Storage of fertilizer grade ammonium nitrate (FGAN) is common worldwide.
Bismuth nitrate pentahydrate (Bi(NO3 3·5H2O, analytical grade), ammonium metavanadate (NH4VO3, analytical grade), ammonium carbonate, and ammonium molybdate ((NH4 2MoO4) were obtained from Sigma Aldrich and used as received, without any further purification.
Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA, MW-25,000; 16,000), and sodium tripolyphosphate (TPP), ammonium formate (MS grade), acetonitrile and methanol (LC MS grade), ammonium acetate (MS grade) and formic acid (purity > 98%) were obtained from Sigma-Aldrich (St Louis, MO).
Yttrium (III) acetate hydrate 99%, technical grade oleylamine 70%, reagent grade ammonium hydroxide 30%, yttrium (III) nitrate hexahydrate 99.8%, ethylene glycol anhydrous 99.8%, reagent grade ethanol 99.5%, reagent grade methanol 99.8%, reagent grade chloroform 99.8%, and reagent grade hexanes 98.5% were all purchased from Sigma Aldrich (St . Louis MO) and used without further purification.
Methanol, acetonitrile, acetic acid (analytical grade), ammonium acetate, and sulphuric acid were purchased from J. T. Baker (Deventer, Holland).
Acetonitrile (ACN) (LC-MS Chromasolv grade), ammonium formate (for LC-MS), and formic acid (for LC-MS) were obtained from Sigma-Aldrich (Stockholm, Sweden).
There were about 300,000 pounds of fertilizer-grade ammonium nitrate on the premises.
More than 1,300 facilities nationwide store the type of agricultural chemical that set off the explosion: fertilizer-grade ammonium nitrate.
State and federal officials have failed to issue regulations governing facility locations, and fertilizer-grade ammonium nitrate is not categorized as an explosive or hazardous material, the report said.
Meanwhile, 19 other sites in Texas each continued storing at least 10,000 pounds of fertilizer-grade ammonium nitrate within a half-mile of a school, hospital or rest home.
The agency made numerous safety recommendations to officials, including revising a federal chemical-safety program to include fertilizer-grade ammonium nitrate and requiring automatic fire-sprinkler systems for the indoor storage of the chemical.
