Re: Cyanide and almonds

George Mackie (mackie@uvic.ca)
Mon, 02 Feb 1998 18:46:02 -0800

>>
>Picric acid is stable as long as ther is moisture present, it is when ir
>dries that it becomes a contact explosive,.

I would just add that the lid is the thing to watch- if some picric acid has
dried around the top of the container, unscrewing the lid, or removing the
stopper could grind the stuff and set it off. We biologists always keep
picric acid under water, as a saturated solution. George