Nitromethane-Based Liquid Explosives

Nitxomethane was only recognized as an explosive featuring typical explosion characteristics in the past 30-40 years. Particularly, in 1958, two explosion incidents took place in the railroad tank cars that were transporting nitromethane in the US, proving that nitromethane could he a hquid explosive with strong power. 

The heat of combustion for nitromethane is 708.1 kJ moF under standard conditions, and the enthalpy of formation for hquid nitromethane at 25 °C is -112.99 0.63 kJ mol whereas the one for gaseous nitromethane is only -74.65 kJ/moF at the same temperature. 

Nitromethane can form azeotrope with many organic solvents. Additionally, it can dissolve certain polymers, nitro compounds, and nitrate compounds. Nitromethane is partially miscible with water at 20 °C, the solubility of nitromethane in water is 9.5 % (by volume) or 10.5 % (by mass), meanwhile, the solubility of water in nitromethane is 1.75 % (by mass). Generally, the miscibility of nitromethane increases with the rise of temperature. Dry nitromethane is a neutral substance, thus it possesses excellent storage stabihty. After being stored for certain period of time, wet nitromethane will become acidic, which making it capable of corroding metals, however, adding a small amount of phosphoric acid or phosphate can effectively inhibit corrosion. 

Low-carbon nitroalkanes have similar physical properties as nitromethane, but they are comparatively more difficult to detonate, exhibiting inferior detonation properties, therefore, they are mainly used in liquid explosive mixtures to lower the freezing point of nitromethane. Table 7.1 listed the physical properties of four low-carbon nitroalkanes including nitromethane (NM), nitroethane (NE), o-nitropro-pane, and nitropropane. 

As shown in Table 7.1, increasing the number of carbon atoms in nitroalkanes can lead to the rise of density, which in turn would increase the difficulty of detonation, ultimately dampening detonation properties. 

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BIS ( -AMINOETHYL) AMINE (111-40-0) C4H33N3 Combustible liquid [explosion limits in air (vol %) 1 to 10.0 flash point 216°F/102°C cc autoignition temp 676°F/358°C Fire Rating 1]. An organic base. Ignites spontaneously with cellulose nitrate and possibly with other nitrogen compounds. Silver, cobalt, or chromium compounds may cause explosions. Contact with nitromethane forms a heat-, friction-, and shock-sensitive explosive. Violent... 

BUTANIC ACID (107-92-6) C4H,02 CH3(CH2)2C00H Combustible liquid [explosion limits in air (vol %) 2 to 10 flash point 161°F/72°C cc autoignition tenp 842°F/450°C Fire Rating 2]. Violent reaction with amines, strong oxidizers, chromium trioxide >212°F/>100 (incandescent reaction) furfuryl alcohol (explosion), hypochlorites, isocyanides, nitromethane, chromic acid, nitric acid, hydrogen peroxide, phosphorus pentaoxide, all bases (exothermic reaction) reducing... 

Nitromethane is active chemically, can have many chemical reactions as a chemical reagent or synthesis intermediate. It also can be used as solvents for cellulose nitrate, cellulose acetate, cellulose acetate, vinyl resin, polyacrylate coating, beeswax, etc. base or other materials can be added into nitromethane for generate explosives when nitromethane is mixed with strong oxidant hydrogen peroxide or N2O4, it can be used as liquid rocket propellants and fuel nitromethane can also be used in medicine, dyes, insecticides, fungicides, stabilizers and surfactants. 

Liquid mixtures with detonable materials (picric acid, nitromethane) were extremely powerful explosives, and those with nitrobenzene or dimethylformamide less so. See other PERCHLORATE SALTS OF NITROGENOUS BASES... 

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