Properties and Preparation of Trinitromethane

Oxygen balance 37.1 % (calculated according to the produced CO2) Content of nitrogen 27.83 % 

Oily liquid or white crystals The relative density 1.479 Melting point 22 °C Boiling point 48 °C (2,266 Pa) 

Trinitromethane is a weak explosive with explosion enthalpy of -3,120 J/g. Its standard heat of formation is -38.58 kJ/mol or -255.46 kJ/kg. 

Trinitxomethane have two tautomers. The colorless nitro type tautomer is present in an acidified solution and solution of diethyl ether or carbon disulfide the yellow acid type one is present in aqueous (without strong acid) or basic solution, pKa = 0.2. 

The preparation of nitromethane at laboratory is the nitration of cyanide acid with mixed acid at 10-30 °C to obtain trinitro acetonitrile, and then trinitromethane after hydrolysis and acidification. You can also obtain trinitromethane salt after treatment of tetranitromethane with basic solution. In industry to produce trinitromethane catalyzed by mercuric nitrate, acetylene is nitrated with fuming nitric acid, and the resulting trinitromethane is dissolved in excess nitric acid, then concentrated sulfuric acid was added trinitromethane is nitrated into tetranitrom-ethane because tetranitromethane is insoluble in acid mixture, trinitromethane and tetranitromethane can be separated [32]. The separated liquid is treated with base to generate trinitromethane salt, and trinitromethane can be produced after acidification. Main reactions mechanism are  

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