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nadinbrzezinski (118,732 posts) Thu Apr 18, 2013, 12:01 AMAnhydrous ammoniaYup, it's as nasty as I remember... http://www.ndhealth.gov/epr/resources/anhydrous.htm
SidDithers (26,469 posts) Thu Apr 18, 2013, 08:03 AM2. You should have done your google research before posting this...http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=2697360
nadinbrzezinski (118,733 posts) Wed Apr 17, 2013, 11:33 PM25. For reference...ammonia displaces oxygen
SidDithers (26,469 posts) Thu Apr 18, 2013, 12:02 AM59. Oh ffs...Ammonia in high enough concentrations will kill you if you inhale it. It's corrosive and will burn your respiratory tract. Displaced oxygen is the least of your concerns if there's an ammonia leak.
X_Digger (13,010 posts) Thu Apr 18, 2013, 12:18 AM73. Shh, don't nudge the expert. *snort*
MineralMan (52,785 posts) Thu Apr 18, 2013, 09:29 AM 3. It's also a very useful chemical.In California citrus orchards, for example, tanks of the stuff are delivered to the orchards. They are connected to the irrigation system, and anhydrous ammonia is metered carefully into the irrigation water in precise amounts to fertilize the trees. It's used that way for many farming purposes. When I was just a teenager, one of my jobs was setting up anhydrous ammonia tanks and connecting them to irrigation systems. The material was transferred from large tanks at the ag supply distributor, into the smaller tanks used on the citrus orchards. Many useful chemicals are dangerous. Normally, safety precautions protect people. Apparently, at this place in West, Texas, those safety precautions weren't followed, or there was another factor involved that caused the fire and explosion. I'm sure we'll find out exactly what happened after the investigation. But, if you live in a farming area, it's likely that anhydrous ammonia is available in your area from ag supply stores, along with ammonium nitrate fertilizer.
Skidmore (28,839 posts) Thu Apr 18, 2013, 09:32 AM4. Here in rural Iowa we have little plots of land where those tanks are dropped off and farmers will purchase them and pick them up. They are usually not fenced in and have little visible security. There is one site about 3 miles down the road from us and I cringe everytime I drive by it.
MineralMan (52,785 posts) Thu Apr 18, 2013, 09:39 AM 6. Hmm...not so good.Where I grew up, there was one big ag supply store. It had a very large anhydrous ammonia tank out back. The small tanks were mounted on trailers. When it was irrigation time, the local citrus farmers would drive their trucks there, pick up a tank and trailer, and head back to their orchards. Like a lot of farming, irrigation started early in the morning, before the ag supply was even open, so you'd just drive down there and pick it up. The yard for the ag supply wasn't even gated. It was also right on the edge of the small town I lived in. Nobody thought a thing about it. They also sold big bags of ammonium nitrate. Along with its use for fertilizer, the local orchard owners also used it to fragment boulders. Most of the citrus farms are in an old riverbed, and there are monstrous boulders left behind. My father and I created ammonium nitrate and diesel explosives from time to time to fracture them into small enough fragments to haul away. Worked great, and made a very satisfying loud noise, too. The ag supply store also sold dynamite and blasting caps, but the ammonium nitrate explosive was cheaper and easier to use. Safer, too.
JaneyVee (3,408 posts) Thu Apr 18, 2013, 09:33 AM5. Rural work is hard & hazardous labour. From silos, granaries, to fertilizer.Explosions and fires are far too normal.
MineralMan (52,785 posts) Thu Apr 18, 2013, 09:40 AM 7. Very true!
Anhydrous used to be routinely used here on silage corn,it was injected (knifed) into the ground when the corn was between knee and hip tall.It can be nasty stuff and mishandling in person or a major leak on a big tank can be injurious to deadly so in the leftist land of NY and tort issues it is non existent now but still used as a fertilizer in the corn belt. I doubt the bowling ball of the west ever had any contact with it.
Labour? Is JaneyVee a continental sophisticate or just another pretender?
