Ethyl nitrate, combustion

Methyl and ethyl nitrates are promoters of the combustion of hydrocarbons. Nitrobenzene and aromatic nitrated explosives are mostly insensitive to impact. They become sensitive when potassium or Na-K alloy is present. 4-Nitrotoluene with sodium in diethyl ether medium forms a black residue that combusts spontaneously in air. 

It has been shown by many investigators that gas-phase reachons of nitrate esters are affected by the addition of lead compounds. Adams and coworkers studied the gaseous combustion zone of ethyl nitrate.The flame temperature of the ethyl nitrate was found to be reduced by the addition of 0.1-1.0% by mass of lead tetram-ethyl. The results are shown in Table 6.7. 

Table 6.7 Flame temperatures and combustion products of ethyl nitrate without and with lead tetramethyl (LTM) at 0.1 MPa.

Those contg in its molecule both combustible and oxidizer, such as nitromethane, nitroethane, ethyl nitrate, NG, etc... 

C2H50N02 (g). Thomsen15 measured the heat of combustion of gaseous ethyl nitrate to be 326.4 whence Qf=33.4. 

The nitration heat of ethanol is 25.94 kJ/mol, Thomson calculated the combustion heat -A77 and detonation heat (water) of ethyl nitrate to obtain the values of 1355.78 kJ/mol and 3568.95 J/g, respectively. The explosion property of ethyl nitrate has been well known. However, in a long period, few attentions have been paid to the compound. It only has been used as a component in the liquid fuel of rockets and in explosive mixture with other oxidizers for blasting. 

R. A. Fifer and H. E. Holmes, High temperature pyrolysis of methyl and ethyl nitrate, in "Proceedings of the Seventeenth Symposium (International) of the Combustion Institute", Combustion Institute, Pittsburgh (1979). 

Unlike spark-induced combustion engines requiring fuel that resists autoignition, diesel engines require motor fuels, for vhich the reference compound is cetane, that are capable of auto-igniting easily. Additives improving the cetane number will promote the oxidation of paraffins. The only compound used is ethyl-2-hexyl nitrate. 

Thermochemical data are available (Ref 2) on the heats of combustion and formation for all five isomers, on the heats of nitration from various Dinitrotoluenes for the 23,4-, 2,4,5-, and 2,3,6-isomers, and on the heats of crystn for the 2,3,4- and 2,4,5-isomers. Data are also available (Ref 1) on the shock sensitivities of all of the isomers except 2,3,6-, and on the rates of decompn at 140° of the 23,4-, 2,4,5-, and 23,5-isomers. The detonation pressure and the temp coefficient of decompn between 140 and 180° have been measured for the 2,4,5-isomer 2,3,4- and 2,4,5-TNT form addition compds ( 7r-complexes ) at 1 1 molar ratio with several polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (naphthalene, acenaphthene, fluorene, phenanthrene and anthracene) (Ref 2). 2,4,5-TNT forms complexes with 4-aminozaobenzene, 4-aminoacetophenone, bis (2 hydroxy ethyl) amine, and tris (2-hydroxy-ethyl) amine (Ref 1). The first two have a 1 1 molar ratio, the third 1 2, and the fourth 2 1. Upon heating, the two 4-amino compds react with replacement of the 5-nitro group, as discussed below... 

Can be prepd from phenol or its salts by the use of the foUowing ethylating agents ethyl chloride, ethyl bromide, ethyl p-toluenesulfate, di-. methyl sulfate or triethyl phosphate. Combustible. On nitration it yields products which are suitable for use in expl compns... 

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