Fulminating silver is a historic name which may apply to a number of silver based explosives which "fulminate" or detonate easily and violently. It has no exact chemical or dictionary definition, but may refer to:
- silver fulminate (which, confusingly, is the only "fulminating silver" to be a silver compound with the fulminate anion)
- silver azide, AgN3
- a mixture, a decomposition product of Tollens' reagent
- silver nitride, Ag3N - one of the earliest silver based explosives
- the alchemical substance "Argentum Fulminans"
The stability of many of these compounds can vary depending on how they are stored or handled, with levels of hydration often being a major factor.1
References
References
- Ennis, John L.; Shanley, Edward S. (January 1991). "On hazardous silver compounds". Journal of Chemical Education. 68 (1): A6. Bibcode:1991JChEd..68....6E. doi:10.1021/ed068pA6.