Nitroglycerine propellant

Propellants Nitroglycerin Sodium thiosulfate (after treatment with RPE... 

It might at first seem impossible that nitroglycerine, used to make the first modem blasting explosive, dynamite, could also be used safely to make propellants. Nitroglycerine requires the shock from a blasting cap (or detonator) to canse reliable detonation of the material. When blended with less explosive materials and ignited with flame rather than shock, it is capable of burning, and was found to be qnite nsable and effective in propellant formnlations. 

QHsNjO, OCCH CH.ONO ),. Formed by the nitration of diethyleneglycol. Viscous, colourless, odourless liquid m.p. — ll-5" C. Used to replace nitroglycerin as a propellant. 

Exothermic oxidation—reduction reactions provide the energy released in both propellant burning and explosive detonation. The reactions are either internal oxidation—reductions, as in the decomposition of nitroglycerin and pentaerythritol tetranitrate, or reactions between discrete oxidizers and fuels in heterogeneous mixtures. 

Pure nitroglycerin is a stable Hquid at temperate conditions. It decomposes above 60°C to form nitric oxides which in turn catalyze further decomposition. Moisture increases the rate of decomposition under these conditions. Double- and multibase propellants containing nitroglycerin have substantially shorter stabiHty Hves at 65 and 80°C than do single-base propellants. The decomposition of nitroglycerin proceeds as... 

Trimethylolethane trinitrate (metriol trinitrate) is not satisfactory as a plasticizer for nitrocellulose, and must be used with other plasticizers such as metriol triacetate. Mixtures with nitroglycerin tend to improve the mechanical properties of double-base cast propellants at high and low temperatures. Metriol trinitrate has also been used in combination with triethylene glycol dinitrate as a plasticizer for nitrocellulose. Its physical properties are Hsted in Table 7 (118-122). 

Military. The single-component explosives most commonly used for military compositions are TNT, RDX or HMX, nitrocellulose, and nitroglycerin. The last two are used almost exclusively to make propellants. The production volume of TNT far exceeds that of any other explosive. It is used as manufactured, as a base of biaary slurries with other high melting explosives, or ia ternary systems generally containing a biaary mix and aluminum. 

Industrial. Nitric acid is itself the starting material for ammonium nitrate, nitroglycerin [55-63-0] trinitrotoluene [118-96-7]., nitroceUulose [9004-70-0] and other nitrogen compounds used in the manufacture of explosives (see Explosives and propellants). Nitric acid is made by oxidation of ammonia to nitrogen dioxide [10102-44-0] which is subsequently absorbed by water. 

In 1887, Nobel invented Ballistite composed of 40% low nitrogen nitrocellulose and bOPi nitroglycerin. Cut into flakes, it was a good propellant. The British ignored his patcni and developed a similar product called cordite. ... 

Trinitrotoluene DNT Tetryl Primer materials < s Nitrocellulose j Nitroglycerin 1 j NC-based propellants j Ball Powder j 0> > o PL. -o ra 55 Acid manufacture J Filling of warheads Mfg of extruded rocket grains j Mfg of cast rocket grains... 

A third type of propellant, the composite modified-double-base propellant, represents a combination of the other two types. These propellants are made from mixtures of nitroglycerine and nitrocellulose or similar materials, but with crystalline oxidizers such as ammonium perchlorate also included in the matrix. 

The approach taken in the development of an analytical model for the combustion of double-base propellants has been based on the decomposition behavior of the two principal propellant ingredients, nitrocellulose and nitroglycerin. The results of several studies reviewed by Huggett (HI2) and Adams (Al) show that nitrocellulose undergoes exothermic decomposition between 90° and 175°C. In this temperature range, the rate of decomposition follows the simple first-order expression... 

Just like sulfuric and phosphoric acids, a majority of the nitric acid produced worldwide is used to make fertilizers. Nitric acid, however, is also used to make flares, rocket propellants, and explosives such as nitroglycerin. 

Double base propellant. A propellant based on nitrocellulose and nitroglycerine. 

Paste. In double base propellant manufacture, the initial mixture of guncotton and nitroglycerine. 

Single base propellant. Propellant based on nitrocellulose without the inclusion of nitroglycerine. 

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