It is therefore high explosive, although very insensitive to impact and difficult to detonate. Silver nitrate is colourless and odourless. It is commercially available as transparent, tabular, rhombic crystals. It becomes grey or greyish-black on exposure to light in the presence of organic matter. It is not photosensitive when it is pure.
Silver nitrate is a strong oxidising agent.
It is caustic and irritating to skin, tissue and mucous membranes. Swallowing can cause severe gastroenteritis that may be fatal. It decomposes at 440 degrees C into metallic silver, nitrogen, oxygen and nitrogen oxides. It is used in photographic film, making of mirror, silver plating, hair dyeing, porcelain colouring, ivory etching, etc.