Ammonium nitrate (AN) is used as an oxidant in a series of systems with a wide spectrum of applications, from explosive compositions up to smokeless stoichiometric self-burning compositions with low combustion temperature. The knowledge of the thermal stability of such compositions is of great importance in using them in practice. In this work the research of kinetics of heat release in the interaction of AN with different organic compounds has been performed using the automatic differential calorimeter. It has been established that there are some factors controlling the decomposition rate of AN/organic compound compositions. They are: an acidic oxidizing medium, which is characteristic for AN due to reversible dissociation into initial ammonia and nitric acid; the greater volatility of NH3 in contrast to HNO3; positive oxygen balance; the intrinsic thermal stability of an organic component; the capability to derive liquid eutectics, and the possibility of reactions of one component with decomposition products of other components.