Mechanism nitramines nitration

Polymer-based rocket propellants are generally referred to as composite propellants, and often identified by the elastomer used, eg, urethane propellants or carboxy- (CTPB) or hydroxy- (HTPB) terrninated polybutadiene propellants. The cross-linked polymers act as a viscoelastic matrix to provide mechanical strength, and as a fuel to react with the oxidizers present. Ammonium perchlorate and ammonium nitrate are the most common oxidizers used nitramines such as HMX or RDX may be added to react with the fuels and increase the impulse produced. Many other substances may be added including metallic fuels, plasticizers, stabilizers, catalysts, ballistic modifiers, and bonding agents. Typical components are Hsted in Table 1. 

Oxidizers. The characteristics of the oxidizer affect the baUistic and mechanical properties of a composite propellant as well as the processibihty. Oxidizers are selected to provide the best combination of available oxygen, high density, low heat of formation, and maximum gas volume in reaction with binders. Increases in oxidizer content increase the density, the adiabatic flame temperature, and the specific impulse of a propellant up to a maximum. The most commonly used inorganic oxidizer in both composite and nitroceUulose-based rocket propellant is ammonium perchlorate. The primary combustion products of an ammonium perchlorate propellant and a polymeric binder containing C, H, and O are CO2, H2, O2, and HCl. Ammonium nitrate has been used in slow burning propellants, and where a smokeless exhaust is requited. Nitramines such as RDX and HMX have also been used where maximum energy is essential. 

The term nitrolysis is usually applied to a nitrating mechanism in which both the rupture of the C-N bond and the formation of a nitramine occur simultaneously with the formation of an alcohol which subsequently undergoes esterification (1) ... 

If nitration under acidic conditions could only be used for the nitration of the weakest of amine bases its use for the synthesis of secondary nitramines would be severely limited. An important discovery by Wright and co-workers " found that the nitrations of the more basic amines are strongly catalyzed by chloride ion. This is explained by the fact that chloride ion, in the form of anhydrous zinc chloride, the hydrochloride salt of the amine, or dissolved gaseous hydrogen chloride, is a source of electropositive chlorine under the oxidizing conditions of nitration and this can react with the free amine to form an intermediate chloramine. The corresponding chloramines are readily nitrated with the loss of electropositive chlorine and the formation of the secondary nitramine in a catalytic cycle (Equations 5.2, 5.3 and 5.4). The mechanism of this reaction is proposed to involve chlorine acetate as the source of electropositive chlorine but other species may play a role. The success of the reaction appears to be due to the chloramines being weaker bases than the parent amines. 

D. Naud, R. Brower, Pressure Effects on The Thermal Decomposition of Nitramines, Nitrosamines, and Nitrate Esters, J. Org. Chem., 57 (1992) 3303-3308. J. Wang, K.R. Brower, D.L. Naud, Evidence of an Elimination Mechanism in Thermal Decomposition of Hexahydro-l,3,5-Trinitro-l,3,5-Triazine and Related Compounds Under High Pressure, J. Org. Chem., 62 (1997) 9055-9060. 

When an explosive slowly decomposes, the products may not follow the previously described hierarchy or be at the maximum oxidation states. The nitro, nitrate, nitramines, acids, etc., in an explosive molecule can break down slowly. This is due to low-temperature kinetics as well as the influence of light, infrared, and ultraviolet radiation, and any other mechanism that feeds energy into the molecule. Upon decomposition, products such as NO, NO2, H2O, N2, acids, aldehydes, ketones, etc., are formed. Large radicals of the parent explosive molecule are left, and these react with their neighbors. As long as the explosive is at a temperature above absolute zero, decomposition occurs. At lower temperatures the rate of decomposition is infinitesimally small. As the temperature increases, the decomposition rate increases. Although we do not always, and in fact seldom do, know the exact chemical mechanism, we do know that most explosives, in the use range of temperatures, decompose with a zero-order reaction rate. This means that the rate of decomposition is usually independent of... 

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