Hexamethylenetetramine dinitrate

Hexamethylenetetramine dinitrate ( hexamine dinitrate) itself is of no importance as an explosive. However, it plays a considerable part in the production of cyclonite by one of the methods described in Vol. III. Hexamine dinitrate is prepared from hexamine by treating it with 50- /0% nitric acid, at a temperature not above —15°C. 

Springall, A. T. Thomas and T. Urbariski [65] have established that boiling an aqueous solution of hexamine dinitrate causes the substance to transform into methylhexamethylene mononitrate (II). 

The base of the nitrate (II) has proved to be identical with Knudsen s base for which an incorrect formula was given by Knudsen [66], and identical with the product (H) of interaction of methyl nitrate with hexamine described by Hahn and Walter [67]. 

Observations also made by Foss et al. [65] showed that a certain amount of the nitrate (II) is produced during prolonged storage of hexamine dinitrate owing to partial decomposition followed by the reduction of formaldehyde to a methyl radical. 

This is of practical importance, for the presence of the substance (II) in (I) may reduce the purity of cyclonite. 

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In the presence of acetic anhydride hexamethylenetetramine dinitrate may be transformed into the product (XIX), and then into (XX). These are the analogues of substances (V) and (VI). 

The chemistry of the preparation of RDX is highly complex. When hexamethylenetetramine is reacted with nitric acid, hexamethylenetetramine dinitrate is formed which is then nitrated to form an intermediate Compound I as shown in Reaction 7.10. 

Lastly, the KA-process (Bachmann process) is based on the reaction between hexamethylenetetramine dinitrate and ammonium nitrate with a small amount of nitric acid in an acetic anhydride solution. The chemical reaction is presented in Reaction 7.15. 

KA process (inventors Knottier and Apel in USA Bachmann) hexamethylenetetramine dinitrate is reacted with ammonium nitrate and a small amount of nitric acid in an acetic anhydride medium. Cyclonite is formed in a similar manner as in the E process. The waste acetic acid thus formed is concentrated, subjected to the so-called ketene process, recycled, and the regenerated acetic anhydride is re-used. 

Hexamethylenetetramine dinitrate can be prepared from hexamethylenetetramine and nitric acid of medium concentration it is an important precursor of RDX (-< Cyclonite) manufactured by the Sachmann method. 

The above starting material is formed when acetic anhydride is made to react on hexamethylenetetramine dinitrate. 

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