Gamma-TNT

Davis (Ref 4) suggested preparing it from beta-and gamma-TNT s removed from crude TNT on purification with Na ailfite soln. The bulk of these impurities consist of Na sulfonates of DNT s, and, if treated with methylamine, the following reaction occurs ... 

Gamma-TNT or 2,4,5-Trinitrotoluene. Found to the extent of about 2.9% in manuf of 2,4,6-TNT, the principal isomei bund in quantity 95.5%. Two other isomers beta- (or 2,3,4) and zeca- (or 2,3,6) are found in quantities i07o ana rcspecuvciy- vramina lih x... 

The most important of these explosive isomers is the alpha-trinitrotoluene, known as TNT. In crude, commercial TNT, 4 to 5% of impurities are present, consisting mainly of. a mixture of beta-, or 2,3,4-, and gamma, or 3,4,6-trinitrotoluenes. These impurities may be removed by treating the crude TNT with an aqueous solution of sodium sulfite. Ac-, cording to Davis (Ref 3) the beta- and gamma-isomers react with lead oxide in alcohol to form lead dinitrocresolates, while alpha-TNT remains unaffected under similar conditions Refs 1) M. Copisarow, Chem News 118, 13-14 (1919) CA 13, 791 (1919) 2) M.M. Kos-tevitch, Trinitrobenzene Trinitrotoluene, Paris (1927) 3) Davis (1943) p 147... 

Gamma Radiation Effect on Explosives. Using Au-198 radiation the most affected were NG and PbNa, while TNT and Pb sryphnate were most stable. Binary expls such as Ballistite Comp B, primers such as M26 also were studied (Ref 1)... 

TFEt Tetryl 2,4,6-Trinitrophenyl-/S,j8,j8 trifluoroethylnitramine are reported by Avrami et al (Ref 2). Their behavior at different exposure levels is compared with the behavior of the parent compds, TNB TNT RDX HMX are also included as controls. The determinations made on each expl were wt loss, vacuum, stability, mp, IR spectra, DTA, TGA, impact sensitivity, expln temp, and rate of detonation as a function of total gamma exposure. A brief description of the expln-containment irradiation capsule designed used in these studies is also given... 

Ref 6) and Clift Fedoroff (Ref 7) described prepn of MeTetryl from beta- and gamma-Trinitrotoluene isomers always present as impurities on the surface of crysts of etude aipha-TNT. The jS and y isomers can be removed by washing the crysts of crude a TNT with 8% aqueous Na sulfite soln (called Sellite). This converts the isomers into water-soluble dinitrotoluene sulfonates. Then, on their treatment with me thy famine the following reaction takes place ... 

The energy released by the fission of one uranium-235 nucleus is enormous—about seven million times the energy released by the explosion of one TNT molecule. This energy is mainly in the form of kinetic energy of the fission fragments, which fly apart from one another. A much smaller amount of energy is released as gamma radiation. 

One of the first investigations to study the effect of gamma rays on expls was conducted in 1948 by the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory as reported by Noyes and Goodman (Refs 21 23). In this preliminary study 5g samples of RDX, Tetryl, TNT and Composition B were placed for 10 days in a nest of activated uranium slugs for a total gamma dose of 8.6 x 106 R. The rela-... 

Pulsed Reactor Irradiation In the KIWI—TNT test of the NERVA program, BlkPdr was the only igniter tested in a pulse environment (Ref 192). In a M msec pulse, the max dose the BlkPdr was exposed to was 3.0 x 1014 n/cm2 fast neutrons, 1.1 x 101S n/cm2 thermal neutrons and 1.5 x 107 R gamma. On the various tests conducted no adverse effects were evident... 

Procedures for Measuring Blast Wave Density in a 500-Ton TNT Surface Burst , Suffield Technical Note No 258, Defense Research Establishment, Suffield, Ralston, Alberta, Canada (1971) 10) W.E.Voreck J.W. McCahill, Scanning Gamma Ray Densitometer System for Detonators , PATR 4239 (1971) 11)WJ. Fenrick... 

The physical and chemical properties of the first three trinitrotoluenes—the alpha, beta and gamma— are quite well known, since these isomers have been known for some time, and have been prepared in sufficient quantities to enable research, which has embraced many reactions, to be carried out. The last three trinitrotoluenes—the delta, epsilon and zeta— have been discovered in too recent years to enable the scientist to reach definite conclusions concerning their chemical reactions. Practically all that is known concerning these last three isomers is the melting-point. So far as the commercial manufacture of TNT is concerned, the chemical and physical properties of the alpha, beta, and gamma trinitrotoluenes are of vastly more importance than the properties of the others, because the first-mentioned isomers constitute practically 100 per cent of the TNT. Narrowing down the relative importance still more, it is found that interest has centered on but one of the six trinitrotoluenes— the alpha. This is because the alpha or symmetrical trinitrotoluene forms about 98 per cent of the commercial product and the reactions of this product are... 

Preparation. The alpha TNT is prepared most easily by the direct nitration of toluene. There are, of course, varying amormts of the beta and gamma isomers formed. These may be removed from the alpha isomer by the means outlined under the preparation of the beta and gamma trinitrotoluene in the following parar-graph. 

Gamma Esplosivif See above under item A Gomma incongelahile NG 65 2, collod. cotton 5-6, liquid TNT 7-8 AN 15"22% (Ref 14a, p 303)... 

Kaufman (Ref 6) studied the resistance of expls to the effects of low energy gamma rays. Data are repotted for Pb styphnate, TNT, Tritonal, Baratol, Tetryl, Tetrytol, Fentolite, RDX, M15 Propellant, PEXN, Balliscite, JPN Propellant, LA, DDNP, NG MF. No correlation was found between radiation resistance thermal stability, mech sensitivity or ignition temp Refs 1) H. Kallmann W. Schrankler, Naturwissenschaften 21, 379—82(1933)... 

Thus Avrami [71] reviewed radiation effects on explosives, propellants and pyrotechnics. Here are some of the main conclusions taken from the work of Avrami and numerous authors initiating explosives are decomposed under irradiation with a-particles, neutrons, 7-radiation, electron irradiation and underground testing. Among the reviewed papers Avrami reported his own work on the influence of Co gamma radiation on the detonation velocity of explosives they all show a fall in velocity after irradiation. Cyclonite (EDX) appears to be particularly sensitive, less sensitive are PETN and HMX. Aromatic compounds such as TNT and Tetryl seem to be still less sensitive. 

Urizar et al. [61] subjected organic explosives (including TNT, RDX, HMX, tetryl, and PETN) to total neutron fluxes as high as 3 X lO n/cm and 2 X 10 R gamma radiation with no explosions. 

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