Nitrate explosive

The first successhil attempt to make textile fibers from plant cellulose can be traced to George Audemars (1). In 1855 he dissolved the nitrated form of cellulose in ether and alcohol and discovered that fibers were formed as the dope was drawn into the air. These soft strong nitrocellulose fibers could be woven into fabrics but had a serious drawback they were explosive, nitrated cellulose being the basis of gun-cotton (see Cellulose esters, inorganic esters). 

Cellulose nitrate (pyroxylin) [9004-70-0], made from cellulose and a mixture of nitric and sulfuric acids, is called gun cotton and is used in explosives. Nitrates of lower DS find some appHcation in coatings and adhesives. 

G.L. Griffith W.L. Schwoyer, USP 3457128 (1969) CA 71, 72517 (1969). Particulate self-explosive nitrated materials, such as Nitro-starch, PETN, TNT,.and their mixts, can be made relatively safe to handle and transport thru formation of a uniform nongelled aq slurry containing 10—50% water and 0.5—10% partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide suspending agent having 0.1—50% free acid, and = 50% unhydrolyzed amide groups, and a mw of 1,000,GOO-... 

The explosive nitration product of melamine was identified as the title compound... 

Dinitroazetidine salts were studied as explosives nitrate, dinitroimidate, 2,4-dinitroimidazolate, 4,4, 5.5 -tctranitro-2.2 -biimidazolate, 5-nitro-l,2,4-triazolonate... 

A mixture of AN and water forms a low-strength explosive referred to as a slurry or emulsion explosive. Since a mixture of AN and water cannot be detonated by initiation with a moderate detonation strength, to formulate practical slurry explosives nitrate esters such as monomethylamine nitrate, ethylene glycol mononitrate, or ethylamine mononitrate in conjunction with aluminum powder are added as sensitizers that facilitate the initiation of detonation. 

Many hydrocarbons furnish explosive, nitrates or nitrocompounds on nitration. (See under individual compounds)... 

Naoiim [68] has drawn attention to the nitric acid salts of ethanolamine nitric esters (O-nitrated etlianolamines), i.e. mono-, di- and triethanolamine nitrate salts, as substances suitable for explosives. Nitration of a mixture of all three ethanolamines furnishes an oil-like, insufficiently stable product, readily decomposed with the evolution of oxides of nitrogen. The individual substances are crystal products soluble in water, in which they are hydrolysed. e... 

Naphthalene is the most abundant pure hydrocarbon obtained from coal tar. It takes on three nitro groups readily, and four under vigorous conditions, but ordinarily yields no product which is suitable by itself for use as an explosive. Nitrated naphthalenes, however, have been used in smokeless powder and, when mixed with ammonium nitrate and other materials, in high explosives for shells and for blasting. 

Oxidants. Mixtures of nitrobenzene with sodium chlorate,9 nitric acid,10 and nitric acid and water10 are powerful explosives. Nitration of nitrobenzene with nitric and sulfuric acids may be explosive without adequate temperature control.10 A mixture of nitrobenzene and nitrogen dioxide forms a highly explosive liquid.11... 

The first reaction is run over platinum-rhodium catalysts at around 900°C (1,652°F). In the second and third stages, a mixture of nitric oxide and air circulates through condensers, where it is partially oxidized. The nitrogen dioxide is absorbed in a tower, and nitric acid sinks to the bottom. Nitric acid is mainly used to make ammonium nitrate, most of it for fertilizer although it also goes into the production of explosives. Nitration is used to manufacture explosives such as nitroglycerine and trinitrotoluene (TNT) as well as many important chemical intermediates used in the pharmaceutical and dyestuff industries. 

Figure 5. Average recovery rate on the SPE of three kinds of explosives nitrate esters (NE), cyclic nitroamines (CNA), and nitroaromatics (NA) and summarized T value as a function of (a) specific surface area and (b) pore volume of carbon adsorbents.

Nitric acid used in explosives, nitrate fertilisers and in electroplating units... 

Nitrates are the salts involving the nitrate species (NO3 ), such as potassium nitrate. They are strong oxidizers and common components of explosives. Nitrate solutions may contain sufficient nitric acid to be corrosive. Nitrites involve the nitrite species (NO2 ) and include sodium nitrite, a characteristically strong oxidizer. Nitrites react with acids to evolve hydrogen cyanide and, as liquids, evolve toxic vapours. 

In order to improve the detonation performance of slurry explosives, nitrate-o-ethylbenzene, 40 % gum explosive, and 60/40 RDX were used as detonation agents, separately, and the comparison results of detonation in blasting crater with different sizes are given in Table 7.27. The results demonstrate that performance of nitrate-o-ethylbenzene using as detonation agent would be worse than 60/40 RDX but better than 40 % gum explosive. The results also show that the power of nitrate-o-ethylbenzene is greater than no. 2 ammonium nitrate explosive up to 70 %. The experimental results are given in Table 7.28. 

Nitrates, nitro and nitroso compounds may be explosive, especially if more than one nitro group is present. Alcohols and polyols can form highly explosive nitrate esters (e.g., nitroglycerine) from reaction with nitric acid. 

Nitrate sensitized with gelled nitroparaffin Nitrated carbohydrate explosive Nitrated glucoside explosive Nitrated polyhydric alcohol explosives Nitrates of soda explosive mixtures Nitric acid and a nitro aromatic compound explosive... 

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