caustic soda - difficult to obtain

[David in Normandy]

As a teenager studying chemistry 30 years ago I made all manner of fireworks to entertain myself and friends. The biggest "banger" I ever made was with nitroglycerine which I'd made myself from available chemicals. In those days it took quite a bit of research on how to make the stuff properly and safely. Nowadays I bet anyone can just pull the details off the internet.

Reckless days, at least I've still got fingers and limbs but suffer some tinnitus which may or may not be related. I heard of other kids who did similar experiments but didn't live to tell the tale or who are minus bits of anatomy. It doesn't half go with a bang! My (farmer) parents weren't impressed with the crater I'd left in their field though. My mother nearly had a fit when it went up!

[Andy Dingley]

That's a potential risk alright, but conc. sulphuric is easy to obtain, nitric anything but.

[David in Normandy]

If memory serves correct conc. sulphuric can be used with other easily available chemicals to make conc. nitric in a roundabout sort of way. Of course once you've got the two then... nuf said.

Conc sulphuric is really the backbone of the chemical industry and the basis of lots of chemical manufacturing processes.

[Andy Dingley]

That's on the level of, "rebuilding society from the post-apocalyptic ruins with two sticks and a copy of Urbanski"

If you can make nitric acid from sulphuric, you wouldn't have much problem making the sulphuric either, and you're unlikely to be caught unawares by an unanticipated nitration reaction.