Fertilizer You Can’t Make Bombs Out Of
Mixing iron sulfate, a waste product from steel foundries, with ammonium nitrate fertilizer leads to changes in its chemical composition that keep it from detonating in homemade bombs, say researchers at Sandia National Lab in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The researchers devised the formula in response to a request from the Department of Defense for ways to combat the use of improvised explosive devices.
Ammonium nitrate is commonly used to make powerful bombs in Afghanistan and other countries, and it was used in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing that killed 168 people.
In a press release, the researchers said that the new mixture could be even better as a fertilizer than conventional fertilizer, since it could improve the pH of soil and increase the levels of iron in food. If someone tries to alter the iron sulfate and ammonium nitrate mixture to make a bomb, ammonium nitrate turns into ammonium sulfate and iron nitrate, which can’t be detonated, they said.
The researchers won’t patent the formula for the new fertilizer—instead they’ll make it freely available in the hope that that will speed its adoption. They say the new mixture won’t cost more to make than conventional fertilizer. Still, with ordinary ammonium nitrate available in huge quantities all over the world, it could be some time before the advance has a significant impact.
Keep Reading
Most Popular

The big new idea for making self-driving cars that can go anywhere
The mainstream approach to driverless cars is slow and difficult. These startups think going all-in on AI will get there faster.

Inside Charm Industrial’s big bet on corn stalks for carbon removal
The startup used plant matter and bio-oil to sequester thousands of tons of carbon. The question now is how reliable, scalable, and economical this approach will prove.

The hype around DeepMind’s new AI model misses what’s actually cool about it
Some worry that the chatter about these tools is doing the whole field a disservice.

The dark secret behind those cute AI-generated animal images
Google Brain has revealed its own image-making AI, called Imagen. But don't expect to see anything that isn't wholesome.
Stay connected

Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review
Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.