Decomposition nitroglycol

The effect of dinitrogen pentoxide in a dichloromethane solution on diethyl ether at a temperature lower than 20°C caused a detonation. It was explained by the decomposition of nitroglycol formed as follows ... 

Hicks [67] confirmed these observations for the methyl methacrylate-glycol dinitrate system. The substances have been used at mole ratios ranging from 0.07 to 5.9. Working at temperatures of 25, 60, 80 and 90°C it was established that from 60 to 90°C partial decomposition of nitroglycol takes place and free radicals initiating polymerization are formed. 

The activation energy E of the thermal decomposition of nitroglycol has been estimated ... 

Nitroglycol is a powerful high explosive, which detonates with complete decomposition ... 

Fifty to sixty per cent of ethylene reacts in accordance with eqn. (4), and 40-50% in accordance with eqn. (5). Numerous attempts to use an oil comprising a mixture of (I) and (II) in the manufacture of explosives have been unsuccessful, because jS-nitroethyl alcohol nitrate is insufficiently stable. Experiments have been made to partially hydrolyse the oil with hot water at 80-90°C. Under these conditions nitroethyl nitrate undergoes decomposition, whereas nitroglycol remains unchanged (Oehme [25]). However, the method was not adopted in practice because the yield of nitroglycol is relatively low, i.e. about 40% by weight of the oily product. 

A considerable amount of nitrous acid is present in the spent acid. /J-Nitroethyl nitrate is feebly acidic and dissolves in dilute alkali solutions with a yellow color. It is not sufficiently stable for use in commercial explosives. On digestion with warm water or on slow distillation with steam it undergoes a decomposition or sort of hydrolysis whereby nitrous acid and other materials are produced. Numerous patents have been issued for processes of procuring pure nitroglycol from the Kekule oil. One hundred parts of the last-named material yield about 40 parts of nitroglycol, and the economic success of the Process depends upon the recovery of valuable by-products from the 0-nitroethyl nitrate which is destroyed. ... 

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