KNO3, NaNO3, LiNO3 and RbNO3 are hygroscopic, AgNO3 is non hygroscopic.
The combustion reaction of hexamine is (CH2)6N4 + 10O2 → 4CO + 2CO2 + 2NO + 2NO2 + 6H2O
Therefore a chain reaction starts.
The more H2O the alkali-metal nitrates absorb, the more energy they need to release O2. On the other hand hexamine is decomposed as following:
(CH2)6N4 + 6H2O → CH2O + 4 NH3
The ammonia solution is alkaline because of the reaction:
NH3 + H2O ↔ NH4++OH-
Adding copper sulfate solution to the aqueous reaction product of hexamine and the alkali-metal nitrate, leads probably because of the residue of hexamine and the decomposing of water and hexamine to copper(II) hydroxide:
[Cu(H2O6)]2++2 OH- → 6 H2O + Cu(OH)2
Hence, my new theory is, that hexamine can only be oxidized with non hygroscopic nitrates.
Author: M. Bindhammer, Team Selene
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