Nitro-compounds explosives

Health and safety were absent from the list of priorities in the early decades of the synthetic dyes industry. Practical experience in the primitive working conditions of the time [64] no doubt made workers aware of the more obvious dangers, such as corrosive acids, flammable solvents and potentially explosive nitro compounds. Accidents must have occurred frequently, reminding victims and supervisors alike of the penalties suffered if hazardous chemicals were handled carelessly. 

Yinon, J. Mass Spectrometry of Explosives Nitro Compounds, Nitrate Esters, and Nitramines. Mass Spectrom. Rev. 

Introduction of SF5 Croups into Nitro Compounds As a part of continuing research for energetic materials that combine high performance with low vulnerability toward accidental detonation, the effect of introduction of the pentafluorosulfonyl (SF5) group on the properties of explosive nitro compounds... 

Application of Accelerating Rate Calorimetry (ARC) in Evaluating a Reaction with a Potentially Explosive Nitro Compound. One of our process development projects required the preparation of 2-hydroxy-l-nitro-2-phenylethane via the addition of sodium methoxide to a mixture of one mole of benzaldehyde and one mole of nitromethane in methanol (Scheme 1). 

Explosive nitro compounds exhibit a high degree of chemical stability and undergo no changes during storage. They differ from other explosives by possessing a low sensitivity to impact and friction. 

Explosive nitro compounds and oxidizers ammonium nitrate combined with fuel oil... 

Lactose is not altered by contact with air. Heated with dilute mineral or with strong organic acids, it is converted into galactose. HNOs oxidizes it to mucic and oxalic acids. A mixture of HNOi and HjSO) converts it into an explosive nitro-compound. With organic acids it forms ethers. With soda, potash, and lime it forms compounds similar to those of saccharose, from which lactose may be recovered by neutralization, unless they have been heated to 100° (212° F.), at which temperature they are decomposed. It reduces Fehling s solution, and reacts with Troiumer s test. 

Nitro Compounds as Explosives.—Nitro compounds prepared from aromatic hydrocarbons and certain of their derivatives were very important explosives used in the recent war. The compounds differ markedly in the properties which are characteristic of explosives namely, (1) sensitiveness to shock, (2) explosive force, and (3) the velocity of the explosion through the substance. If (1) is very high the explosive can not be transported very safely (2) determines the amount of the explosive to be used if (3) is very high the pressure is developed to its maximum so suddenly that rupture of the gun in which it is used may take place. Substances which are very sensitive to shock are used as detonators or boosters a small amount of the material is exploded by the trigger and the explosive wave set up causes the explosion of the less sensitive material. Mercury fulminate, lead azide, Pb(Ns)2, and several nitro derivatives of aniline (see below) are used for this purpose. 

Yinon J., Mass Spectrometry of explosives Nitro compounds, nitrate esters, and nit-ramines, Mass. Spectrom. Rev., 1, 257-307, 1982. 

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