Ammonium chloride safety and question about milling it

[Short5]

I have never worked with ammonium chloride but want to try to use it in a smoke composition I saw. I looked at the MSDS info and see it is not good for eyes and is incompatible with nitrates and acids.

 

My first question is what level of precaution do I need to take? Are safety glasses fine or do I need sealed goggles type thing? Any other special precautions or things to know?

 

The comp I found is listed as:

A good non toxic smoke formula from Dr Simon Horwell

 

Potassium Nitrate ....................60%

Charcoal Powder ....................20%

Ammonium Chloride ................20%

 

Has anyone tried it? Thoughts?

 

What about the noted incompatibilities with nitrates and the potassium nitrate in this mix?

 

Should I mill this? Anything I need to know about milling it. Any worries about using it in my black powder drum? I will clean it after but any problem with making BP after ammonium chloride has been milled in there?

 

Thanks for your help, thoughts or comments.

[rveline]

Do you mean incompatabilities with ammonium compounds and potassium nitrate? Could be a storage problem, or if dampend with water. Usually ammonium chloride is used in chlorate/suger type comps with a couple percent sodium bicarbonate to buffer the ph (acidity).

[Shadowcat1969]

Personally, I only mill BP or a subset of BP components in my BP jar. I wouldn't trust that all the composition is removed from pores either in the jar or media surfaces. I use separate jars for other individual chemicals. BP is the only thing I mill as a composition, anything else is milled individually and mixed later, just in case.....

[FlaMtnBkr]

It is probably listed as incompatible with nitrates because of the possible formation of ammonium nitrate which is hygroscopic and will make a wet mess.

 

Ammonium chloride is used in candy in some European countries and is probably fairly safe. It has also been listed as incompatible with chlorates but has been proven safe. Ammonium chlorate is very sensitive but doesn't form for some good reason that I'm not sure of.

[taiwanluthiers]

its something about potassium chlorate not being soluble, and that when ammonium perchlorate is mixed with potassium or barium chlorate, the reaction which tends towards the less soluble. Potassium perchlorate is barely soluble so it takes a little water to get the reaction going, forming potassium perchlorate and ammonium chlorate. However when potassium chlorate and ammonium chloride, potassium chloride is very soluble and so is ammonium chlorate, so the reaction remains at an equilibrium.... at least that's what I get from reading FAST. I tried searching for reference but haven't the time...