. 3. Discard the solid left on the paper and pour the liquid from the container into the dish. Evaporate the alcohol and water on a hot water bath, leaving a white powder. 4. Add this white powder to 1/3 cup (80 ml) of concentrated sulfuric acid in a canning jar. 5. Heat the jar in a simmering hot water bath for 15 minutes and remove. Stir; solution will gradually turn black. 6. Add 3 level teaspoons (15 gm) of potassium nitrate in three portions with vigorous stirring. After heating put jar in cold water and add potassium nitrate. 7. Allow the yellow-orange solution to cool to room temperature with intermittent stirring. Solution is darker than yellow-orange. 8. Pour the solution into 1-1/4 cups (300 ml) of water (cold if possible) and allow to cool. Upon pouring, solution is now yellow-orange. 9. Filter the mixture through a paper towel and wash the light yellow material (picric acid) with 1/8 cup (25 ml) of water through paper towel. Takes considerable time to filter if genuine filter paper is used. 10. Dry at 160-200 degrees F for two hours. The yield is 4.0-4.5 grams. * * * TETRAMMINECOPPER (II) CHLORATE Tetramminecopper (II) chlorate is a primary explosive that can be made from sodium chlorate, copper sulfate, and ammonia. MATERIAL REQUIRED: - Sodium chlorate (obtain as medicine, weed killer, defoliant, or by field method) - Copper sulfate (obtain as insecticide, water purifying agent, or by field method) - Ammonium hydroxide (obtain as household ammonia or smelling salts) - Alcohol, 95% pure - Wax or clay - Water - Narrow mouth bottle (wine or coke) - Wide mouth bottles (mason jars) - Tubing (rubber, copper, steel) - Teaspoon - Improvised scale - Heat source - Paper towel (for filter) - Pan PROCEDURE: 1. Measure 1/3 teaspoon (2.5 gm) of sodium chlorate in a wide mouth bottle, then add 10 teaspoons of alcohol. 2. Add 1 teaspoon (4 gm) of copper sulfate and stir the mixture just under the boiling point for 30 minutes (heat can be supplied by a pan of hot water). The mixture will change color. NOTE: Keep solution away from flame. 3. Keep volume of the solution constant by adding additional alcohol about every 10 minutes. Remove solution and let cool. Filter through folded paper towels into another wide mouth bottle. Keep the liquid. 4. Add 1 cup (250 ml) of ammonia to the narrow mouth bottle. Placing tubing that it extends about 1-1/2 inches inside bottle, then seal tubing to bottle with wax (pitch, clay, etc.). 5. Place tubing into solution from step (3) such that the end of the tubing is projected about 3/4 of the way into the solution. If the narrow mouth bottle is not taller than the wide mouth bottle, then elevate the narrow mouth bottle so than the tubing falls into the flask. .... . .. . .. . .. Tubing III .. I.I .. I.I .. I . I .. I I .. I I .. I///////I .. Ammonia I///////I I .. I I///////I I**..**I Solution I///////I I**..**I IIIIIIIII I******I Heat IIIIIIII 6. Bubble ammonia gas through solution until color of the solution changes from a light green to a dark blue (approximately 10 minutes) and continue bubbling for another ten minutes. CAUTION: At this point the solution is a primary explosive. Keep away from flame! 7. Reduce the volume of the solution to about 1/3 of its original volume by evaporating in the air or in a stream of air. 8. Filter crystals through a folded paper towel and wash once with 1 teaspoon alcohol, dry overnight (16 hours). CAUTION: Explosive is shock and flame sensitive. Store in a capped container. * * * POTASSIUM (OR SODIUM) NITRATE AND LITHARGE (LEAD MONOXIDE) Either of the nitrates are needed to prepare DDNP and litharge is required for the preparation of lead picrate. MATERIAL REQUIRED: - Lead metal (small pieces or chips) - Potassium (or sodium) nitrate - Wood (methyl) alcohol - Iron pipe with closed end or cap (one end only) - Iron rod (screwdriver) - Paper towels - Glass jars, wide mouth (2 each) - Pan (metal) - Heat source (such as hot coals or blow torch) - Improvised scale - Cup PROCEDURE: 1. Mix 12 grams of lead and 4 grams of potassium (or sodium) nitrate. Place the mixture in the iron container (iron pipe) and heat in a hot bed of coals or by a blow torch for hour or more. 2. Remove the container and allow to cool. Chip out the yellow solid with the screwdriver and add to 1/2 cup (120 ml) of methyl alcohol in the jar. Orange-Brown solid, cream color in alcohol. 3. Heat the mixture in a pan of hot water until it reacts. Solution turns darker upon heating. 4. Filter the mixtrue through a paper towel into the second jar. 5. The solid left on the paper is lead monoxide. Wash it through paper twice, using 1/2 cup (120 ml) hot water each time and air dry before using in explosive preparation (for example, lead picrate). 6. Place the jar with the liquid in the hot water and heat until alcohol has evaporated. The remaining powder is the nitrite, snowy liquid; some white powder appears but not much. NOTE: Sodium nitrite has a strong tendency to absorb water from the atmosphere and should be stored in a closed container. * * * PREPARATION OF COPPER SULFATE (PENTAHYDRATE) Copper sulfate is a required material for the preparation of TAC. MATERIAL REQUIRED: - Copper wire or pieces - Sulfuric acid (battery) - Potassium nitrate or nitric acid (field grades) - Alcohol - Water - Two heat resistant glasses or jars, one pint - Paper towels - Metal pan (for hot water bath) - Wooden rod - Improvised scale - Cup PROCEDURE: 1. Place 10 grams of copper into one of the jars and add one cup (240 ml) of sulfuric (battery) acid. To this mixture add 12 grams of potassium nitrate, or 1-1/2 teaspoons of nitric acid. NOTE: Nitric acid gives a product of greater purity. 2. Heat the mixture on a hot water bath (near boiling) until the bubbling has ceased (requires about two hours). CAUTION: This reaction evolves strong toxic fumes and therefore must be performed in an open, well ventilated area. 3. Pour the hot blue liquid into a second vessel (keeping the unreacted copper in the first jar) and allow to cool at room temperature. 4. After the crystals have formed, carefully pour away the liquid and break up the crystals. Then add 1/2 cup (120 ml) of alcohol to the powder and stir. 5. Pour the solution through the towel filter and wash the solid left on the paper three times, using 1/2 cup (120 ml) portions of the alcohol each time. 6. Allow the product to air dry for two hours. * * * Brought to you by... The Cheshire Cat Call The Works BBS - 1600+ Textfiles! - [914]/238-8195 - 300/1200 - Always Open