Hazardous Chemicals that could have caused the Explosion

Fire and Explosion Investigation
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Identify hazardous chemicals that could have caused the explosion
According to ABS Consulting (2015, p. 1-1), the hazardous chemical that primarily could have caused the explosion is ammonium nitrate (AN). The chemical is mainly utilized by fertilizer companies, such as West Fertilizer Company, in the granulated form to make fertilizer for decades, resulting in explosions if not properly stored. The large quantities of the chemical, 40 to 60 tons, were held in the Main Ammonium Nitrate Bin, while the rest was stored in the overflow bin meters away. Other chemicals, such as potassium magnesium, potassium chloride, diammonium phosphate, and ammonium sulfate, housed in the same storage unit as the ammonium nitrate, could have caused the explosion as well (ABS Consulting, 2015).
Determine what type of reaction took place
According to the West Fertilizer Incident Support Services Report, the chemical reaction that took place was exothermic. An exothermic reaction refers to a chemical reaction that generates heat when it undergoes a reaction (ABS Consulting, 2015, p. 2-7). When an increase in temperature occurs, the granulated ammonium nitrate heats up and eventually decomposes into nitrogen gas, water vapor, and oxygen when temperatures reach an average of 230 degrees Celsius. The reaction occurs under certain conditions, such as the physical properties of the ammonium nitrate. The large particle structure, size, and density of the ammonium nitrate make it a bulk property that quickly generates heat when the temperature rises. In this case, the granulated ammonium nitrate increases its density making it more probable to react with an increase in temperature resulting in decomposition...