Pentaerythritol tetranitrate desensitized PETN

Pentaerythritetetranitrate or Pentaerythritol tetranitrate or PETN, wetted with not less than 25 per cent water, by mass or PETN, desensitized with not less than 15 per cent phlegmatizer by mass 0150... 

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. 

To produce explosive derivatives of pentaerythritol less sensitive than pentaerythritol tetranitrate, which could be applied for desensitizing PETN and lowering its melting point, so as to make it possible to fill shells with a molten explosive mixture containing penthrite. 

PETN [pentaerythritol tetranitrate, C(CH20N02)4] is an extremely sensitive high explosive. When used as a booster explosive, a bursting charge, or a plastic demolition charge, it is desensitized by mixture with trinitrotoluene or by the addition of wax. 

Desensitized pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN) (PETN desensitizer = 95 15, mass ratio). 

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