Nitro explosives picric acid

Explosives Store in secure location away from all other chemicals. Ammonium nitrate, nitro urea, picric acid, trinitroaniline, trinitroanisole, trinitrobenzene, trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid Flammable liquids, oxidizers, poisons, acids, and bases... 

Explosives derived from Benzene—Toluene and Nitro-Benzene-Di- and Tri-nitro-Benzene-Roburite Properties and Manufacture-Bellite Properties, c.-Securite—Tonite No. 3.-Nitro-Toluene-Nitro-Naphthalene—Ammonite-Sprengel s Explosives-Picric Acid- Picrates-Picric Powders—Melinite-Abel s Mixture—Bmgere s Powders- The Fulminates-Composition, Formula, Preparation, Danger of, c.- Detonators Sizes, Composition, Manufacture—Fuses, c. 

Cone, aqueous solutions of the urea salt will dissolve sohd or liquid aromatic nitro compounds (e g. picric acid [1], or nitrobenzene [2]) to give high velocity explosives. See next item below... 

Nitro or nitrate explosives, normally shock-insensitive, are rendered extremely sensitive by addition of traces of potassium or potassium-sodium alloy. Ammonium nitrate, and nitrate-sulfate mixtures, picric acid, and even nitrobenzene respond in this way. 

Cyclonite is a very important explosive. The outstanding properties of RDX as an explosive are high chemical stability, not much lower than aromatic nitro compounds and high explosive power which considerably surpasses that of aromatic nitro compounds such as TNT and picric acid. RDX has a detonation velocity of8600 ms"1 and a detonation pressure of 33.8 GPa at a density of 1.77 gem"3. RDX is used in mixtures with TNT (Hexotols, Cyclotols, Compn. B) wax (Composition A) aluminum (Hexals) aluminum and TNT (HBX, Hexotonal, Torpex) etc. 

Investigations carried out at that time revealed the outstanding value of cyclonite as an explosive its high chemical stability, which is not much lower than that of aromatic nitro compounds, and its great explosive power, which considerably surpasses that of aromatic nitro compounds, such as trinitrotoluene and picric acid. 

Data from the Griesheim factory [1] show that this may be avoided by adding other aromatic nitro compounds, e.g. TNT, to the picric acid. The addition of even a small amount (5-10%) of such a substance facilitates melting without seriously decreasing the explosive power of the picric acid. 

With the development of the organic chemical industry, aromatic nitro compounds of the TNT type were introduced as ingredients of composite explosives. TNT is preferable to picric acid since it has no acidic properties and hence is much less reactive. Mixtures with TNT and similar nitro compounds showed an excellent chemical stability. 

Mixtures of aromatic nitro compounds with ammonium nitrate were widely used during World War I, when the enormous demand for high explosives could not be met by the output of TNT, trinitronaphthalene, picric acid, trinitroanisole, trinitrophenetole, dinitrobenzene, hexyl etc. 

The explosive properties of mixtures with ammonium nitrate depend on the quantitative relationship between the oxidizing agent and the explosive or combustible substance. According to Parisot and Laffitte s [9, 47] investigations the explosive properties of mixtures of aromatic nitro compounds with ammonium nitrate vary with the change in composition of the system in an almost rectilinear manner. The graph in Fig. 69 shows how the rate of detonation depends on the composition of mixtures of tetryl or picric acid with ammonium nitrate. T. Urbanski et al. [48] also obtained a rectilinear relationship for nitrostarch mixtures with ammonium or sodium nitrate (Fig. 71, p. 265). 

Dynamites were retained for military purposes for some time for use in demolition charges. The disadvantage of these explosives lies in their limited chemical stability. Ultimately, therefore they were replaced by explosives that remain unchanged during storage (aromatic nitro compounds such as TNT, picric acid, and more recently TNT with cyclonite or PETN). 

Explosives and related compounds have become widely recognized as serious environmental contaminants. Among the nitrosubstituted aromatic compounds causing particular concern are 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT), 2,4,6-trinitrophenol (picric acid), and many nitro- and/or amino-substituted aromatics that result from the manufacture and transformation of explosives. The threat posed by the presence of these compounds in soil and water is the result of their toxicity and is compounded by their recalcitrance to biodegradation. 

No m-nitrotetryl is produced if pure dimethylaniline is used in the usual process for the manufacture of tetryl. The amount of this impurity in the usual process depends upon the amount of monomethylaniline which may be present. A large excess of sulfuric acid tends toward the production of m-nitro compounds, but a reduction in the amount of sulfuric acid is not feasible for this increases the amount of benzene-insoluble material. m-Nitro-tetryl reacts with water, as TNA does the nitro group in the 3-position is replaced by hydroxyl, and m-hydroxytetryl or 2,4,6-trinitro-3-methylnitraminophenol, yellow crystals from water, m.p. 183°, is formed. This substance resembles picric acid and forms explosive salts. It is readily soluble in water, and... 

Trinitrotoluene (TNT), Picric Acid (PA), Triaminotrinitrobenzene (TATB), hexanitrostilbene (HNS), 2,4,6-(trinitrophenyl)methynitramine (Tetryl), 1,3,7,9-6H-benzotriazolo[2,l-a]benzotriazol-5-ium (TACOT) and their higher order nitro derivatives, are important nitroaromatic explosives. One of the competing initial steps in the detonation of these nitroaromatics has been shown to involve... 

At present nitration is one of the most widely applied direct substitution reactions. This is due to several factors. For example nitration usually proceeds easily, its products can readily be separated from the spent acid, said there is a wide range of possibilities in the practical use of nitro compounds, both as intermediates and end products. The presence of a nitro group in the starting product made it possible to obtain a number of basic organic intermediates such as aniline said benzidine. Dyes with more than one nitro group, such as picric acid were obtained. It has been found that higher nitrated nitro compounds and nitric acid esters have explosive properties and are of practical importance. Some nitro compounds are used in perfumes. Medicinal properties have lately been discovered in certain nitro compounds, eg. chloramphenicol. 

Until the end of World War I and some years after, nitro derivatives of naphthalene were fairly widely used in mixtures with other explosives, for example with ammonium nitrate (e.g. Schneiderite) or with various other nitro compounds such as picric acid, as well as with potassium chlorate (cheddit) (Vol. III). 

As an explosive the acidic character of picric acid and its readiness to form pic-rates are serious drawbacks. In an attempt to eliminate these disadvantages the substitution of the acid hydrogen by an aliphatic or aromatic radical has been suggested. The compounds thus formed would be picric acid ethers, For the substitution of hydrogen by aromatic radicals the latter were connected with nitro groups. 

Composition A series of high explosives composed principally of picric acid, usually with about 10 per cent of other aromatic nitro compounds added to it for the purpose of lowering the melting point to a safe range for shell-loading. 

Properties Yellow crystals. M. P. 182°. Not very powerful when used alone. Addition of TNT, picric acid, or other nitro high explosives serves the purpose of lowering the melting point os well as that of reinforcement. Mixtures of TNX and ammonium nitrate can be loaded by compression. 

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