What makes a fertilizer fire so volatile

Friday, April 19, 2013 - 22:30 in Earth & Climate

ByMarc LallanillaLiveScienceA fire anywhere is cause for concern, but a fire at a fertilizer plant is a potential catastrophe.That's because ammonium nitrate, a chemical commonly used in agricultural fertilizers, is a highly explosive compound, as shown by the massive fireball at the fertilizer plant in the town of West, Texas, on Wednesday.Nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium are essential plant n...    

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