Properties and Preparation of Methyl Nitrate

Methyl nitrate, CH3ONO2, is the simplest nitrate ester and one of the strongest liquid explosives. It is obtained from the nitration of methanol as following equation. 

Methyl nitrate is a transparent colorless oily liquid with a sweetish odor. Its density is 1.21 and boiling point is 65-66 °C. The viscosity is lower than water, thus its fluxility is good. It is miscible with alcohols. About 385 g methyl nitrate can be dissolved in 100 mL water at 25 °C. The dissolving capacity of methyl nitrate for collodion and high-nitrogen cellulose nitrate is strong. The vapor of methyl nitrate is flammable and would be exploded at 150 °C. In closed condition, methyl nitrate would be vapor exploded by spark or ultraviolet irradiation at 250-300 °C. 

The decomposition of methyl nitrate will cause spontaneous explosion [47] because of the exothermal property of the reaction. 

The explosion of methyl nitrate induced by spark at 25 °C [48] is different from the heat-induced explosion. The mechanism of the spark-induced explosion is shown as the following steps. 

Oxidation and reduction reactions alternately happen among products to form gases of nitrous oxide and carbon monoxide. Methyl nitrate would be oxidized through spontaneous decomposition path at 300 °C. 

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