Lead azide

LEAD AZIDE is a needles or white powder. Explodes at 350°C. Insoluble in water. May explode from shock, heat, flame or friction when dry. The primary hazard is the blast effect of an instantaneous explosion and not flying projectiles and fragments.

Lead azide is a severe explosion risk and should be handled under water; it is also a primary detonating compound.

needles or white powder(s); prepared by reaction of dilute solutions of lead nitrate and sodium azide; used as a primary detonating compound for high explosives; α-Pb(N3)2: orthorhombic, a=0.663nm, b=0.546 nm, c=1.625nm; β-Pb(N3)3: monoclinic, a=0.509 nm, b=0.884nm, c=1.751 nm; γ-Pb(N3)2: a=0.622nm, b=1.051 nm, c=1.217 nm [MER06] [CIC73] [KIR78]

Results in an early study were deemed inconclusive because dose levels were not considered high enough. Rats were fed diets containing 100 or 200 ppm (6 or 12 mg/kg/day) sodium azide for 18 months followed by 6 months of observation. An increase in pituitary adenomas in the low-dose females compared to concurrent controls was found, but in this study the incidence in the control rats was unusually low compared to historical controls. A similar result occurred with mammary tumors.No carcinogenicity studies were found for hydrogen azide or lead azide but lead should be used as an analog for the latter chemical.

Lead azide is decomposed by treatment withnitrous acid or ceric ammonium nitrate (Wear1981).

As primer in explosives.In the form of dextrinated lead azide.

Lead azide [Pb(N3)2] is very unstable and must be handled with care. It is used as a detonator of explosives.

Lead azide is used as a primary explosive indetonators and fuses to initiate the boosteror bursting charge. Generally, it is used indextrinated form. Lead azide is also used inshells, cartridges, and percussion caps.

The percussion sensitivity of PbN6 led to its important use as a primer in munitions.

Lead azide crystallizes as colorless needles. It is a sensitive detonating agent, exploding at 350 °C. Lead azide is commonly prepared by the reaction between dilute solutions of lead nitrate and sodium azide. For safety, it is stirred vigorously to prevent formation of large crystals, which may detonate. Lead azide is usually precipitated with a protective material, such as gelatin, and then granulated. Lead azide is also used to prepare electrophotographic layers and for information storage on styrene–butadiene resins.

Molecular Weight:291
Hydrogen Bond Acceptor Count:4
Rotatable Bond Count:2
Exact Mass:291.99510
Monoisotopic Mass:291.99510
Topological Polar Surface Area:28.7
Heavy Atom Count:7
Complexity:107
Undefined Bond Stereocenter Count:2
Covalently-Bonded Unit Count:1
Compound Is Canonicalized:Yes