thecages

I wonder whether this will cause me to blip onto the Carnivore/Echelon radar.
Hello officers of the Total Information Awareness squad :)


One of the side effects of the recent liquid/gel is that every angry teenager has (probably - hopefully) by now checked out TATP - Triacetone Triperoxide.

I've not messed around with explosives for many years now[1] and truth be told I've actually become quite scared of volatile chemical reactions[2].

But this TATP shit is just TOO EASY to not reely want to try making it.
Some lite reading from some totally legit sources (no Mujahideen training required).


Disclaimer: I have no idea what I'm talking about - at work this isn't a problem, but in reel life it could get you killed.

The basic principle is this:

• Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2) is rich in both Oxygen and Hydrogen - two bad muthers when it comes to oxidisation (the foundation of all violent reactions).
• Acetone (CH3COCH3) is a very volatile Ketone (it boils at -95.4 °C) which makes it a freaky partner for a strong oxidant (such as Hydrogen Peroxide).
• The two can be tickled into a very unstable multi-peroxide structure by a suitable catalyst (which Sulphuric acid just happens to be).
• This structure (shown below) forms a crystaline powder which[3] will happily dissociate into gaseous compounds - very quickly.

The explosive power of TATP does not involve the release of heat (unlike the vast majority of explosive reactions) - it occurs simply due to the very rapid reduction in density as the material returns from solid back to a gaseous state.
Doesn't sound very exciting (no orange ball of flame) but don't be fooled - TATP was the compound that ripped apart London in July 2005.


Very little equipment is needed (glassware, eyedropper, fridge, spare digits), the procedure is simple and the result (I believe) could be relatively safely transported in a cold water solution.

And now the real question: is it worth synthesising? Should it be synthesised?

I think so. I think that every serious individual should consider strolling down to their local hardware/pharmacy, should consider following the procedure to produce a minor amount (1 gram will do[4]) in solemn sincerity.
Not to blow up neighbourly post boxes or to threaten those they don't like; but just to push at the boundaries of their outstretched arms.

It's simply a hack - an elegant scratch at the sterile surface of OK-every-day living that reminds how thin the regulatory veneer of mediocre society is.
A tiny flash that is proof of how little it takes to cut through to the reality where you're not meant to go.


[1] Since nearly blowing off my right thumb when I should already have known better
[2] After another near miss with superboiling catalysts a few years ago
[3] With a slight injection of energy in the form of heat, friction or pressure
[4] The largest stockpile that I could find information about was a 400Kg depot found in Gaza during an Israeli raid.