Storage, Use, and Handling of Ammonium Nitrate and Other Oxidizers That Decompose
Elizabeth Buc, Fire and Materials Research Laboratory

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Solid oxidizers have multiple potential physical hazards. NFPA 400, Hazardous Materials Code, includes guidance for the use, handling, storage, fire protection, and emergency response for ammonium nitrate and other oxidizers. Some solid oxidizers, when mixed with a dry combustible fuel and ignited, principally decompose instead of enhance combustion or increase burning rate. Ammonium nitrate is special in that it exhibits a combination of oxidizer physical hazards including reactivity, and decomposition when exposed to heat or fire, which can -- under some condition -- result in explosive properties. The bench scale test used to assign solid oxidizers to Class 1, 2, 3, or 4 can distinguish oxidizers that principally decompose from oxidizers that promote combustion; results of bench-scale test with ammonium nitrate prills are reviewed. Finally, the results of a technical panel's review of NFPA and international codes and standards and historical and recent literature involving ammonium nitrate are discussed.