So, terrorists were just going to whip up some handy-dandy explosives?

[gridlore]

Not so fast. Instant explosives from household chemicals are found only in old tapes of MacGuvyer, as this excellent blog points out in some detail.

Thanks to the mdlbear for the link.

Comments

Actually, it's quite easy,

[capplor.livejournal.com]

speaking professionally, to mix commonly available ingredients into a bomb. It's called ANFO (Ammonium Nitrate, i.e. common fertilizer, and Fuel Oil). The catch is that it will NOT be something that's particularly impressive in quantities that one person could carry without being obvious.

[mdlbear]

As capplor points out, there are some explosives you can make from common ingredients -- it's just that the one that the media has latched onto isn't one of them.

If there really is peroxide in the mix, I'd guess that the solid ingredient is a powdered fuel of some sort. Otherwise, I would have expected something like ammonium nitrate and fuel oil.

Re: Actually, it's quite easy,

[mdlbear]

Wouldn't take all that much.

The explosive of choice, with truck bombs, I believe

[capplor.livejournal.com]

.

[kengr]

Ethyl nitrate is another possibility. And it's apt to be just as tricky to make in practice.

BTW, my thought from the start about the ban was that for anything in a *beverage* container, making the person take a swig is all the testing you really need.

Re: The explosive of choice, with truck bombs, I believe

[mdlbear]

exactly. Though according to Wikipedia (not always a reliable source) the one used in Oklahoma City was ammonium nitrate and nitrobenzene, which roughly doubles the yield.

[mdlbear]

It was apparently going to be transported in soft drink bottles with false bottoms.