DDNP

Property Mercury fiihninate Lead azide Silver azide Normal lead styphnate DDNP Tetrazene... 

Lead Azide. The azides belong to a class of very few useflil explosive compounds that do not contain oxygen. Lead azide is the primary explosive used in military detonators in the United States, and has been intensively studied (see also Lead compounds). However, lead azide is being phased out as an ignition compound in commercial detonators by substances such as diazodinitrophenol (DDNP) or PETN-based mixtures because of health concerns over the lead content in the fumes and the explosion risks and environmental impact of the manufacturing process. 

Diazodinitrophenol is a yellow powder, almost insoluble in cold water. It does not detonate when unconfined, but when confined has a velocity of 6900 m s-1 and a density of 1-58 g ml-1. For an initiating explosive it is relatively insensitive to friction and impact, but still is powerful when confined. DDNP has good properties of storage and has found application in detonators, particularly in the U.S.A. 

Diazo-4,6-dinitrophenol (DDNP or DINOL) (53) can be prepared from the diazotization of 2-amino-4,6-dinitrophenol (52) (picramic acid) with nitrous acid " the latter is obtained from the selective reduction of picric acid with ammonium sulfide." 2-Diazo-4,6-dinitrophenol (53) is widely used as an initiating charge in detonators and caps. 

For the terrorist, TATP and HMTD offer easy sources of primary explosives. Consulting the do-it-yourself literature, it can be seen that there are two other commonly recommended primary explosives—lead azide Pb(N3)2 and mercury fulminate Hg(ONC)2, but these are difficult to prepare cleanly. The synthesis of diazodinitrophenol (DDNP) (Fig. 2.5), common in commercial detonators, is reported in such publications, but apparently is rarely attempted by clandestine chemists. Typically, the brisance of a primary is less than TNT, but the efficacy is the fact that a shock wave can result from a relatively mild insult. 

DDNP do Sensitive to flame Cold sodium hydroxide... 

This distinction is more in kind than in degree. Small quantities of primary or initiating explosives usually detonate when exposed to flames or high temperatures whiie secondary explosives usually burn or deflagrate under these conditions. However under slightly altered conditions primary explosives can be made to deflagrate and secondary explosives can be made to detonate. Examples of primary explosives are Lead Azide, Mercury Fulminate, DDNP, etc Examples of secondary explosives are PETN, RDX, HMX, Tetryl, TNT, as single HE compns and Comp B, Comp C, PBX 9404, Dynamite ANFO (Ammonium Nitrate/Fuel Oil) as HE mixtures... 

Modified Gap Test results are given in the following tabulation (which shows that DDNP is an efficient donor) ... 

Sjoberg, in 1888, patented expls contg mixts of nitrolactose, nitromolasses and Na nitrate, as well as admixts of the above with Amm nitrate, naphthalene and paraffin. These expls were unduly heat sensitive (Ref 2). Crater patented the use of nitrolactose with materials such as MF and K chlorate, or LA or DDNP in blasting cap charges (Ref 4), as well as its utilization together with oxidizers such as Amm nitrate in blasting expls (Ref 5)... 

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