Erythritol tetranitrate

Erythritol tetranitrate (butanetetraol tetranitrate), also called nitroerythrite , is a solid melting at 61°C. It was obtained as early as in 1849 by Stenhouse [4], by dissolving erythritol in nitric acid in the cold and afterwards precipitating the 

According to T. Urbanski [5, 6, 7] it forms a number of eutectics with nitro compounds and nitric esters. The composition of some of these and their melting points are given in Table 25. 

The second component Content of erythritol tetranitrate, wt. % m.p. °C Literature 

It also forms molecular addition compounds with a-trinitrotoluene and 2,4,6-tri-nitroanisole (T. Urbadski [6, 7]). 

Its chemical stability and sensitiveness to impact resembles those of nitroglycerine. It is an extremely strong explosive possessing a positive oxygen balance [8]  

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Aubertein Rehling (Ref 15) have shown that treatment with water at approx 100° causes PETN to hydrolyze. At 125° and under pressure, hydrolysis proceeds quite quickly, and is considerably enhanced by the presence of 0.1% HNO3. Regardless of whether it occurs in water alone or in water acidified with nitric acid, the hydrolysis produces mainly Penta-erythritol Dinitrate. A dil NaOH soln causes PETN to hydrolyze.more rapidly than acidified water. PETN neither reduces Fehling s reagent nor enters into addition products with any aromatic nitro compd. In this respect it differs from both Erythritol Tetranitrate and Nitro-mannitol... 

Erythritol tetranitrate 5-30 4-6 hours 5-10 mg three times daily... 

Fry thritol tetranitrate (9), the product from the U-nitration of erythritol, is an explosive equal in power to nitroglycerine and is a solid. Unfortunately, erythritol is not a commercially available chemical, the main source being from some species of seaweed. Consequently, erythritol tetranitrate has never found use as a practical explosive. 

ETN FI Fire bricks Fire gel Flash comp Erythritol tetranitrate Flash incendiary Homemade napalm... 

Erythritol tetranitrate Trinitro methane 1,3,5,7-Tetranitro adamant ane... 

DNB — Dinitrobenzene DNCB — Dinitrochlorobenzene DNCr — Dinitiocresole DNPh — Dinitro-phenol DNT — 2,4, Dinitrotoluene EtN — Erythritol Tetranitrate HNDPhA — Hexanitio-diphenylamine MHeN — Mannitol Hexanitrace MNPh — Mononitrophenol MNT — Mononitrotoluene PA — Picric Acid PETN — Pentaerythritol Tetranitrate TNAn — Trinitroaniline TNAns — Tri-nitroanisole TNB — Trinitrobenzene TNCr — Trinitrocresole TNPh — Tri nitro phenol TNT —... 

The use of nitroglycerine tablets has been known for several decades to dilate the blood vessels promptly thereby decreasing the blood pressure and thus giving instant relief from angina. However, the present trend is to use other esters of nitric acid such as erythritol tetranitrate, mannitol hexanitrate, PETN and other similar derivatives instead of NG for this purpose. These nitric acid esters being crystalline, are not assimilated readily and therefore, act more slowly but produce a longer lasting effect. 

Black powder Di azo di n i trap h eno 1 Erythritol tetranitrate E thyl en edini tramin e Lead azide Lead styphnate Mercuric fulminate Nitrocellulose (12.6-13.4%N) Nitroglycerin... 

Erythritol (ER) and derivs 5 E123-E125 erythritol dinitrate (ErDN) 5 E123-E124 erythritol tetranitrate (ErTeN) 5 El 24-El 25... 

Wide practical application of erythritol tetranitrate has been prevented by the lack of readily available raw material. The main sources of erythritol are certain kinds of moss and sea-weeds, though chemical synthesis from acetylene, according to the following scheme, has been suggested by Reppe [2] ... 

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