Shock sensitivities

The reaction follows a free radical mechanism and gives a hydroperoxide a compound of the type ROOH Hydroperoxides tend to be unstable and shock sensitive On stand mg they form related peroxidic derivatives which are also prone to violent decomposi tion Air oxidation leads to peroxides within a few days if ethers are even briefly exposed to atmospheric oxygen For this reason one should never use old bottles of dialkyl ethers and extreme care must be exercised m their disposal... 

D. Price, J. E. Wehner, and G. E. Robertson, Transition from Slow Burning to Detonation Kole of Confinement, Pressure Eoading and Shock Sensitivity, TR68-138, Naval Surface Weapons Center (NSWC), White Oaks, Md., 1968. 

Stabilized lithium acetyhde is not pyrophoric or shock-sensitive as are the transition-metal acetyhdes. Among its uses are ethynylation of halogenated hydrocarbons to give long-chain acetylenes (132) and ethynylation of ketosteroids and other ketones in the pharmaceutical field to yield the respective ethynyl alcohols (133) (see Acetylene-derived chemicals). 

Cyclic Peroxides. CycHc diperoxides (4) and triperoxides (5) are soHds and the low molecular weight compounds are shock-sensitive and explosive (151). The melting points of some characteristic compounds of this type are given in Table 5. They can be reduced to carbonyl compounds and alcohols with zinc and alkaH, zinc and acetic acid, aluminum amalgam, Grignard reagents, and warm acidified iodides (44,122). They are more difficult to analyze by titration with acidified iodides than the acycHc peroxides and have been sucessfuUy analyzed by gas chromatography (112). 

Physical Properties. Almost all Hquid diacyl peroxides (20) and concentrated solutions of the soHd compounds are unstable to normal ambient temperature storage many must be stored well below 0°C. Most of the soHd compounds are stable at ca 20°C but many are shock-sensitive (187). Other physical constants and properties have been reviewed (187,188). The melting poiats and refractive iadexes of some acyl peroxides are Hsted ia Tables 10-12. 

The use of monomers that do not homopolymerize, eg, maleic anhydride and dialkyl maleates, reduces the shock sensitivity of tert-huty peroxyesters and other organic peroxides, presumably by acting as radical scavengers, that prevent self-accelerating, induced decomposition (246). 

Silver Azide. Silver a2ide, AgN, is prepared by treating an aqueous solution of silver nitrate with hydrazine (qv) or hydrazoic acid. It is shock-sensitive and decomposes violendy when heated. 

The sulfur nitrides have been the subject of several reviews (206—208). Although no commercial appHcations have as yet been developed for these compounds, some interest was stimulated by the discovery that polythiazyl, a polymeric sulfur nitride, (SN), with metallic luster, is electroconductive (see Inorganic highpolymers) (208,209). Other sulfur nitrides are unstable. Tetrasulfur nitride is explosive and shock-sensitive. 

Sobd sodium borobydride does not ignite upon contact with moisture and is not shock sensitive. These characteristics allow it to be handled safely in ab. Because it does Hberate hydrogen upon contact with water it should be handled with care. 

Reaction between oxygen and butadiene in the Hquid phase produces polymeric peroxides that can be explosive and shock-sensitive when concentrated. Ir(I) and Rh(I) complexes have been shown to cataly2e this polymerisation at 55°C (92). These peroxides, which are formed via 1,2- and 1,4-addition, can be hydrogenated to produce the corresponding 1,2- or 1,4-butanediol [110-63-4] (93). Butadiene can also react with singlet oxygen in a Diels-Alder type reaction to produce a cycHc peroxide that can be hydrogenated to 1,4-butanediol. 

Butadiene reacts readily with oxygen to form polymeric peroxides, which are not very soluble in Hquid butadiene and tend to setde at the bottom of the container because of their higher density. The peroxides are shock sensitive therefore it is imperative to exclude any source of oxygen from butadiene. Addition of antioxidants like /-butylcatechol (TBC) or butylated hydroxy toluene (BHT) removes free radicals that can cause rapid exothermic polymerizations. Butadiene shipments now routinely contain about 100 ppm TBC. Before use, the inhibitor can easily be removed (247,248). Inert gas, such as nitrogen, can also be used to blanket contained butadiene (249). 

Diazirines tend to decompose, in some cases without obvious cause. Gaseous methyl-diazirine exploded at normal temperature and liquid a-hydroxyethylmethyldiazirine exploded on taking it from a dry ice bath 67CB2093). Phenylchlorodiazirine is reported to be more shock sensitive than nitroglycerol 79AHC(24)63). 

Reactive Chemicals Reviews The process chemistry is reviewed for evidence of exotherms, shock sensitivity, and other insta-bihty, with emphasis on possible exothermic reactions. It is especially important to consider pressure effects— Pressure blows up people, not temperature The pumose of this review is to prevent unexpected and uncontrolled chemical reactions. Reviewers should be knowledgeable people in the field of reactive chemicals and include people from loss prevention, manufacturing, and research. 

Review of reactive chemicals test data for evidence of flamma-bihty charac teristics, exotherms, shock sensitivity, and other evidence of instability... 

Shock Sensitivity Shock-sensitive materials react exothermically when subjected to a pressure pulse. Materials that do not show an exotherm on a DSC or DTA are presumed not to be shock sensitive. Testing methods include ... 

Select a process chemistry that is inherently safer (e.g., replace shock sensitive, high temperature sensitive and high pressure sensitive materials with more benign materials, less severe operating conditions)... 

Centrifuging of Test material for impact/shock sensitivity and unstable material, thermal hazards shock sensitive, alternate (low energy) separation process for material could shock sensitive/unstable material result in decomposition. CCPS G-13... 

Tests conducted by the Eastman Kodak Company have shown that tert-butyl azidoformate [Formic acid, azido, -butyl ester], also known as iert-butoxy carbonyl azide and 1-BOC azide, is a thermally unstable, shock-sensitive compound (TNT equivalence 45%). 

While this book does not cover shock-sensitive powders, such as primary explosives, UN-DOT Class 4.1 Flammable Solids are within its scope. These include thermally unstable powders that can both deflagrate in an oxidant and decompose in bulk. Examples include some nitrogen blowing agents. Should ignition occur at any point, a propagating decomposition... 

Chemical Reactivity - Reactivity with Water No reaction Reactivity with Common Materials May ignite combustible materials such as wood Stability During Transport Heat-and-shock-sensitive crystals may separate at very low temperature during transport Neutralizing Agents for Acids and Caustics Not pertinent Polymerization Not pertinent Inhibitor of Polymerization Not pertinent. 

Pure NI3 has not been isolated, but the structure of its well-known extremely shock-sensitive adduct with NH3 has been elucidated — a feat of considerable technical virtuosity.Unlike the volatile, soluble, molecular solid NCI3, the involatile, insoluble compound [Nl3.NH3] has a polymeric structure in which tetrahedral NI4 units are comer-linked into infinite chains of -N-I-N-I- (215 and 230 pm) which in turn are linked into sheets by I-I interactions (336 pm) in the c-direction in addition, one I of each NI4 unit is also loosely attached to an NH3 (253 pm) that projects into the space between the sheets of tetra-hedra. The stmcture resembles that of the linked Si04 units in chain metasilicates (p. 349). A further interesting feature is the presence of linear or almost linear N-I-N groupings which suggest the presence of 3-centre, 4-electron bonds (pp. 63, 64) characteristic of polyhalides and xenon halides (pp. 835-8, 897). 

Pure HCIO4 is a colourless mobile, shock-sensitive, liquid d(25°) 1.761 gem" . At least 6 hydrates are known (Table 17.23). The structure of HCIO4. as determined by electron diffraction in the gas phase, is as shown in Pig, 17,20. This... 

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