Making Picric Acid from Aspirin by the Jolly Roger
Picric Acid can be used as a booster explosive in detonators, a high
explosive charge, or as an intermediate to preparing lead picrate.
Material Required
- Aspirin tablets (5 grains per tablet)
- Alcohol, 95% pure
- Sulfuric acid, concentrated, (if battery acid, boil until white fumes
disappear)
- Potassium Nitrate (see elsewhere in this Cookbook)
- Water
- Paper towels
- Canning jar, 1 pint
- Rod (glass or wood)
- Glass containers
- Ceramic or glass dish
- Cup
- Teaspoon
- Tablespoon
- Pan
- Heat source
- Tape
Procedure:
- Crush 20 aspirin tablets in a glass container. Add 1 teaspoon of water
and work into a paste.
- Add approximately 1/3 to 1/2 cup of alcohol (100 millilitres) to the
aspirin paste; stir while pouring.
- Filter the alcohol-aspirin solution through a paper towel into another
glass container. Discard the solid left in the paper towel.
- Pour the filtered solution into a glass or ceramic dish.
- Evaporate the alcohol and water from the solution by placing the dish
into a pan of hot water. White powder will remain in the dish after
evaporation.
NOTE: The water in the pan should be at hot bath temperature, not boiling,
approx. 160 to 180 degress farenheit. It should not burn the hands.
- Pour 1/3 cup (80 millilitres) of concentrated sulfuric acid into a
canning jar. Add the white powder to the sulfuric acid.
- Heat canning jar of sulfuric acid in a pan of simmering hot water bath
for 15 minutes; then remove jar from the bath. Solution will turn to a
yellow-orange color.
- Add 3 level teaspoons (15 grams) of potassium nitrate in three portions
to the yellow-orange solution; stir vigorously during additions. Solution
will turn red, then back to a yellow-orange color.
- Allow the solution to cool to ambient room temperature while stirring
occasionally.
- Slowly pour the solution, while stirring, into 1-1/4 cup (300
millilitres) of cold water and allow to cool.
- Filter the solution through a paper towel into a glass container. Light
yellow particles will collect on the paper towel.
- Wash the light yellow particles with 2 tablespoons (25 millilitres) of
water. Discard the waste liquid in the container.
- Place articles in ceramic dish and set in a hot water bath, as in step
5, for 2 hours.
Compiled by: Exodus