Sensitiveness pentaerythritol tetranitrate

Pentaerythritol tetranitrate is a high energy explosive that is used as a pressed base charge in blasting caps and detonators, as the core explosive in commercial detonating cord, and as the main explosive ingredient in sheet explosives. It is also mixed in various proportions with TNT to form the less sensitive pentoHtes, eg, PETN 50/TNT 50. PETN is easily initiated, its responses are reproducible, and it is readily available (144—146). 

Pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN) is a colorless crystalline solid that is very sensitive to initiation by a primary explosive. It is a powerful secondary explosive that has a great shattering effect. It is used in commercial blasting caps, detonation cords, and boosters. PETN is not used in its pure form because it is too sensitive to friction and impact. It is usually mixed with plasticized nitrocellulose or with synthetic rubbers to form PBXs. The most common form of explosive composition containing PETN is Pentolite, a mixture of 20 to 50% PETN and TNT. PETN can be incorporated into gelatinous industrial explosives. The military has in most cases replaced PETN with RDX because RDX is more thermally stable and has a longer shelf life. PETN is insoluble in water, sparingly soluble in alcohol, ether, and benzene, and soluble in acetone and methyl acetate. 

Pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN) (3) is a powerful explosive which exhibits considerable brisance on detonation (VOD 8310 m/s at = 1.77 g/cm ). It is the most stable and least reactive of the common nitrate ester explosives. The relatively high sensitivity of PETN to friction and impact means that it is usually desensitized with phlegmatizers like wax and the product is used in detonation cord, boosters and as a base charge in detonators. Pentaerythritol tetranitrate can be mixed with synthetic polymers to form plastic bonded explosives (PBXs) like detasheet and Semtex-IA. A cast mixture of PETN and TNT in equal proportions is known as pentolite and has seen wide use as a military explosive and in booster charges. The physical, chemical and explosive properties of PETN commend its use as a high explosive. 

Shoeiyaku. Pentaerythritol Tetranitrate (PETN), C(CH2ON02)4 mw 316.14, N 17.72% wh crysts, d 1.77, mp 141° Brisance by Plate Dent Test 129% TNT Explosion Temperature 225° (decomp in 5 secs) Impact Sensitivity BurMines-App, 2-kg Wt 17cm (vs 100+ for TNT) Power by Ballistic Mortar Test 145% TNT Rate of Detonation 8300m/sec (Ref 8, p 276). Pressed PETN was used in Army 7.7 12.7-mm Fuzeless Projectiles and 20-mm MG Projs. Also in Boosters. Its mixt with TNT is called Pentoriru (qv). PETN with 8.5% wax was used for loading 20-mm Shells. Its mixtures with RDX were used in 7.7 12.7-mm Projectiles. PETN was also used in Incendiary Mixtures (Ref 1, p 27 Ref 5, p 372)... 

Pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN) Sensitive and powerful high explosive used in detonators... 

To produce explosive derivatives of pentaerythritol less sensitive than pentaerythritol tetranitrate, which could be applied for desensitizing PETN and lowering its melting point, so as to make it possible to fill shells with a molten explosive mixture containing penthrite. 

Secondary explosives, or high explosives, are generally less sensitive to heat and shock than primary explosives and are therefore safer to manufacture, transport, and handle. Most secondary explosives will simply burn rather than explode when ignited in air, and most can be detonated only by the nearby explosion of a primary initiator. Among the most common secondary explosives are nitroglycerin, trinitrotoluene (TNT), pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN), and RDX. 

PETN [pentaerythritol tetranitrate, C(CH20N02)4] is an extremely sensitive high explosive. When used as a booster explosive, a bursting charge, or a plastic demolition charge, it is desensitized by mixture with trinitrotoluene or by the addition of wax. 

PETN (1,2-bis [(nitroxy)methyl] -1,3-propanediol-dinitrate, pentaerythritol-tetranitrate) contains four nitrogens, all magnetically equivalent. Like TNT, the PETN frequencies are low, and its T1 is very long, however its T2e is also long (Table 3), improving detection sensitivity significantly [119,121],... 

Erythritol tetranitrate (ETN) (Figure 1) is an explosive first prepared in 1849 [1] with similar properties to pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN). ETN is melt-castable, has impressive performance, and is not difficult to prepare, which increases the necessity for understanding its properties from a homemade explosive threat determination perspective [2]. Due to its handling sensitivity, ETN has been involved in recent accidents [3] and should not be handled outside of a dedicated explosives facility. We have recently reported the first X-ray crystal structure of ETN [4], and discussed the influence of crystal packing on the sensitivity of the material, relative to PETN [5]. Another recent publication also discusses basic characterization of ETN [6]. 

PETN. Pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN), 6, is known as one of the most sensitive military high explosives. It has a great shattering effect. PETN is not used in its pure form because of its high sensitivity to friction and impact [4, 6, 7]. 

PETN, or pentaerythritol tetranitrate, is considerably more difficult to make than the other explosives considered to this point. Its preparation is not recommended for the casual experimenter, or for those with a clumsy streak in them. Its power and sensitivity is comparable to the other explosives in this book. It is also a crystalline solid, so it offers the same difficulties as nitromannitol in getting it compacted to maximum density for maximum power. If it were not for an extremely powerful and versatile plastique which can be made by mixing PETN with nitroglycerin, it would not be covered in this book. 

Pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN detonates less sensitive explosives such as TNT or ammonium nitrate)... 

The molecules pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN, 2) and its silicon analogue (Si-PETN, 3) provide a striking example of the consequences that can follow from a 1,3 intramolecular interaction [37]. PETN is a well known explosive, quite sensitive to impact dropping a 2.5 kg mass upon it from a height of just 14 cm has a 50% probability of producing detonation [62]. However Si-PETN, prepared only recently [63], is reported to be so remarkably more sensitive that impact is not even needed touching with a spatula is sufficient to cause explosion ... 

LC-MS is another widely used analytical method for the analysis of explosives. Several articles review LC-MS for explosives analysis [150-152], In particular, Wnon and his coworkers have significantly contributed to the development of explosives analysis by LC-MS. Zhao and Yinon identified nitrate ester explosives by LC-MS using both ESI and APCI [153], In both ionization studies, postcoluran additives are introduced to increase specificity and sensitivity of the product ions produced by the explosives pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN), nitroglycerin (NG), and ethylene glycol dinitrate (EGDN) to form stable adduct ions (as shown in Figure... 

Ethyleneglycol dinitrate, pentaerythritol tetranitrate, nitroglycain, Tetryl, RDX, HMX, DNT and TNT were sqrarated on a C g column (A = 254 nm) using a 50/50 methanol/water mobile phase. Elution was complete in <10 min [181]. To enhance, sensitivity, a postcolumn Griess reaction was run (sulfanilimide and A-[naphthyl-(l)]ethylenediamine photolyzed with sample). Peak shapes and resolution were excellent. Detection limits of lOOpg were reported. 

Dick, J. J. (1984) "Effect of crystal orientation on shock initiation sensitivity of pentaerythritol tetranitrate explosive, Appl. Phys. Lett., 44, 859-861. 

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