Tetraamine-cis-bis 5-nitro-2H-Tetrazolato-N2 Cobalt III Perchlorate

6 gem 3. The explosive is slightly hygroscopic and can be easily pressed and forms a free standing pellet without a binder at densities greater than 1.2 gem 3. It is more thermally stable than RDX but somewhat less thermally stable than HNS with instantaneous auto-ignition temperature of 340 °C. 

The explosive was exhaustively characterized for thermal behavior, impact sensitivity and electrostatic discharge sensitivity etc. Based on this data, CP has been described as much less sensitive to accidental initiation than primary explosives such as LA but at the same time, initiation grows rapidly to detonation when properly confined. Its performance evaluation in a test detonator or hardware indicates that CP can replace primary explosives in many hot wire detonator applications especially if safety considerations are of prime importance [239]. 

CP is no longer available for hot wire applications as one of its starting materials (cyanogen) is not available due to its hazardous nature and Environmental Protection Act (EPA) restrictions. Bates [20] of RARDE reported a related compound, tetraamine-cis-bis(5-nitro-2H-tetrazolato-N2) cobalt (III) perchlorate (BNCP) [Structure (2.61)] for this purpose in 1986. The synthesis of BNCP has been described previously [240-242] and consists of four steps  

1) Preparation of 5-aminotetrazole monohydrate (AT) by treating dicyandiamide with sodium azide in acidic medium at 65 °C. 

2) Preparation of sodium-5-nitrotetrazole dihydrate The diazotization of 5-ami-notetrazole monohydrate (AT) in the presence of excess of sodium nitrite and copper sulfate gives a complex cupric salt intermediate [Cu(NT)2 HNT-4H20] which is then converted to the sodium salt [NaNT-2H20]. 

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