Oppau explosion

The explosion generated a balance left 500 people dead and over 2,000 injured. It destroyed 80% of buildings Oppau, and formed a crater 125 meters long and 19 meters deep. The explosion was heard more than 300 kilometers away.

BASF plant in Oppau, Germany, producing ammonium sulphate, but for the lack of sulfur in the First World War, changed its production of ammonium nitrate.

Ammonium nitrate is hygroscopic, which makes mixing with ammonium sulfate product previous plant, and under the pressure of its own weight in a storage silo, becomes a plaster-like solid.

Workers had to use picks to remove material from the silos. It was against this problem decided to use small amounts of dynamite to loosen the material from silo 4500 tons of ammonium nitrate and ammonium sulfate had solidified.

The explosive nature of ammonium nitrate made this not a good idea.

Paulina Romero.