Question / flux recipe nitrates

[drifter]

Can ammonium nitrate be used instead of sodium nitrate? Pretty much all flux recipes include sodium nitrate as the oxidizer. Finding it hard to get hold of the sodium nitrate. I've already got a big bag of the other though.

Cheers

ps - this is for the smelting of hard rock cons.

 

[butcher]

I have seen KNO3 used as an oxidizer,
I would not consider ammonium nitrate may prove dangeous???

Ammonium nitrate under heated condition may detonate.

Although I have heard NH4NO3 used with ammonium chloride in fusion to dissolve gold, and have used it in very small portions, in fusion to test for gold in sulfide ore.

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/3802873.html

http://www.actionmining.com/Catalog.PDF

 

[shyknee]

Can ammonium nitrate be used instead of sodium nitrate? Pretty much all flux recipes include sodium nitrate as the oxidizer. Finding it hard to get hold of the sodium nitrate. I've already got a big bag of the other though.

Cheers

ps - this is for the smelting of hard rock cons.

I don't know if it can be used instead of, but it can be converted into sodium nitrate.Again I am not sure of the right amounts to use ,but some one here may be able to help.
the steps would be something like this dissolve ammonium nitrate with just enough distilled water to dissolve a measured amount then filter out anti caking agents.then mix sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) then under a fume hood or out side slowly boil out the ammonium then evaporate and you should have sodium nitrate. Now you will have to use stoichiometric measured ratio amounts, this i can not help with .

good luck and be safe