Beirut explosion

[357pyro]

Here is a link to the video, supposedly was a firecracker factory. I'm no expert but this blast looks nothing like it came from bulk pyro chemicals.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/04/middleeast/beirut-explosion-port-intl/index.html

[displayfireworks1]

It MAY be fireworks related. Nothing is confirmed at this point.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bss7qJQ8xt4
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlCz7rrOtUw
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This link shows the blast
https://twitter.com/i/status/1290671086951161856

[PGH_Pyro]

everything I read saws it was a pyro. warehouse of some kind.

[Fulliautomatix]

I saw an article saying that a fire in a fireworks container spread to a nitrates storage facility.

The footage is surreal. There is a very good closeup in the 6th video below.

https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/624/cpsprodpb/218E/production/_113809580_beirut_lebanon_map640-nc.png

https://twitter.com/i/status/1290670226934243329

https://twitter.com/i/status/1290669240173965313

https://twitter.com/i/status/1290666778255908866

https://twitter.com/i/status/1290671767539908609

https://twitter.com/i/status/1290672882964725763

https://twitter.com/i/status/1290677516919885824

[displayfireworks1]

Can only get so close on Google maps.
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https://www.google.com/maps/place/Beirut+Port+Silos/@33.9012708,35.5179195,18.25z/data=!4m9!1m3!15m2!1m1!1s%2Fg%2F11jq0bjlz7!3m4!1s0 x151f16f424e81a41:0xe1d97db978358854!8m2!3d33.9010 897!4d35.5183623

[RalphieJ]

Fireworks? No way........

[Fulliautomatix]

Fireworks? No way........

Early reports are speculating that it started with fireworks, and spread to a nitrate storage facility. So basically if there was a big enough blast from the fireworks to trigger the nitrates... seems plausible. Basically a big tannerite blast.

[Fulliautomatix]

Fireworks? No way........

https://twitter.com/tobiaschneider/status/1290677516919885824

Look at this video, the title says "Looks like lots of minor crackling explosions preceding the big blast. Local media reports fireworks storage. Unclear for now."

You can see what looks like a lot of salutes going off in the air, followed immediately by the orange plume and shock wave. Terrifying.

That link to Google Earth that Dave shared above shows a block of storage silos right by the burning warehouse. (That's the tallest building you see immediately to the left of the fire) If those were full of ammonium nitrate... jeez.

[Fulliautomatix]

This video has another very close angle showing what appears to be fireworks.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1290678696395911169

[Fulliautomatix]

"Local Lebanese station reporting that preliminary investigation believes 2,700 tons of confiscated nitrate exploded after someone "welded a small hole to prevent theft"

Not sure that makes sense, assuming that the 2700 tons of nitrate is what made the big boom. Maybe something was lost in translation.

[Arclight]

Another view:

https://streamable.com/zg9oal

Looking at the shockwave, that's a high order detonation. Reminds me of the Texas City disaster:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_City_disaster

[esgrillo]

Smoke looks like an ammonium nitrate blast.

[displayfireworks1]

I need some of the chemical guys to answer this one. My experience is an oxidizer like Ammonium Nitrate is not going to do anything unless it has a fuel source combined with the oxidizer. Am I missing something? Reports are the material was a confiscated explosive material.

[PyroKing31]

I need some of the chemical guys to answer this one. My experience is an oxidizer like Ammonium Nitrate is not going to do anything unless it has a fuel source combined with the oxidizer. Am I missing something? Reports are the material was a confiscated explosive material.

AN will detonate it gets above 410/430 ish degrees. No need for a primary booster.

[rfgonzo]

https://youtu.be/MOIOjnxR8ks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOIOjnxR8ks&feature=youtu.be

[Fulliautomatix]

https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/lebanon-pm-hassan-diab-on-beirut-blasts-2-750-tonnes-of-ammonium-nitrate-exploded-2274291

[rfgonzo]

Looks like AN from reports

[215less]

The videos are crazy to watch. The orange cloud is kinda the give away to the type of oxidizer. Sad to see all the aftermath but a constant reminder to all working and handling with volatile elements.

[Scotty Rockets]

ANFO
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/ANFO

[Rick_In_Tampa]

2750 tons of confiscated ammonium nitrate stored for 6 years at an unauthorized, unmonitored site, next to a fireworks storage facility.

What could possibly go wrong?!

[Arclight]

I need some of the chemical guys to answer this one. My experience is an oxidizer like Ammonium Nitrate is not going to do anything unless it has a fuel source combined with the oxidizer. Am I missing something? Reports are the material was a confiscated explosive material.

It's legally classified as an "Oxidizer" (class 5 HAZMAT) but it it does have its own fuel to oxidize and can be detonated if you boost it with another explosion or superheat it. It's just "fuel poor" if you detonate it without the ~8% fuel oil or similar additive. The ATF requires you to count AN prills at 50% for purposes of how much product you have in your magazine. So the yield is lower, but it can still explode.

And agree on those orange clouds - that's toxic nitrogen dioxide gases.

[Fulliautomatix]

https://www.thesun.ie/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/08/KH-COMPOSITE-BEIRUT-BEFORE.jpg

[Fulliautomatix]

https://i.imgur.com/2dk4g5u.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/UH48S2c.jpg

[displayfireworks1]

It's legally classified as an "Oxidizer" (class 5 HAZMAT) but it it does have its own fuel to oxidize and can be detonated if you boost it with another explosion or superheat it. It's just "fuel poor" if you detonate it without the ~8% fuel oil or similar additive. The ATF requires you to count AN prills at 50% for purposes of how much product you have in your magazine. So the yield is lower, but it can still explode.

And agree on those orange clouds - that's toxic nitrogen dioxide gases.

I know you are in the blasting high explosive business so I appreciate your opinion on this. The limited experience and knowledge I have on Ammonium Nitrate is, without a fuel you can hit it with a blow torch and nothing happen , you can mix it with aluminum, and hit again with a blow torch and nothing happens. You can wrap it around a m-100 and nothing happens. I find it hard to believe without a fuel added to the mixture it went off like it did. I can't wait to see the report. I am also shocked it sat next to that body of water and didn't get contaminated. I heard it will pull water out of the air.
I saw someone in the business make some of this for entertainment at pyro party I attended back in the 90's . I remember it being in a repurposed 2 L clear soda bottle, about half full and wet looking, a wire with a blasting cap coming out of it. Hanging from a tree on a string. He also somehow made a 4 inch salami style salute out of the same mixture. When the one in the air went off I though he blew a hole in the sky. It engraved into my memory very vividly. I remember I called it an Ammonium Nitrate Salute , i was immediately corrected and told to reference it as an AN Salute. LOL Same color smoke as this Beirut event.

[Robbro097]

I seen an article earlier that said it was stored in same area as fireworks firearms and munitions as well as petrol that just seems like a recipe for disaster sitting at a dock

[Arclight]

I know you are in the blasting high explosive business so I appreciate your opinion on this. The limited experience and knowledge I have on Ammonium Nitrate is, without a fuel you can hit it with a blow torch and nothing happen , you can mix it with aluminum, and hit again with a blow torch and nothing happens. You can wrap it around a m-100 and nothing happens. I find it hard to believe without a fuel added to the mixture it went off like it did. I can't wait to see the report. I am also shocked it sat next to that body of water and didn't get contaminated. I heard it will pull water out of the air.
I saw someone in the business make some of this for entertainment at pyro party I attended back in the 90's . I remember it being in a repurposed 2 L clear soda bottle, about half full and wet looking, a wire with a blasting cap coming out of it. Hanging from a tree on a string. He also somehow made a 4 inch salami style salute out of the same mixture. When the one in the air went off I though he blew a hole in the sky. It engraved into my memory very vividly. I remember I called it an Ammonium Nitrate Salute , i was immediately corrected and told to reference it as an AN Salute. LOL Same color smoke as this Beirut event.

Normally, all of the AN-based explosives require a stiff, high-explosive booster to detonate unless they have certain sensitizers. When you're blasting, you would typically prime it with a cast booster or a stick of dynamite. The US Army used to have a 40lb "cratering" charge made out of AN with TNT in the middle to get it going, all in a sealed can.

That being said, it can explode under some other conditions, according to my friend who works in EOD:

1. Being superheated makes it more sensitive.
2. Various chemicals can sensitize it. Look at Tannerite - the rifle bullets that set it off are around the energy of a blasting cap.
2. The geometry makes a difference - A bigger borehole or pile will help it get up to a "steady state" velocity faster and the final detonation velocity will be higher.

From the video, it looks like it went from "deflagration" to "detonation" at the end. Big piles of stuff have a high ratio of surface area to volume, and can hold in heat or prevent moisture (which makes it less sensitive) from the sea port from reaching the inside of the pile.

The "wet looking" mix you describe was probably a cap-sensitive "binary explosive" mixture with a clear liquid and AN, assuming it was able to go off with just a blasting cap. Regular ANFO in a milk carton or similar will go off with a small booster, like 6' of detcord. This is a common way to blast a telephone pole hole or break up a big dirt pile if you can drill a 4-6" hole with an auger to place it.

[RalphieJ]

The latest.............

https://townhall.com/tipsheet/katiepavlich/2020/08/05/hezbollah-hoarded-fertilizer-planned-to-use-it-against-israel-in-nuclear-style-attack-n2573756?fbclid=IwAR34dM0Vn5tWnnA-SOg5WhzOC0F67ZEnIEgiv2YXGQTc85CisDTfwTLuauU

[Arclight]

Another good article:
https://www.wired.com/story/tragic-physics-deadly-explosion-beirut/

[displayfireworks1]

This is what the reported storage of the Ammonium Nitrate looked liked while in storage.
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http://www.pyrotalk.com/bulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=5237&stc=1

[displayfireworks1]

5240
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5241
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5242
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I believe this is the technical data for the Nitrorpril .


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Nitropril™ is a strong oxidizing substance, which will react with
organic materials, reducing agents and metal powders. Whilst
not combustible on its own, Nitropril™ supports combustion
and increases the intensity of a fire.
Nitropril™ is not readily detonated in unconfined conditions,
but will react with materials such as strong reducing agents
and metal powders.
When heated to decomposition, Nitropril™ produces nitrous
oxide and white ammonium nitrate mist and or brown fumes.
Brown fumes indicate the presence of toxic oxides of nitrogen

[Squonk]

https://youtu.be/AJ_BgaUZf_c

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJ_BgaUZf_c&feature=youtu.be