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Chemistry in the News

What is ammonium nitrate and what happens when it explodes?

Today’s news has been dominated by the terrible explosion in Beirut, Lebanon. The blame for the explosion has been directed at 3,000 tons of ammonium nitrate that was being stored in a warehouse in Beirut’s port. What is ammonium nitrate, why can it explode, and what happens when it does? This graphic takes a look.

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Biochemistry Biology C&EN

The elements of fertilizers – in C&EN

Now that Spring is here and we’re all busy social distancing, it’s likely we’ll all be spending more time in the garden. The latest edition of Periodic Graphics in C&EN takes a look at what’s in the fertilisers we add to our gardens at this time of year, and how they help plants grow. View […]