TABLE OF CONTENTS

Section

Front cover

Table of contents

Introduction

SAFETY SECTION

1. Chemical safety

1.1 Chemicals involved and risks assigned

1.2 Nitrogen triiodide (predominant form)

1.3 Explosion risks

THEORY SECTION

2. The bomb calorimeter

2.1 The operation of the calorimeter

2.2 Calorimeter calibration

2.3 Calorimeter design and mathematics

2.4 The glass bomb calorimeter

3. Nitrogen triiodide and agar

3.1 Formation, formula and chemical properties

3.2 Preparation of the adduct

3.3 Agar - chemical constitution

4. Analytical techniques

4.1 IR Spectroscopy

4.2 X-Ray diffraction (XRD)

4.3 UV/VIS spectroscopy

5. The use of sound as a detonator

5.1 Theory

5.2 Relation of sound to energy

6. Determination of ammonia in the compound

6.1 Theory

PRACTICAL

1. Stabilisation of nitrogen triiodide

1.1 Under normal conditions

1.2 Agar gel times

1.3 Minimum ammonia required for stabilisation

1.4 I.R. Spectra

1.5 U.V. Spectra

1.6 X-Ray Diffraction

1.7 Bomb calorimetry

1.8 The glass bomb calorimeter

1.9 Rate of NH₃ loss for the ammonia-agar and the sample

1.10 Theoretical determination for delta H_det of NI₃

1.11 Determination of ammonia in the adduct

RESULTS

2.1 Under normal conditions

2.2 Agar gel times

2.3 Minimum ammonia required for stabilisation

2.4 I.R. Spectra

2.5 U.V. Spectra

2.6 X-Ray Diffraction

2.7 Steel bomb calorimetry

2.8 Glass bomb calorimetry

2.9 Rate of NH₃ loss for the ammonia - agar and sample

2.11 Determination of ammonia in the adduct

CONCLUSION

FURTHER WORK

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

TECHNOLOGY USED