Did you know that peanut oil used for cooking has a surprising connection to explosives? Back in the late 1800s, scientists found out that peanut oil contains something called glycerol.
Scientists tried out different things and figured out how to use glycerol to make a powerful explosive called nitroglycerin, which is used in dynamite.
So, even though we use peanut oil for everyday things like frying food, it also played a big role in the history of explosives. This is one of the many cool examples of how everyday items can have unexpected connections to important scientific discoveries. In this article we’re going to uncover the surprising link between peanut oil and dynamite, explaining how a common cooking ingredient can be indirectly involved in the production of a powerful explosive.
The Special Components in Explosives
Peanut oil, like many other cooking oils, contains a component called glycerol. Glycerol is a type of alcohol that’s part of the oil’s makeup. Its chemical formula is C3H5(OH)3, which shows it’s made of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.
How is Peanut Oil Used To Make Explosives?
Glycerol is gotten from peanut oil using a process called hydrolysis. In hydrolysis, peanut oil is mixed with water and heated up. This breaks down the oil into two things: fatty acids and glycerol. Glycerol is a leftover product from this process.
After separating the glycerol, it is then purified by filtering and distilling it to remove any impurities and water. Once glycerol is pure, it can be used in different industries like industrial applications, food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries.
Furthermore, in making explosives like nitroglycerin, the purified glycerol is mixed with concentrated nitric and sulfuric acids. This chemical reaction changes glycerol into nitroglycerin, which is a powerful explosive liquid.
Nitroglycerin is then used in dynamite and other explosives because it releases a huge amount of energy when it explodes.
In essence, peanut oil is not directly used to make explosives. Rather it is used indirectly as it undergoes a process of getting glycerol, purifying it, and then chemically transforming it into nitroglycerin—a process that needs careful handling because of nitroglycerin’s explosive nature.
Are There Any Other Ingredients Used To Make Dynamites?
Nitroglycerin is a key part of dynamite, but it’s not the only ingredient. While nitroglycerin is very powerful, it’s also very unstable on its own. To make it safer and easier to use, other materials were added to absorb the nitroglycerin. These materials, like diatomaceous earth or sawdust, soak up the nitroglycerin and turn it into a more stable, solid form. This way, dynamite can be transported and used without the high risk of blowing up accidentally.
Takeaway
Peanut oil plays a surprising role in the production of dynamite through glycerol, which is found in the oil.
Glycerol is extracted from the oil and then turned into nitroglycerin, an important component of dynamite.
But remember, peanut oil itself isn’t used to make dynamite directly. Besides its explosive connection, peanut oil is also used in things like lotions and medicines, helping to keep your skin soft and making certain drugs.
