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Acetone peroxide is a chemical compound with the formula C6H12O4 or C9H1806. It is unstable and sensitive to factors such as heat, electricity, and UV light, and can be explosive. It is used in suicide bombings and terrorist attacks, but also has commercial uses as a flour bleach and in fiberglass manufacturing. It was discovered accidentally by German chemist Richard Wolffenstein in 1895.
Acetone peroxide is a chemical compound consisting mainly of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. If the compound is a dimer or has two subunits, its chemical formula would be C6H12O4. If it has three subunits and is classified as a trimer, the formula would be C9H1806. Its normal appearance would be in the form of small white crystals and it has a very sharp, possibly unpleasant odor.
The discovery of acetone peroxide is credited to Richard Wolffenstein, a German chemist. While a professor in 1895 at the Technical University of Berlin, Wolffenstein was studying how coniine, a poisonous chemical compound found in some plants, can be oxidized using different chemicals. In one experiment, he made a solution consisting of acetone as a solvent and coniine as a solute. Wolffenstein added hydrogen peroxide to the solution and accidentally gave a mixture which became acetone peroxide.
The molecules that make up acetone peroxide are said to be unstable, making the chemical compound unpredictable and sensitive to some factors such as electricity, heat and ultraviolet (UV) light. The compound is also sensitive to friction and shock. When peroxide is triggered by any of the above factors, it can react violently by disintegrating and exploding. The compound becomes more unstable when it contains impurities; otherwise, it is somewhat stable in its purest form.
There are a few ways to make acetone peroxide less dangerous and less prone to explosions, such as keeping it liquid and at a low temperature, ideally below 50°F (about 10°C). Storing the compound in an airtight container is also a must, as peroxide evaporated into the air is highly flammable. The peroxide compound is also believed to be more stable when in its trimer form, than in the dimer form. While this may be true, the trimer is still very dangerous.
Acetone peroxide is widely known as an explosive and has been used in various suicide bombings and other terrorist attacks. Use of the compound has increased among terrorists because the formula does not contain nitrogen and can therefore pass through detectors sensitive to nitrogen-containing explosives. What makes it more dangerous is that the compound can easily be made from common household items already containing hydrogen peroxide and acetone, and the “recipe” can easily be obtained from various online websites. Aside from explosives, however, acetone peroxide is used commercially as a flour bleach and in the manufacture of fiberglass.
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