the aldehyde used in slug pellets?

[shadopyro]

Hello, I was wondering what the aldehyde used in slug pellets are? I read on the packaging that it was 4% concentration "metaldehyde".

Any searches that i've made have come up with safety precautions etc.

I heard from a friend that when they used to make 99% concentration slug pellets, his dad used to used them to make salutes with it. I think it may have some relation to acetone peroxide or MEKP? it sounds pretty dangerous hence the possible reason why they changed it to only 4% concentration.

[Mumbles]

You can't make salutes with them. Metaldehyde is a polymer of acetaldehyde. It would be possibly flammable, but thats about it. Either your friend is an idiot, or like to make things up.

[Boomer]

... or his dad depolymerized it, reacted it with (para)formaldehyde, then nitrated the resulting stuff .... but unlikely

[Mumbles]

Even then I would hardly call it a salute as there would have to be a blasting cap of some sort. Oh how I wish there was a huge slug problem around here and the only thing that could take care of them was 99% metaldehyde pellets.

[shadopyro]

Heh heh just as i thought, it seemed a little unlikely that a salute could be made from the metaldehyde. i dunno maybe he used something to spread the pellets like in a cannister shell...

...AND besides, if it was possible i would've discovered it in my stupid noob days.

 

thanks for the information

[Axt]

I think it may have some relation to acetone peroxide or MEKP? it sounds pretty dangerous hence the possible reason why they changed it to only 4% concentration.

While there is probably little truth to the story, acetaldehyde will actually form peroxides in contact with H2O2, and the peroxide of acetaldehyde would be considerably more potent then AP for example.

 

From experiance, evaporating formaldehyde/H2O2 deposits an extremely sensitive crystaline peroxide, HO-CH2-O-O-CH2-OH that is liable to detonate even in solution.