non-selective weedkiller

Hard because it was banned a couple of years back. Though some people may still have a pot kicking about *cough*

Nothing on the bottle says Sodium Chlorate. I think they are lying - it's an alternative. Especially as chlorate was always sold in crystal form and that item is a solution.

I've been using 'Premazor' as an alternative to Simazine and find it quite good. It can be mixed with Roundup for use as a single application.

seems to be above board and pukka

On 14/07/2014 12:13, Rick Hughes wrote: ...

The EU Directive banned it for use as a 'plant protection product' (i.e. weed killer). As the overwhelming use of the chemical was for bleaching paper, it may well still be available as a commercial chemical, just not as a weed killer.

Its being sold as weedkiller

I think the ban was retail only. Not wholesale.

ICBA to look through a dozen EU Directives, 20 Regulations and a huge number of Decisions to be sure, but AIUI, this is part of a wide range of measures that are intended to remove substances that are deemed harmful to the environment from use as weed killers. There should be no differentiation between retail and wholesale supplies. If there is a difference, it is likely only to be in timescales.

Chlorate wasn't banned because it was harmful to the 'environment'. It was banned because its a fine explosive.

It is classed as harmful to aquatic life, with long lasting effects (besides being harmful if ingested and as an oxidising agent).

That was dealt with fairly early on in the IRA campaign by the use of additives and the EU Directive that banned it is only aimed at removing plant protection products that present hazards to human life or the environment, which seems to cover just about every effective weed killer, fumigant and pesticide.

and here was me thinking most old skool weed killers were banned because certain people like to mix it with diesel and do naughty things with the result.

That resulted in the introduction of fireproofed sodium chlorate.

In article , Nightjar

I've always wondered what the chemistry of this was. Probably not a good idea even to ask about it now!

It was mixed with at least 32% of sodium chloride, sodium carbonate or borax, along with an anti-caking agent. I don't see any problems with publishing details of how to *stop* something being used in an explosive. These days I would probably get locked up for what we did in sixth form chemistry lessons though.

I expect the bomb makers are asking for it to continue to be available.. grin. Brian