Salts of Trinitroresorcine

It is usually prepared by adding a solution of lead nitrate to one of magnesium styphnate. The latter is an easily soluble and weakly basic salt of trinitroresorcinate. The use of suitable salts and conditions (pH, temperature, rate and sequence in adding the raw materials) is of great importance, since unsuitable salts and condi-... 

The use of alternative oxidizers led to mixtures that were not corrosive but contained MF, which liberated toxic mercury vapors during firing. To overcome the problem of toxicity, Edmund von Herz proposed replacing MF in priming compositions with lead hypophosphite nitrate (1913) and later by the lead salt of trinitroresorcine (1914). The more important of these two MF substitutes was the... 

The explosive ingredient in Sinoxyd-type primers is lead styphnate (lead trinitroresorcinate), which is very sensitive to static electricity, and fatalities have resulted from handling the dry salt. Preparation of the pure salt is difficult, and many patented preparations, including basic modifications, exist. Some claim special crystalline forms and/or reduced static electricity hazard. Explosive ingredient substitutes for lead styphnate were sought that would be easier to make and safer to use. These included lead azide, diazonitrophenol, lead salts of many organic compounds, complex hypophosphite salts, pic-rate-clathrate inclusion compounds, and pyrophoric metal alloys. 

Composition Lead Trinitroresorcinate, Lead Salt of Styphnic Acid. CeH(N02)a(02Pb)... 

LA has relatively low sensitivity to flame which is one of its biggest drawbacks. This low sensitivity is further lowered by formation of basic lead carbonate on its surface. This layer of carbonate isolates LA and makes the initiation by flame difficult, and as mentioned earlier, the formation of carbonate is favored in a humid and C02-rich atmosphere (e.g., in mines). In order to introduce and maintain good ignitability by flame, LA is mixed with some other primary explosive sensitive to flame (particularly lead salts of di- or trinitroresorcine). 

The basic lead styphnate is prepared by reaction of the sodium or magnesium salt of 2,4,6-trinitroresorcine in an alkaline reaction medium with lead nitrate [8]. 

An alternative preparation method involves the ammonia salt of 2,4,6-trinitroresorcine [24, 64, 66]. The formation of the desired form and crystal shape depends on reaction conditions. The addition of 2-mononitroresorcinol in an amount between 0.1 and 5 % is sometimes employed in the preparation of the red form to improve its bulk density and flowability [24, 64]. The presence of foreign substances in the starting 2,4,6-trinitroresorcine (added in the suUbnation operation in the preparation of styphnic acid) has also a significant influence on the shape of basic LS crystals [70]. Various procedures are patented for preparation of red [24, 64,65, 71] and yeUow [39, 64—67] basic lead styphnate. Just like LS, the basic LS can also be prepared as a jelly (see lead styphnate). 

Synonym(s) Initiating explosive lead styphnate lead trinitroresorcinate styphnate of lead Sulfuric acid lead(2+) salt lead (II) sulfate Lead monosulfide lead(2+) sulfide Lead (II) sulfide plumbous sulfide natural galena Lead tetraethide TEL tetraethyllead tetraethylplumbane... 

With regard to explosive power and sensitiveness trinitroresorcinol is similar to picric acid. Since its price is considerably higher than that of picric acid it is not used in explosive technology. Only lead trinitroresorcinate is of great practical importance as mi initiator (Vol. HI). On the whole the properties of trinitroresorcinol salts are similar to those of picrates. 

Garfield, F.M. Manufacture of normal lead trinitroresorcinate and double salts thereof. US Patent 2,295,104, 1942... 

---