Which Explosive is the Most Illegal? (Explosives Lore)

[@That_Chemist]

Go to TryFum.com/THATCHEMIST or scan the QR code and use code THATCHEMIST to get your free FÜM Base when you order your Journey Pack today!

[@eliasmai6170]

what about insensitive explosives?

[@slowbro8912]

😨erm what the sigm

[@joeylawn36111]

@@eliasmai6170 He did mention them - TNT, RDX, and HMX are among the ones that are insensitive.

[@Piggle_pi-pie]

I would like to warn you that fum might have cancerous or carcinogenetic chemicals or ingredients in their products. They state their products have not been evaluated by the F.D.A or by Health Canada. Also I'm not saying its 100% dangerous but I'm still looking into the ingredients and if they are carcinogenetic or cancer causing.

[@thekaiser4333]

Plutonium

[@darealsherlock8026]

When bro put black powder in F tier, I realized shit was boutta get real

[@meanman6992]

Seeing as it’s an and the only “low explosive” to my knowledge…. Yeah… personally I don’t even consider it an explosive…. It’s got some unique properties… but doesn’t cause an expansion faster than the speed of sound. To me only if a “detonation” exceeds super sonic then…. Ah hell he’s explaining it as I’m typing….

[@darealsherlock8026]

@@meanman6992 lmfao

[@nuip7936]

black powder deflagrates instead of detonating iirc, basically burns really fast

[@FUCKTHEBBC]

I thought it wont be even on the list XD

[@__lasevix_]

It's just spicy coal dust

[@chrisdieguez1950]

Discovering an explosive by accident sounds like one hell of an experience

[@That_Chemist]

Because of lack of experience, it’s all too common in research; if a student is well-supervised it’s a lot less likely to occur, but we essentially look at nitrogen and oxygen balance in a molecule to predict instability

[@seneca983]

Same can probably be said about accidental discoveries of psychedelics.

[@no-lifenoah7861]

@@seneca983 any drug probably

[@Colin-yu7pc]

​@@seneca983idk, it's commonly stated that you shouldn't try to predict the pharmacology of something based on chemical structure as there's too many factors which are unpredictable compared to the laws of chemistry. However, there is AIs which have been getting better at predicting pharmacology of substances.

[@seneca983]

@@Colin-yu7pc I have no idea how easy they're to predict. I've heard of researchers deliberately looking for new psychedelics but I'm sure some have also been discovered purely by accident which is probably, as OP said, "one hell of an experience" (though probably still a lot more pleasant than an accidental discovery of an explosive).

[@jamesleishman8025]

Next you should rank the explosives by flavor

[@chemistryofquestionablequa6252]

Mostly sour or slightly sweet.

[@trenaceandblackmetal5621]

Ya boi gone EAT

[@alexroselle]

Taco Bell in S tier

[@railworksamerica]

💀💀💀

[@ESTrashfire13]

Especially silver nitrate.

[@VAZENchannel]

Dear federal agents. I am watching this video for entertainment purposes. xoxo byeeeeee

[@kevinroberts781]

Be seeing you

[@railworksamerica]

@@vinezerofacts or fed, call it

[@Ignis_1]

​@@vinezero Yeah but using them is totally different, because from a legal perspective it's hard to differentiate someone testing explosives vs manufacturing destructive devices. Which is sad because I love explosives.

[@Ignis_1]

@@vinezero that's talking about explosives not explosive devices

[@kevinroberts781]

@@vinezero absolutely. Just don't make money with it or transport it. Keep it on your property

[@miscellaneousbox848]

Of course PLX turns yellow (the sign of evil chemistry)

[@Flesh_Wizard]

Yellow Chem Bad

[@Petit_Nem]

PICRIC ACID GOES BOOM

[@con5532]

a fellow explosions and fire fan i see

[@awwwshucks443]

​@@con5532 or ire :-)

[@seventeenshaun6424]

Yellow chem very bad 😂

[@DeputatKaktus]

Firefighter here. Yeah, acetylene is a real dick. Once cylinders of the stuff have been heated up beyond a certain point (say, in a fire inside a metal workshop), they *will* go bang unless they are cooled very quickly and for a long time. Acetylene will decompose at about 300 degrees C. This reaction is self sustaining. Even when cooled down already for a while, the cylinders will gradually heat up again by themselves. So constant cooling is super important because those things behave like bombs with a hidden fuze - and you have no way of knowing how much is left on the fuze or how long it has been burning unless you look at it through a thermal imaging camera. Once an acetylene cylinder ruptures, you want to be at least 1000 ft away. So if you are not aware that acetylene cylinders are present in a fire and call it a day when the fire is out, you may be in for quite the surprise shortly after. This is the reason why one of the first questions on scene at any car workshop, metal processing facility or plumbers shop is if there are any gas cylinders inside.

[@That_Chemist]

Honestly, the more I learned about chemistry, the more noble I find firefighters - the amount of potential hazards exceed human imagination, and research labs are by far the least predictable in terms of hazards

[@christopherleubner6633]

Yup it rapidly undergoes polymerization when hot. Also badly oxidized flame arrestor can clog from the polymer forming. 😮

[@SteamShinobi]

EOD tech here, you want to be 1000m away because the metal cylinder. This is, on avg, rule of thumb for anything containing metal during an explosion. The acetylene itself I guess we could calculate hypotheticals only as there's too many factors. But, for safety, 1km is safe for both metal shrapnel (even though rare or unlikely, it has been seen) and any reasonable shockwave save for if it were an entire plant that just made and stored acetylene I suppose. Edit: you said ft, not meters. Whoops. 300m (1000ft) is still a pretty good safety distance

[@MissionSilo]

How do I learn more about the academic knowledge needed for firefighters?

[@ethanwatt-dz3xq]

@@That_ChemistI’d imagine a research lab is (relatively speaking) fairly manageable. There should be a catalogue of what and how much of dangerous materials. Contrasting with something like a meth lab or some machine shops that tend to play fast and loose with rules.

[@user-yw9mw9hv8o]

As one of my Professors said about click chemistry: "You can tell this is an easy and effective reaction, because even biologists can pull it off."

[@paradigm3345]

As a biologist, I am now obligated to respond to this slander by putting antibiotic resistant S. pyogenes in your tap water 😊😊😊

[@EdinoRemerido]

Biology is chemistry, but green ig

[@dr.jonesmurphy5743]

Organic chemistry is crazy. Are you Dr. Frankenstein??

[@TRD6932]

​@@paradigm3345Ha, jokes on you, I don't drink water from the tap.

[@RWBHere]

@@paradigm3345 Ooo! You little beastie! 😱

[@Shade_Tree_Mechanic]

The full story behind Kentucky Ballistics rifle explosion is absolutely brutal.

[@aidanhammer6968]

What morebis there to it other than rifle exploded and he got a bolt shot into his chest? Genuinely curious.

[@p_serdiuk]

The round was incredibly hot loaded or even sabotaged, because the inventor of that rifle said that it was engineered to handle loads that are something like 20% above normal .50 BMG loads as a safety margin, yet that round still sheared the threads right off and sent the cap flying towards Scott. Scott had to use his thumb to press down on the severed carotid artery, inside the wound, against heart pressure, for an hour, while his father drove him to the hospital. Normally with arterial bleeds it takes around 15 seconds to lose consciousness. Then he made a full recovery and immediately continued to shoot very large caliber guns.

[@aidanhammer6968]

@@p_serdiuk Jesus. Thank you for that background info.

[@chemistryofquestionablequa6252]

@@p_serdiuk possibly loaded with pistol powder or cleaned in a tumbler which causes the powder to break into smaller pieces leading to a faster burn.

[@GabrielLopez-ec9fc]

​@@p_serdiukim sure he did becouse if it's the bullet then its not his faulty guns fault

[@alexroselle]

German engineers: soon the world will tremble at our inventions German chemists: Hold mein Bier

[@guytech7310]

Nuclear physics working at Los Alamos in 1943-1945.

[@bene5431]

*Halt' mein Bier

[@georgecooke9010]

WATCH THIS, RIGHT!

[@guytech7310]

@@plato_sol Not really The US Spend about 2% of its GDP on the Manhatten project, Germany, not so much, especially when the war with Russia started to take a toll on Germany.

[@rob-muntron]

German pharmacologists: HALT MEIN AMPHETAMINEN!

[@JustinSmith-mh7mi]

The terms "TNT" and "dynamite" are used so interchangeably, i didn't even know they were different classes of explosive

[@cancerousPlatanorr]

​@klocugh12The band or current type?

[@EnviroSteward]

I think dynamite is just nitroglycerin mixed with a stabilizing clay. TNT is TNT

[@therealspeedwagon1451]

@@EnviroStewardTNT is just short for Trinitrotoluene.

[@Cybrludite]

​@EnviroSteward Originally made with sawdust, and later organic clays.

[@DrDeuteron]

It’s AC⚡️DC or nothing.

[@dennisfrojd1819]

Half drunk and cooking dinner saturday evening and listening the ranking of explosives. A very productive evening.

[@That_Chemist]

Whatcha cooking? I’m always looking for new recipes

[@phizc]

Saturday?

[@georgecooke9010]

WAS NITRO GLYCERIN ON THE MENU? HAS A NICE REPORT!

[@johnredcorn2476]

I'm high as a kite right now

[@sugandesenuds6663]

How to get de-monetized in 44 minutes and 56 seconds

[@SubspaceAlan]

* How to get demonetized in 1 Planck unit of time.

[@redgeneral5792]

Then you probably shouldn't see his nerve agent tier list.

[@randychandler7163]

No such thing as illegal explosives. Almost anyone can apply for a permit.

[@SeraphinaPZ]

Today in "really don't try this at home".

[@That_Chemist]

1000%

[@3isr3g3n]

And then you discover the channel "Dug". Edit: Great usage of footage from Ordnance Lab. These guys know their trade very well.

[@Kualinar]

More like : Don't try this anywhere !

[@mateuszjedut2406]

Don't try this if don't know how

[@TheLikeButtonLMAO]

No, please do. Natural selection needs to happen somehow lmao

[@Speensinc]

Everyone who isn't already explosions and fire fan needs to watch that video, as it has the best clip of an Australian speaking Australian to a chemical.

[@sunoncream1118]

small scale guyz smale scale XD (best idea ever to play with explosive shit and not lose a body part )

[@georgecooke9010]

HOW TRUE!

[@ericmueller8505]

Don’t think we didn’t see “Ligma Baldrich” at 12:55 😂

[@nicejungle]

Why all chemists on youtube are hating sigma aldrich ? Their products are expensive ?

[@Suninrags]

​@nicejungle yes, exceedingly so. Also they are kinda elitist and it's a meme to hate on them now

[@lightingthelatenight9942]

​@@Suninrags I mean even if it's a great company, Ligma Baldrich is just hilarious to say lol it's served on a platter too in the actual name

[@inkers3731]

Glad that you really stress how dangerous this is. I know a bunch of people who will see people make explosives on video and think it's not so bad, but even with safety measures all it takes is a tiny bit to do serious damage.

[@kevinroberts781]

Many people make them every day.

[@Erpyrikk]

the forum post "life after detonation" on the science madness forum is a good warning aswell.

[@WineScrounger]

Probably a few wannabe KZbin stars who didn’t get to upload 💀

[@RCM442]

The most illegal explosive is a glass stopper exploding when it hits the top of the fume hood! PHOOMP!

[@That_Chemist]

chlorine radicals would like to know tar's location

[@docbrosstudio7680]

Casually builds nuke from memory

[@Plan-xb1hs]

We all know the real reason why Mercury II Fulminate was in B tier was for Breaking Bad

[@fr3ddyfr3sh]

Or was it for baking bread? 🤔

[@amarissimus29]

I flipped out at that scene. A chunk of fulminate that size would have left everyone in that room deaf at the very least. And good god the amount of hg to make a huge bag... that's a few thousand bucks easily. And no way could you confuse it with meth. Even after slow recrystallization, best I've gotten is really small crystals, with a distinct yellow tint. Worst was the whole methylamine nonsense. It's absurdly easy to synthesize. I loved the show, really loved it, but the chemistry was awful.

[@lvn5609]

​@@amarissimus29Luckily, I don't know chemistry and was able to enjoy the show to the fullest 🙃

[@saxxxxxmanL]

@@amarissimus29Now imagine knowing firearms well. EVERY SINGLE ACTION MOVIE IS RUINED. 🤬

[@lawv804]

​@@amarissimus29Being educated ruins movies and shows if you let it. Just suspend your disbelief and enjoy the show. I was an EOD tech. Hollywood rarely gets anthing right when it comes to ordnance. The Hollywood trope of someone stepping on a mine and it detonating only after removing the foot is bs. Most mines function immediately when appropriate pressure is applied. And the VX rockets in The Rock were ridiculous. "String of pearls configuration"😂They didn't even get the color of the VX right. Just a few examples.

[@PolandDoge]

26:24 what are you talking about? you just take 5 gunpowder and 4 cubic meters of sand and you get a cubic meter of tnt

[@TheDestroyaOfFurries]

Minecraft

[@lowstaar]

Your teacher was nuts, a literal madman, he had no idea what he is doing..

[@petevenuti7355]

Have I told you the story about how when I was a 10-12yr old kid I made a fist-size pile of nitrogen tri-iodide? I had it drying on a 20 lb steel plate.. as a dried, the individual crystals would explode making the plate hop.. I panicked and washed it all down the drain... Over the course of the next 18 hours there was popping in the pipes and sewers all night long. Kept my parents and neighbors up all night. Fortunately it didn't all accumulate in a plumbing trap somewhere... That would have been very bad. I never told my parents it was my fault. I'm sure they wouldn't have believed me anyway at that point. (Before the sulfur dioxide incident)

[@squeakymonjuer]

"Before the sulfur dioxide incident" Ruh roh what was that lmao

[@petevenuti7355]

@@squeakymonjuer I was trying to make my own fuming sulfuric acid, burning sulfur in a coffee can... , anyway it went sideways, ended up burning like a whole pound of it in my basement with no ventilation.. because of that for decades I thought sulfur dioxide was a blue gas, now in retrospect I realize it was just a blue flame lighting the aerosol of sulfuric acid. Anyway that caused us to vacate the house for a week, all the silver in the house turned black and pitted.... My parents 25th anniversary decorations, good silverware in the back of the drawer, all ruined. My parents got rid of my "chemistry set" and wouldn't leave me unsupervised for years after that...

[@squeakymonjuer]

@@petevenuti7355 holy moly

[@brunonikodemski2420]

I too, made my first nitrocellulose in a glass test tube, in my parents basement. Fortunately, there was nothing nearby, when it accidentally went off, and spewed the excess nitric almost everywhere. My Mom yelled down the stairs, "are you OK" and when I said yes, she went back to watching television. Also did some thermite failures, among others. Became an engineer. Good learning sessions, if you survive them. I was near-sighted, so always had some eye protection, otherwise I would be blind now. Still have scars on my face.

[@squeakymonjuer]

@@brunonikodemski2420 yummy

[@TheLobotomist-t1]

PLEASE make a tier list for "forever chemicals"! Thanks!

[@That_Chemist]

I am planning to cover either forever chemicals/which chemical stays in your body the longest, I’m just working on the ozone depleting chemical video first

[@hhhhhhhhh1071]

I love eating PFOA 😋😋😋

[@rob-muntron]

"S tier because S for Scotchgard™"

[@That_Chemist]

As soon as I found out of scotchgard I was immediately terrified and quarantined the stuff we had at home and brought it to the lab

[@zhongxina9420]

mmmm microplastics

[@Lorentari]

Acetone Peroxide is a prime example of why waste handling procedures are important in a lab. At a high-school or university lab, the chance that some students will have worked with acetone, an acid and peroxide separately for some purpose would be common

[@JG-zs8tr]

Random story: When I was a kid, one morning I woke up to the most horrific clap of thunder I had ever heard. It was terrifying and shook the entire house. Oddly though, the sun was out. Turns out, a gunpowder plant a few towns over had exploded. If you don’t believe me, look up the 1989 explosion at the Hercules plant in Roxbury, NJ.

[@qtluna7917]

"Fun fact" about ammonium nitrate: They used explosives to loosen up mixtures of ammonium sulfate and ammonium nitrate when they compressed during storage. That was common until the oppau explosion, when the old rule of "

[@SpecialEDy]

You can make any explosive without a license in the USA, completely legal. You just cant transport it in a completed state, and you can only use it for recreational purposes. As an example, Tannerite(Ammonium Nitrate and Aluminum Powder) is sold across the USA in sporting good stores.

[@__TK___]

>Tannerite is sold across the USA in sporting goods stores Yeah, I’ve seen the videos where people put them into closed appliances, shoot at it and almost kill themself with shrapnel

[@SpecialEDy]

@__TK___ an important note about explosives is that "explosive devices" are forbidden without a license, and a pressure vessel is a key definition of a type of explosive device. A microwave oven is quite a poor pressure vessel compared to a pipe bomb or pressure cooker bomb, but the implication is that you can't stuff legal explosives into a container that will boost the pressure/yield or deliberately generate shrapnel.

[@BendingHecticMakesMusic]

​@@__TK___ well unfortunately theres no IQ background check on tannerite

[@barfbot]

chem prof goofing w acetylene? *laughs in welding shop*

[@SAVikingSA]

I use more styrofoam cups for that than I do shop coffee

[@thecriss88]

Meanwhile your FBI agent: Why is he watching a 45 minutes long video about explosives?

[@RabbiYitzchakBenForeskinowitz]

oyvey

[@zylaaeria2627]

Ah, Nitroglycerene. For the whole ten people that played Castlevania 64, you likely remember the section where you need to carry a bottle of the stuff across the entire castle stage. So much as bump anything & you instantly died. That part scared the hell out of me as a kid.

[@krispalermo8133]

" Victory Jump, " right before the dialog cut scene window text. Miss by a fraction of a second, .. bomb. If you were good at the game you can play through within 6 to 7 hours. It takes a week of rolling dice as a D&D game. Everyone at the table/shop plays from the last save load point to test their video game skill. Then roll die/dice to see if their PC can make the ability/attribute checks to clear the level.

[@JohnCunningham-yz4us]

Le salaire de la peur. Old French movie

[@TheCaptainLulz]

It goes without saying that what is illegal or legal in the US isnt necessarily the case in other countries. Manufacture usually also has a threshold, so making a gram isnt likely to get you in trouble, but making a kilo might.

[@kaboom4679]

Particularly if you make kilos and then stor , sell , or , transport it . Using it immediately is generally fine , unless you do it CONSTANTLY and in great quantities . Yes , I have " rolled my own " and while I had a few close calls , no injuries . YMMV , and , different jurisdictions and Karens will have a bearing on your experience . Especially if you USE it on a Karen . Probably commendable , certainly understandable , but , not generally allowable .

[@firstmkb]

What I heard was the legal issue is more around transportation and storage. I read an account from someone’s incident, and they kept quantities under 50 mg. I am no expert, not even an armchair one.

[@phl_knives]

That's wild coming from a US perspective. US you make any of these or most of these even in small amounts, transport or store without having state approved magazines for storage, proper licenses via the BATFE and making sure all quantities are accounted for will get you MAJOR charges. Like 10 years in federal prison and $250k in fines to start off. However if you're reloading ammo or using marking targets for non-commercial purposes (unmixed for transportation) like Tannerite, that's legal in most states. That can be purchased online or many 🔫 shops. This is a HE and knuckleheads nearly once a year almost yeet themselves from existence playing with that stuff at too short of a stand off range or putting it inside of a washer or something else that will fragment. Interesting in small quantities other counties someome could make these with little issue unless used in something dangerous.

[@ethanmiller5487]

My shop teacher did the balloons of acetylene and oxygen at different ratios. He had to warn the whole school before so no one called the police. We had to use our thumb and pinky to close our nose and ears. Amazing chemical power.

[@bobbobert9379]

He couldn't get you proper ear protection???

[@phl_knives]

That's wild you didn't get proper ear protection. Working with blanks, live ammo and other simulated training aids for I use in high threat medical training and active threat response. I can say one time without proper hearing protection will damage your hearing in a minor way. A handful of times causes permanent damage and long-term issues like tinnitus. Cheap foam ear plugs are like $.10 a pack. Muffs are like $2 for cheap ones. Not taking this seriously myself outdoors I can say I wish I did. I have tinnitus nearly daily in any quiet environments and sleep is worsened by the beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee I hear unless I sleep with headphones on. If I forget my headphones when traveling for this contract work I can't sleep from the tinnitus unless I have the TV on in my hotel. It's like hearing a COD flashbang going in your ears constantly. Your teacher easily could have done some major hearing damage or even worse had the blend been incorrect, ruptured hollow organs of students like lungs. Even training aids we use are very closely monitored on safe distances from students with hearing protection.

[@goldfieldgary]

@@ethanmiller5487 A common stunt in high school metal shop was filling the brazing flux can with acetylene, then waiting for some unsuspecting person to light the torch and accidently set the acetylene in the can off. Shop teacher would get really angry too! 😂

[@dinolover2340]

18:00 I knew exactly what video you will use as the example. I used to live near where that video was recorded, truly a polish classic

[@reformlabs8742]

So wait, a Polish Trash Cannon is a real thing?!?!

[@EladOSRS]

straight on a watch list with this one.

[@railworksamerica]

🗣🔥🔥💯💯

[@reubensandwich9249]

I've been told by someone that once worked at DHS that typing the 4 letters of 4:57 in a search engine throws up a flag in their database it's been searched.

[@ryanrusch8644]

I really like your style of giving deeper overviews of the chemicals before ranking them!

[@That_Chemist]

thanks!

[@thomasdavis8117]

In the tier way above S tier sits Plutonium.

[@That_Chemist]

P-tier

[@guytech7310]

lithium deuteride Neutronium Antimatter

[@AgentCraftwork]

Is Plutonium technically an explosive, considering that it is a radioactive material that when exposed to the appropriate conditions undergoes a chain reaction form of uncontrolled nuclear fission which releases inconceivable amounts of radiation and light/heat energy?

[@guytech7310]

@@AgentCraftwork Same could be stated for Ammomium Nitrate & TNT since they require near extreme conditions to detonate. Difference between chemical & nuclear reactions can be simplified as chemical reactions occur by interactions on the outside of a atom nucleus, and nuclear reactions occur from inside the atom nucleus.

[@AgentCraftwork]

@guytech7310 very well put, thank you. In hindsight my question was kind of stupid because I basically explained how the process of an explosion works in describing the act of nuclear fission. To be honest my original comment was rushed in the last minute of my lunch break at work and I didn't have long to think it out or read it over before posting.

[@tsbrownie]

Our chemistry department got emptied out one day. During a once-in-almost-never inventory of the stock room, they found a large (I think more than 1 liter) bottle of picric acid solution at the back of a shelf that had crystalized, a significant part being around the glass stopper. Gotta wonder how many people were pushing bottles around that shelf over the years within millimeters of going boom.

[@svenneumann2816]

That's a nightmare. Especially if you have to deal with it personally 😅

[@tsbrownie]

@@svenneumann2816 I was in the building when it was evacuated. It was orderly, but rushed. My lab-ass told me about it later.

[@MrTheSmoon]

using high explosives to bleach flower is psychotic

[@That_Chemist]

TATP-enriched flour

[@SergeantTeabag]

Now I know why Arby's was confused about their food blowing up!

[@railworksamerica]

Explosive flour

[@totallynotdelinquent5933]

Flour is also an explosive. when powdered flour is dispersed in the air at the right mix, it can level entire manufacturing facilities. there was one in my state a few decades ago and it almost leveled the place. a handful of people died.

[@MrTheSmoon]

@@totallynotdelinquent5933 thats true so i guess we are puting a primary into the secondary to make it into a proper bomb

[@convictednotconvinced]

My understanding is that people who manufacture explosives for personal use are not required to have a federal explosives license or permit under 27 CFR, Part 555, as long as no material is stored, received, sold, or transported. I originally heard this from a friend who holds a FEML for his commercial fireworks display business, and I was quite surprised to learn it isn't the one way ticket to the slammer people often assume.

[@Slowly_Going_Mad]

Literally just doing some digging through the ATF archives you'll be surprised by a lot things. That said though still not something to take lightly as they will still find a way to cage you if they think you're too dangerous doing that kind of thing. It's also a legal nightmare full of contradictions at times making this hobby a grey area and a dark art.

[@PrograError]

@@Slowly_Going_Mad I think if it's in a minuscule amount that can be classified as truly personal use, you might be fair game... but seeing the video... that's pretty relative...

[@rob-muntron]

Ordinance Lab have quite a few good videos where they go into detail about US laws around explosives

[@fukkitful]

Cops called the ATF to my house because I had Cannon fuse and blackpowder as a teen. They seized it and had me make a written statement that I've never showed anyone else how to delete stuff using pvc, gunpowder and safety fuse. A few months later I got a letter letting me know for only a small fee of $5000 I could get my property worth $20 back... $5000 per item.... My potato gun was fine though... or they didn't known what it was... 😁

[@keith_cancel]

Don't forget state laws. A lot times some states are even more restrictive.

[@DangerousLab]

The illegalness of explosives is more heavily weighted towards their ease of synthesis than most other factors since ease of synthesis makes them more prone to be used in attacks, therefore I don't agree that HMX, ETN/PETN should be S tier because they are not as easy to make.

[@h.a.4286]

ETN is literally just sugar- substitute from the store with some fertilizier and drain cleaner.....

[@DangerousLab]

@@h.a.4286 The fertilizer and drain cleaner in question are much more restricted outside US, so it is still much less accessible IMO, ETN should be high tier, but I don't think it is worth an "S".

[@DrakkarCalethiel]

​@@DangerousLabYeah, good luck getting strong H2SO4 in form of drain cleaners or KNO3 fertilizer in europe /EU. home chemists are utterly screwed in the EU, almost all useful has been banned or heavily restricted

[@kevinroberts781]

It's legal to make any of these

[@kevinroberts781]

​@@DrakkarCalethielyou can literally refine what you do have. Stop whining

[@tomoyaokazaki6021]

That chemist: gives advisory for video of large explosion The video: same video he showed before the warning

[@That_Chemist]

yeah I thought about that when we were reviewing the edit but it was an oversight

[@Pootycat8359]

13:25 The main reason that chlorate-based powders should not contain sulfur, is that S in the presence of moisture & atmospheric O2, is that H2SO4 can form, which can cause spontaneous ignition. I read an account of an English nobleman who had the bright idea of making black powder with KClO3. The process involves grinding the mixture, while wet, in a mill. It exploded, and bits of said nobleman were found, several hundred yards away. By the way, anyone (an adult) can buy black powder from a gun shop that caters to muzzle-loader enthusiasts (in the U.S.)

[@guardsmanom134]

Not so. Some states make that impossible, as yes, you can buy it, but transporting it is so highly regulated that even with a license, you run the risk of being arrested for moving it in a vehicle. So not true, across the board. Some states are better than others for this, in fact, most are. But some will have your grandchildren on a list, if they think you even know how to MAKE it.

[@garywheeler7039]

There are Black Powder substitutes that are used in black powder guns. Pyrodex for instance. That is the stuff available in gun shops instead of black powder. Its safer.

[@Pootycat8359]

@@garywheeler7039 I know all about Pyrodex, Still, many BP shooters prefer the original. For purchase, buying either one just requires that the buyer be 18 years old. but for sales, the shop needs an explosives license and must have a magazine for storage. So, most gun shops don't sell it. But you can buy it by mail, That requires paying a hazmat fee, I recently bought 20 lbs that way. The hazmat was $25.

[@guardsmanom134]

@garywheeler7039 no it's not. Pyrodex creates higher pressures, and sharper pressure curve gradients. What's worse, is that its reduced sensitivity causes hangfires which can be incredibly dangerous to the operator of a muzzleloading firearm. Research before you step into it.

[@JimmyYYK9241]

Fulminated mercury should be in S tier for "Say my name."

[@That_Chemist]

One of the greatest chemistry scenes of all time

[@alexandrevaliquette3883]

@@That_Chemist YOU'RE GOD DAAAAAAM RIGHT!

[@amarissimus29]

@@That_Chemist I've made lots of fulminate, and it looks nothing like meth. Hitting half a gram with a hammer without ear protection can bust an eardrum easily. No way would anyone with a brain throw a huge chunk of it on the floor. Great scene, yes. Great chemistry? No.

[@bobbobert9379]

​@@That_Chemist one of the chemistry of all time

[@TheBackyardChemist]

what a nice bucket list

[@absolutelybarbarictv5638]

One correction: Explosives are not illegal to produce or possess for personal use (can't sell them) except by persons otherwise prohibited from owning firearms. The ATF has storage regulations online and you are not permitted to transport it on the roads but they are by no means illegal for individuals and anything containing less than 1/4 ounce of explosive is not considered a destructive device. There is also no license required for black powder you can go to sportsmans and buy as much as you want.

[@knurlgnar24]

That a chemistry professor at a university didn't know what they were doing is of no surprise to me. I fully expect that. Professors generally have zero understanding of the subject material in any meaningful context. If they did they'd be doing something useful instead of teaching.

[@Blackfell]

‘Acetone Peroxide was discovered by chance’. Bet that was quite the surprise.

[@jamesleishman8025]

Fake vape ad is crazy

[@trenaceandblackmetal5621]

BOOM

[@railworksamerica]

💀☠️💀☠️💀☠️💀☠️💀

[@Hurricayne92]

@@StephenMcGregor1986 gotta keep those cigarette companies happy.

[@JoeSmith-cy9wj]

Actually the product is real, uses no heat or smoke, just cool air through natural herbs. No deposits in lungs. I'm not sure why the hamfisted display was included, but perhaps this person shouldn't be trusted to play with volatile chemicals.

[@innocentsmith6091]

I hope he does a video about the chemistry of those lacroix vape flavors

[@inappropriatejohnson]

"hold my beer" -Antimatter/matter annihilation

[@darkdestroyer2761]

Your channel is what has convinced me to do Chemistry at University, keep making videos!

[@That_Chemist]

I wish you the best of luck in your studies!

[@cweaver4080]

As a human who likes all of his fingers, I prefer to watch other people handle explosives.

[@svenneumann2816]

There are a lot of fairly safe explosives.

[@windhelmguard5295]

one thing that needs to be said about TNT is that it's also used in medicine to dilate blood vessels. it is also important to note that TNT is absorbed through the skin when handled so be careful as prolonged or frequent exposure can cause an addiction where the body adapts to the dilation by contracting the blood vessels, which can then over contract when withdrawal occurs, causing heart disease.

[@Slowly_Going_Mad]

@@windhelmguard5295 nitroglycerin not TNT. TNT has also been found to be rather toxic, carcinogenic, and stains your skin yellow. Nitroglycerin and related nitrate esters are far less toxic but still an acute poison/medication.

[@toum1548]

Speaking about ammonium nitrate, my father often says, its not that explosive, but when we start counting it in tons, it gets quite interesting

[@N0M4OFFICIAL]

39:02 Bro, the fact you didn’t mention the fact that Picric Acid and TNT flattened the city of Halifax , Nova Scotia in 1917 is a crime

[@Cvisscher]

I used to work for an HVAC company where the guys, as a prank, would pump a bit of acetylene into the PVC pipes as they were being installed and ignite it to scare the guys who were working inside. At one point, someone got it in his head that more was better and left it open for "a few seconds" and it was enough to rupture the pipe. Fortunately no one was hurt, and the guy who basically set off a pipe bomb in a client's home owns that company now.

[@That_Chemist]

😂

[@PyReDZN]

I love that your channel is basically an any% speedrun for getting put on an FBI watchlist

[@dogspaghetti7118]

The actual only answer is That Chemist, cause he’s the bomb 🔥

[@That_Chemist]

The viewers are pretty lit as well 🧨

[@robertlapointe4093]

Another source of initiation that I have come across is contact with air/moisture. For example tris(pentafluorophenyl)aluminum explodes (subsonically) on contact with water (decomposes to AlF3 and tetrafluorobenzyne). Another is tetrakis(trimethylphosphino)nickel, which detonates (not sure of the velocity, but very snappy) on contact with air. Other odd explosives I've handled include silver oxalate (decomposes to silver and CO2 upon heating to 140C), copper acetylide (decomposes to copper and carbon upon heating, friction or impact) and lead picrate. Also, mixtures of potassium permanganate with finely divided metals (aluminum, zinc, magnesium or iron) makes some serious flash powders that can be initiated with a few drops of glycerine.

[@firstmkb]

I remember my HS chem teacher putting an eyedropper of glycerine on a small pile of potassium permanganate. It took a few minutes, but it made a nice little volcano.

[@vanrick772]

I'm REALLY liking the higher production value on these tier lists. The examples to go with each chemical and factoids spread around, really makes for much more engaging content. Great work!

[@UniCorneliusfan21]

Where is my octanitrocubane and azidoazide azide

[@That_Chemist]

oh you will get your azidoazide azide

[@pixselious]

We will tell you ass soon as you tell us about that shed in your backyard

[@Flesh_Wizard]

​@@That_Chemistdon't drop it

[@CantHandleThisCanYa]

@@Flesh_Wizarddon't look at it

[@FUCKTHEBBC]

@@CantHandleThisCanYa dont think about it xd

[@Gunbudder]

an EOD tech once told me that illegal production of TATP is a self-regulating problem. seems like people who make it in their shed always end up in tiny pieces. at least that's what i've been told lol

[@PaulSteMarie]

The class A/B/C nomenclature is a bit obsolete. Also, they are assigned by DOT, not OSHA. There are a ton of regulations governing shipping these items.

[@swealer]

I feel honored to be on the watch-list with all of you! have a blessed day and to the Fed who checks my browsing history, i watched this ONLY for entertainment purposes :)

[@prjndigo]

on RE factor of comparison to TNT vs nuclear devices: a nuclear device doesn't contain/carry even a fraction of the expansion mass ratio that TNT does at baseline RE and relies on its ability to superheat water/air/rock into a plasma state to transmit its energy into a shockwave. What this means is that there is actually a reduction in yield from nuclear weapons the higher they are detonated in the atmosphere until you reach a point in low space where TNT device itself will actually exceed pound-for-pound the yielded force of a nuclear device while the nuclear device's forced electromagnetic induction qualities start to become dominant generating much larger EMP and much higher electromagnetic propagation normally dampened by atmosphere.

[@sosogo4real]

Meanwhile Project Orion.

[@Doubledutch23]

The good ole Kentucky Ballistics 50BMG explosion never ceases to amaze me

[@smileyjack6621]

I love that Kentucky ballistics will always reference or be used as reference for an explosion.

[@Isometrix116]

Fun fact! In the US, manufacturing small amounts of explosives for personal use (e.g. blowing up a tree stump) is perfectly legal, as is transporting the ingredients for binary explosives when unmixed. However, large quantities of explosives or transporting explosives off of your property or manufacturing an item which is clearly intended to be a weapon (e.g. a pipe bomb). This has created a decently sized industry around selling the both of the binary explosive components which are then mixed by the buyer to create an impact-sensitive explosive. This is often used on targets while shooting, either for a better return signature of a hit or just because it is cool to see something explode. Now, considering most people don't even know about this type of thing shows that, surprisingly, this hasn't really caused any problems. The times it does cause problems, its usually just to the person handling the explosive and a small surrounding area.

[@frtzkng]

EU: never mind the explosives, we make the precursors illegal for any non-professional to even *be in the mere possession of.* There are lots of things about the EU I love and am glad about being a citizen of it. The Explosives Precursors Directive is not one of them.

[@ExtraThiccc]

So you can't have charcoal?

[@kaboom4679]

Or , oxygen ? Or any nitrogen whatsoever ? Dear God , they have banned the entire atmosphere !

[@AlexanderBurgers]

Same, the EU banned a ton of the 'standard' chemistry chemicals on the premise that they can be used for either explosives, acid attacks, or drugs manufacture. Really sucks the fun out of home chemistry.

[@Jeff-ml2ek]

Of all the regulations in Germany, the restriction on concentrated sulfuric acid is truly the most annoying shit to deal with as a home chemist.

[@hellishcyberdemon7112]

IM guessing your not that happy being a citizen of the EU now, its only gonna get worse

[@harrypeterson9287]

Just to be pedantic. Detonation is where the reaction speed exceeds the speed of sound of the explosive itself and the resulting shockwave is the pathway to that reaction. Deflagration can easily break the speed of sound in air and generate a shockwave, butunless the shockwave is the pathway of the reaction it's not a detonation.

[@beaksters]

Let me save this to a playlist… for future reference…

[@zachbrenner9959]

It took way longer for me to see an explosions and fire clip that I was expecting. Glad to see you giving some love to Ordinance Lab and tech ingredients. I was totally not expecting to see a Kentucky Ballistics clip though.

[@omegaweltall2001]

This was recommended to me. What did my FBI agent mean by this?

[@NeutronSplitter]

I worked at the prototype facility for a major airbag manufacturer. The Azide used in curtain airbags will not detonate at normal atmospheric pressure and needed a secondary explosive. It had to be pressurized to a certain PSI that I wont name.

[@kaboom4679]

Disappointing you didn't cover Marvin the Martian and his favorite toy , the Illudium Q-36 Explosive Space Modulator . I hope he doesn't get angry ...

[@ebnertra0004]

What's he going to do? Sent some re-hydrated Martians after me?

[@CatboyChemicalSociety]

Nice

[@That_Chemist]

Thanks for all of the help you have given David over the years !

[@judyfps5059]

“Playing around with potassium nitrate, sulfur, and charcoal” is really simplifying discovering, and isolating the KNO3, isolating sulfur and mixing them for perfect stoichiometric combustion.

[@DangerousLab]

I can't imagine my comment can actually go through KZbin's censorship despite having so many "non-KZbin-friendly" terms.

[@dlog]

This comment was removed

[@reptilez13]

19:35 Assuming any professor or teacher is somehow more cautious, aware, or informed than any other member of the public is a good way to be disappointed. Or get tinnitus lol. Some professors may be, but many (or most) are just as derp as you and I.

[@E-dart]

Bro is giving us WAY to much info

[@E-dart]

@@AKAK-rh7lr my lawyer as advised my not to elaborate

[@alexandrevaliquette3883]

I've been in contact with 7 of theses compounds over my chemistry and mining life... It's incredible how powerful theses little powder or liquid can be. If you mess with energetic compound, respect the protocol, keep very small quantity and don't prepare bulk without calculate the radius in case of detonation.

[@robmorgan1214]

Plutonium. The only correct answer here is Plutonium. Class S+ tier tertiary. "Can suck the paint off your house and give wife and kids permanent orange afros..." -Dan Aykroyd.

[@hibco3000]

😂 Spy's like Us

[@colecarstarphen8743]

Do an incendiary tier list

[@ReasonablyBadActor]

COMPLETELY INACCURATE...explosives are, not by themselves, illegal. The "classes" you are using (not the ones in your tier chart) are related to DOT regulations not criminal law. Anyone (in the US) can legally synthesize and safely detonate any chemical explosive with the exception of TATP, (which was specifically named in a law because of terrorist attacks and the fact that the explosive detection instruments of the time could not detect non nitrogen based explosives at air port security scanning stations) without license. Transporting, storing, or using in a destructive device requires licenses and involve differing degrees of legal trouble. The main area where people get in a lot of trouble is the destructive device law i.e. putting explosives in a metal pipe as opposed to just detonating by itself. Also, it seems you are just sort of assigning tiers to different compounds without much rhyme or reason. Its your video so do whatever but it kind of ruins any educational value to it.

[@YourUpperLip1]

Pro tip: Make your own video

[@fshalor738]

This was a wonderful breakdown! I'm also glad you started with a peroxide. The lab I worked in when I started college, I was helping build up stock of ligands for graduate work in ruthenium chemistry. They were building tunable structures to attach to electrodes in hopes of making a process for small scale lab-in-a-box sensors. The primary base for the research was a custom Methly-4-BPP-AcAc structure. And as part of that, we had to use diethyl-ether as part of the prep. On first day in the lab in the safety brief, I was walked past the fume hoods. Three on the inner wall. Middle one was scored with carbon, disabled, and still had tons of broken glass and unknown goo in it. It stood as a reminder to NOT mess up a nitrogen bubble. The accident was caused by the N2 not being on, and the student using an ancient bottle of diethyl-ether, which had taken in enough water from the atmosphere to make peroxides. Take away too from this... Too many of the same element no likey each other.

[@TravisTerrell]

The famous TATP incident that I think of is the guy who tried to set his shoes on fire mid-flight, a little while after 9/11. (Which pretty shocking that he failed, given how unstable the stuff is.)

[@arty7122]

btw when it comes to LE and HE, the shockfront in HE must travel faster than the speed of sound in the explosive itself, not in air

[@osrr6422]

"Nukes are terrifying" Only for those that survive.

[@tyrannosaurusimperator]

Acetylene is so explosive that gas cylinders of it don't actually contain it in a gaseous form. The cylinders are full of clay and acetone, which the acetylene is disolved into. You should never use a bottle of acetylene that has been turned sideways without letting it sit upright for a couple of hours to ensure the acetylene gets re-disolved.

[@TaylorTMPL]

I once found an old bottle of picric acid under a cabinet in my old immunology lab. Not knowing it was potentially explosive nor seeing any markings on it displaying it I picked it up to check it out. It's bright yellow so it catches the eye. Regardless after inspection I ended up gently putting it down under the sink before asking a PhD student about it. He brought it to the attention of the PI who recognized it for what it was. They ended up calling the fire department and the chemical safety folks on campus to properly dispose of it. It wasn't until that last step that I recognized what I had come face to face with so to speak. I definitely remember dry material being visible around the cap of the bottle. Grateful it didn't decide to dance that day. To add a bit of context this immunlology lab often fixed tissues with Bouin's Solution/Fixative before processing them for sectioning and later histology work. The fixative consists of picric acid, acetic acid and formaldehyde in solution. You can buy it pre-mixed now for relatively cheap, but prior to that you made your own. At some point it was forgotten about until I found it some years later. A lesso nto all: lab curiosity is fine, but be cautious about what you find and how you handle it. It's best to ask questions before diving in.

[@Chomuggaacapri]

My high school science teacher had a shockingly similar story to yours with someone accidentally making a gas balloon WAY too strong and setting it off near people. He still has hearing loss in one ear from that.

[@hydrogenbond7303]

Talking about preparing safe compounds: *sleeps* Talking about preparing DADP or TADP: Jesse, we need to cook!

[@Andrew-13579]

Is this a honeypot video? Everyone who watched this video for more than 6 seconds is probably automatically placed on the no-fly list. 😂. I didn’t even want to watch it, but it said don’t try this at home…so, I had to. 😂

[@dylanevans7529]

Damn That Guy took that Scope right to the Eye Socket at like Mach 2

[@Bombsuitsandkilts]

Remember kids: the most illegal explosive is the one you do the most illegal thing with.

[@Pootycat8359]

18:50 That's really fun, and has the advantage that the balloon produces no shrapnel, not even shreds of cardboard.

[@ilijavirijevic3876]

It's so difficult to comment "this was interesting, and pretty cool" without sounding sus af All the "watchlist" stuff aside, I love how deep you went into historical use/application of these compounds, very cool video

[@Ignis_1]

21:04 i love that you showed off pbn3, he has such an awesome channel.

[@therealspeedwagon1451]

C4 is actually a very stable explosive, so stable in fact it’s commonly used in explosive reactive armor (the bricks you see mainly on Russian tanks) to stop other explosives like high explosive anti tank rounds from hitting the armor and causing spalling that would kill the crew. It’s so stable it can be used like building blocks and only goes off when hit with another explosive, then it goes off and leaves the steel armor underneath mostly intact.

[@gabrielhenson5751]

its so stable that you can light it on fire and cook with it. i don't remember who but someone (maybe mythbusters?) did a test and found that you actually could cook using flaming c4

[@BendingHecticMakesMusic]

​@@gabrielhenson5751 yeah that was the mythbusters, they did all manner of things to that poor brick of c4.

[@charlesfinas3826]

I lov how this tierlist are not only just tierlist but are agremented with all kinds of info relative to the topics I really enjoyed this video, thank you!

[@TeaMaster420]

4:03 Imagine sacrificing your lungs for no effects besides taste you can get by eating stuff.

[@jess648]

there’s something pretty funny about a chemist being sponsored by a vape company