2.2 LIST OF USEFUL HOUSEHOLD CHEMICALS AND THEIR AVAILABILITY Anyone can get many chemicals from hardware stores, supermarkets, and drug stores to get the materials to make explosives or other dangerous compounds. A would-be terrorist would merely need a station wagon and some money to acquire many of the chemicals named here. Chemical Used In Available at ________ _______ ____________ alcohol, ethyl * alcoholic beverages liquor stores solvents (95% min. for both) hardware stores ammonia + CLEAR household ammonia supermarkets/7-eleven ammonium instant-cold paks, drug stores, nitrate fertilizers medical supply stores nitrous oxide pressurizing whip cream party supply stores poppers (like CO2 ctgs.) Head shops, The Alley Belmont/Clark, Chgo magnesium firestarters surplus/camping stores lecithin vitamins pharmacies/drug stores mineral oil cooking, laxative supermarket/drug stores mercury @ mercury thermometers supermarkets/hardware stores sulfuric acid uncharged car batteries automotive stores glycerine ? pharmacies/drug stores sulfur gardening gardening/hardware store charcoal charcoal grills supermarkets/gardening stores sodium nitrate fertilizer gardening store cellulose (cotton) first aid drug/medical supply stores strontium nitrate road flares surplus/auto stores, fuel oil kerosene stoves surplus/camping stores, bottled gas propane stoves surplus/camping stores, potassium permanganate water purification purification plants hexamine or hexamine stoves surplus/camping stores methenamine (camping) nitric acid ^ cleaning printing printing shops plates photography stores Iodine disinfectant (tinture) Pharmacy, OSCO sodium perchlorate solidox pellets hardware stores (VERY impure) for cutting torches notes: * ethyl alcohol is mixed with methyl alcohol when it is used as a solvent. Methyl alcohol is very poisonous. Solvent alcohol must be at least 95% ethyl alcohol if it is used to make mercury fulminate. Methyl alcohol may prevent mercury fulminate from forming. + Ammonia, when bought in stores comes in a variety of forms. The pine and cloudy ammonias should not be bought; only the clear ammonia should be used to make ammonium triiodide crystals. @ Mercury thermometers are becoming a rarity, unfortunately. They may be hard to find in most stores as they have been superseded by alcohol and other less toxic fillings. Mercury is also used in mercury switches, which are available at electronics stores. Mercury is a hazardous substance, and should be kept in the thermometer or mercury switch until used. It gives off mercury vapors which will cause brain damage if inhaled. For this reason, it is a good idea not to spill mercury, and to always use it outdoors. Also, do not get it in an open cut; rubber gloves will help prevent this. ^ Nitric acid is very difficult to find nowadays. It is usually stolen by bomb makers, or made by the process described in a later section. A desired concentration for making explosives about 70%. & The iodine sold in drug stores is usually not the pure crystaline form that is desired for producing ammonium triiodide crystals. To obtain the pure form, it must usually be acquired by a doctor's prescription, but this can be expensive. Once again, theft is the means that terrorists result to. Acacia..................................................Gum Arabic Acetic Acid................................................Vinegar Aluminum Oxide..............................................Alumia Aluminum Potassium Sulphate...................................Alum Aluminum Sulfate..............................................Alum Ammonium Carbonate.......................................Hartshorn Ammonium Hydroxide.........................................Ammonia Ammonium Nitrate........................................Salt Peter Ammonium Oleate.......................................Ammonia Soap Amylacetate............................................Bananna Oil Barium Sulfide...........................................Black Ash Carbon Carbinate.............................................Chalk Carbontetrachloride.................................Cleaning Fluid Calcium Hypochloride..............................Bleaching Powder Calcium Oxide.................................................Lime Calcium Sulfate...................................Plaster of Paris Carbonic Acid..............................................Seltzer Cetyltrimethylammoniumbromide........................Ammonium Salt Ethylinedichloride.....................................Dutch Fluid Ferric Oxide.............................................Iron Rust Furfuraldehyde............................................Bran Oil Glucose.................................................Corn Syrup Graphite...............................................Pencil Lead Hydrochloric Acid....................................Muriatic Acid Hydrogen Peroxide.........................................Peroxide Lead Acetate.........................................Sugar of Lead Lead Tero-oxide...........................................Red Lead Magnesium Silicate............................................Talc Magnesium Sulfate.......................................Epsom Salt Methylsalicylate..................................Winter Green Oil Naphthalene..............................................Mothballs Phenol...............................................Carbolic Acid Potassium Bicarbonate..............................Cream of Tarter Potassium Chromium Sulfate..............................Chromealum Potassium Nitrate.......................................Salt Peter Sodium Oxide..................................................Sand Sodium Bicarbonate.....................................Baking Soda Sodium Borate................................................Borax Sodium Carbonate......................................Washing Soda Sodium Chloride...............................................Salt Sodium Hydroxide...............................................Lye Sodium Silicate..............................................Glass Sodium Sulfate......................................Glauber's Salt Sodium Thiosulfate.............................Photographer's Hypo Sulfuric Acid.........................................Battery Acid Sucrose.................................................Cane Sugar Zinc Chloride.......................................Tinner's Fluid Zinc Sulfate.........................................White Vitriol VINEGAR: 3-5% ACETIC ACID BAKING SODA: SODIUM BICARBONATE DRAIN CLEANERS: SODIUM HYDROXIDE SANI-FLUSH: 75% SODIUM BISULFATE AMMONIA WATER: AMMONIUM HYDROXIDE CITRUS FRUIT: CITRIC ACID TABLE SALT: SODIUM CHLORIDE SUGAR: SUCROSE MILK OF MAGNESIA-MAGNESIUM HYDROXIDE TINCTURE OF IODINE- 4% IODINE RUBBING ALCOHOL- 70 OR 99% (DEPENDS ON BRAND) ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL (DO NOT DRINK!)