Mercuric-5-nitrotetrazole

Mercuric-5-nitrotetrazole [Structure (2.13)] was prepared according to the methods reported by Gilligan et al. [14] and Redman and Spear [15]. Thus, 5-aminotetrazole was treated with sodium nitrite and copper sulfate to obtain Cu(NT)2HNT-4H20 (where NT nitrotetrazole). The copper salt was subsequently converted to the ethylene diamine complex MNT was then obtained by treating the complex with mercuric nitrate in HN03 medium. The precursors and final product were air dried. The synthesis of these compounds is carried out in a fume hood behind a protective polycarbonate shield in a stainless steel reaction vessel. 

Gilligan, W.H., and Kamlet, M.J. (1976) Synthesis of mercuric-5-nitrotetrazole. US, NTIS AD Rep AD-A036086 Chem. Abstr., (1977) 87,154288h. 

Redman, L.D., and Spear, R.J. (1983) Mercuric-5-Nitrotetrazole a possible replacement for lead azide in Australian ordnance. Part I an assessment of preparation methods. Materials Research Laboratory, Melbourne, Report No. MRL-R-901 Chem. Abstr., (1984) 100,194540. 

Equations for the conversion of the ethylene diamine complex to Mercuric-5-Nitrotetrazole are ... 

Mercuric 5-Nitrotetrazole is a powerful primary expl It detonates at 7cm (2.5kg wt) on the Naval Surface Weapons Center impact machine, is sensitive to friction, and has an expin temp of 210°. All operations should be carried out behind a safety screen with the minimum exposure, by experienced personnel... 

About 60mg of Mercuric 5-Nitrotetrazole is dissolved in 20ml of 20% afnm acetate soln and then dild to 250ml with w. A second diln of about one to ten is then made with 2% amm acetate soln and the absorption is measured at 257m/r against a reagent blank... 

Safety Data of Mercuric-5-Nitrotetrazole [Hg(NT)2l and Its Intermediates (from Ref 8)... 

M. Chang, Process Scale-Up for Mercuric-5-Nitrotetrazole , NSW/WOL-TR-77-82, Dahigren... 

Glover, Analysis of Mercuric 5-Nitrotetrazole , NSWC/WOL/TR-77-71, Dahigren Silver Spring... 

MERCURIALIN or MERCURIALIN SOLUTION (74-89-5) see methylamine. MERCURIC ACETATE (1600-27-7) Light and heat and can cause decomposition. May react violently or form sensitive explosive con5)ounds with 2-butyne-1,4-diol, fluoroacetylene, a-nitroguanidine, 5-nitrotetrazol, and others. Incompatible with ammonia, hydrozoic acid, methyl isocyanoacetate, sodium acetylide, sodium peroxyborate, trinitrobenzoic acid, urea nitrate. 

Silver salt of 5-nitrotetrazole is known to exist in six polymorphic forms which is the major disadvantage of this compound [4], whereas the mercuric salt does not exhibit polymorphism [54]. The very wide range of crystal structures of Hg(NT>2 has been reported [4]. The big drawback of mercury 5-nitrotetrazole is its incompatibility with aluminum [42]. 

Other metallic salts of 5-nitrotetrazole (e.g., silver) are prepared by treating aqueous solutions of NaNT, [Cu(en)2](NT)2, or [Cu(pn)2](NT)2 with the soluble version of the relevant metallic salt [4,41,42,46,47,53,54,59,65,67]. In the case of [Cu(en)2](NT)2 or [Cu(pn)2](NT)2 diamine must first be broken down and destroyed or made inactive to prevent complex formation with the metal. This is easily achieved by reaction with nitric acid (to tie up the diamine) followed by addition of the mercuric nitrate solution (mercuric salt forms) [4, 42, 46, 56, 66]. The several methods of Hg(NT)2 analysis are summarized in [67]. 

Gilligan, W.H., Kamlet, M.J. Synthesis of Mercuric 5-nitrotetrazole. Report NSWC/WOL TR 76-146. Navel Surface Weapons Center, Silver Spring, MD (1976)... 

Redman, L.D., Spear, R.J. Mercuric 5-Nitrotetrazole, a Possible Replacement for Lead Azide in Australian Ordnance. Part 1. An Assessment of Preparation Methods. Report MRL-R-901, Department of Defense, Material Research Laboratories, Ascot Vale, 1983... 

Scott, C.L. Mercuric 5-nitrotetrazole as a lead azide replacement. In Proceedings of the International Conference on Research in Primary Explosives, vol. 2, pp 15/1-15/23 Waltham Abbey, (1975)... 

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