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[lucifer@dhp.com (lucifer Anonymous Remailer)]

<TITLE>ammonium triiodide crystals</TITLE>
<FONT SIZE=5>AMMONIUM TRIIODIDE CRYSTALS</FONT>
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Ammonium triiodide crystals are foul-smelling purple colored crystals
that decompose under the slightest amount of heat, friction, or shock, if they
are made with the purest ammonia (ammonium hydroxide) and iodine.  Such
crystals are said to detonate when a fly lands on them, or when an ant walks
across them.  Household ammonia, however, has enough impurities, such as soaps
and abrasive agents, so that the crystals will detonate when thrown,crushed, or heated.  Upon detonation, a loud report is heard, and a cloud of purple iodine
gas appears about the detonation site.  Whatever the unfortunate surface that
the crystal was detonated upon will usually be ruined, as some of the iodine
in the crystal is thrown about in a solid form, and iodine is corrosive.  It
leaves nasty, ugly, permanent brownish-purple stains on whatever it contacts.
Iodine gas is also bad news, since it can damage lungs, and it settles to the
ground and stains things there also.  Touching iodine leaves brown stains on
the skin that last for about a week, unless they are immediately and vigorously
washed off.  While such a compound would have little use to a serious terrorist,
a vandal could utilize them in damaging property.  Or, a terrorist could throw
several of them into a crowd as a distraction, an action which would possibly
injure a few people, but frighten almost anyone, since a small crystal that
not be seen when thrown produces a rather loud explosion.  Ammonium triiodide
crystals could be produced in the following manner:
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<PRE>
      MATERIALS                 EQUIPMENT
     

     -iodine crystals          -funnel and filter paper

                               -paper towels
     -clear ammonia
      (ammonium hydroxide,      -two throw-away glass jars
      for the suicidal)
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1) Place about two teaspoons of iodine into one of the glass jars.  The jars
   must both be throw away because they will never be clean again.
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2) Add enough ammonia to completely cover the iodine.
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3) Place the funnel into the other jar, and put the filter paper in the funnel.
   The technique for putting filter paper in a funnel is taught in every basic
   chemistry lab class: fold the circular paper in half, so that a semi-circle
   is formed.  Then, fold it in half again to form a triangle with one curved
   side.  Pull one thickness of paper out to form a cone, and place the cone
   into the funnel.
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4) After allowing the iodine to soak in the ammonia for a while, pour the
   solution into the paper in the funnel through the filter paper.
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5) While the solution is being filtered, put more ammonia into the first jar
   to wash any remaining crystals into the funnel as soon as it drains.
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6) Collect all the purplish crystals without touching the brown filter paper,
   and place them on the paper towels to dry for about an hour.  Make sure that
   they are not too close to any lights or other sources of heat, as they could
   well detonate. While they are still wet, divide the wet material into about
   eight chunks.
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7) After they dry, gently place the crystals onto a one square inch piece of
   duct tape.  Cover it with a similar piece, and gently press the duct tape
   together around the crystal, making sure not to press the crystal itself.
   Finally, cut away most of the excess duct tape with a pair of scissors, and
   store the crystals in a cool dry safe place.  They have a shelf life of
   about a week, and they should be stored in individual containers that can be
   thrown away, since they have a tendency to slowly decompose, a process which
   gives off iodine vapors, which will stain whatever they settle on.  One
   possible way to increase their shelf life is to store them in airtight
   containers.  To use them, simply throw them against any surface or place them
   where they will be stepped on or crushed.
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<I>From the Terror Handbook</I>