Nitrate esters as explosives

Organic Chemistry of Explosives 2007 John Wiley Sons, Ltd. [Pg.87]

Pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN) (3) is a powerful explosive which exhibits considerable brisance on detonation (VOD 8310 m/s at = 1.77 g/cm ). It is the most stable and least reactive of the common nitrate ester explosives. The relatively high sensitivity of PETN to friction and impact means that it is usually desensitized with phlegmatizers like wax and the product is used in detonation cord, boosters and as a base charge in detonators. Pentaerythritol tetranitrate can be mixed with synthetic polymers to form plastic bonded explosives (PBXs) like detasheet and Semtex-IA. A cast mixture of PETN and TNT in equal proportions is known as pentolite and has seen wide use as a military explosive and in booster charges. The physical, chemical and explosive properties of PETN commend its use as a high explosive. [Pg.88]

Fry thritol tetranitrate (9), the product from the U-nitration of erythritol, is an explosive equal in power to nitroglycerine and is a solid. Unfortunately, erythritol is not a commercially available chemical, the main source being from some species of seaweed. Consequently, erythritol tetranitrate has never found use as a practical explosive. [Pg.89]

Urbanski has given a comprehensive account of the use of nitrate esters as commercial and military explosives and their detailed industrial synthesis in Volumes 2 and 4 of Chemistry and Technology of Explosives. [Pg.89]

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