Property and Preparation D-Sorbitol Hexanitrate

5 Property and Preparation of Other Nitrate Esters [1, 3] 5.5.1 Property and Preparation D-Sorbitol Hexanitrate 

Sorbitol hexanitrate, or nitro sorbitol, is one of the isomers of nitro mannitol. It is a crystalline chemical at normal condition and molten at 55 °C. It used to be an additive of nitroglycerine in the United States to prepare dynamites with a low freezing point. 

Sorbitol is dissolved to five times volume of concentrated nitric acid (d = 1.52 at 0 °C). The product can be precipitated by 10 times volume of 20 % finned sulfuric acid (5 °C). In the product, there is a small amount of impurity of pentanitrate. At 0-10 °C of nitration and precipitation temperamre, an oily mixture of sorbitol hexanitrate and sorbitol pentanitrate will be obtained. The explosion property of nitro sorbitol is similar with that of nitro mannitol. 

In industry, sorbitol is prepared by catalytic reduction of D-glucose. Thus, its nitrated product has a wide application. For example, it can be used to synthesize 

6- dihexanol 2,5-dinitrate for anapetia treatment. It is also use to prepare 

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