Silver Acetylide

This is a synth for pure silver acetylide, not the double salts counterpart which can be found here. This explosive is very unstable when completely dry so be very careful with it. It is prepared by bubbling acetylene gas into a basic silver nitrate solution. Usually ammonia water is used for the basic solution, in which pure silver nitrate is dissolved. The ammonia water neutralizes any nitric acid that forms which usually forms the double salt of silver acetylide

2AgNO3 + C2H2 ----> Ag2C2 + 2HNO3

2HNO3 + 2NH3(ag) ----> 2NH4NO3

Materials	Equipment
Silver Nitrate	100ml Graduated cylinder (or equivalent)
Ammonia Water (any concentration)	Funnel and filter paper
Acetylene Gas
Distilled Water

Pour 80mls of any concentration ammonia water (use 10% or lower, you wouldn't want to waste the good stuff). Dissolve 3.5grams of silver nitrate in this ammonia water. Place this in a warm (35-40C) water bath and begin bubbling acetylene gas into it. A precipitate will form almost immediately. After a while, no more precipitate will form. At this time it is time to filter out the silver acetylide.

Pour all the contents into a filter, then pour a little more distilled water in the graduated cylinder. Dump this water into the funnel also to get most of the crystals. wash with some water, then another portion of water and finally with ethanol. Let this dry in small piles or spread out thinly. Handle only when wet and do not try to use