Tetranitrates

The commercially important explosive pentaerythritol tetranitrate [78-11-5] (PETN), C HgN40 2>... 

Exothermic oxidation—reduction reactions provide the energy released in both propellant burning and explosive detonation. The reactions are either internal oxidation—reductions, as in the decomposition of nitroglycerin and pentaerythritol tetranitrate, or reactions between discrete oxidizers and fuels in heterogeneous mixtures. 

Pentaeiythritol Tetranitrate. Specification-grade pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN) can be stored up to 18 months at 65°C without significant deterioration. However, many materials have been found to be incompatible with PETN and the presence of as Htfle as 0.01% occluded acid or alkah greatly accelerates decomposition. The decomposition of PETN is autocatalytic with reported kinetic constants oi E = 196.6 kJ/mol (47 kcal/mol) and Z = 6.31 x 10 . The decomposition products of PETN at 210°C in wt % are 47.7 NO, 21.0 CO, 11.8 NO2, 9.5 N2O, 6.3 CO2, 2.0 H2, and 1.6... 

Pentaerythritol may be nitrated by a batch process at 15.25°C using concentrated nitric acid in a stainless steel vessel equipped with an agitator and cooling coils to keep the reaction temperature at 15—25°C. The PETN is precipitated in a jacketed diluter by adding sufficient water to the solution to reduce the acid concentration to about 30%. The crystals are vacuum filtered and washed with water followed by washes with water containing a small amount of sodium carbonate and then cold water. The water-wet PETN is dissolved in acetone containing a small amount of sodium carbonate at 50°C and reprecipitated with water the yield is about 95%. Impurities include pentaerythritol trinitrate, dipentaerythritol hexanitrate, and tripentaerythritol acetonitrate. Pentaerythritol tetranitrate is shipped wet in water—alcohol in packing similar to that used for primary explosives. 

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). 

D. M. Coleman and R. N. Rogers, "Pentaerythritol Tetranitrate (PETN) StabiHty and CompatibiHty," in Proceedings of Conference on Compatibility of... 

M. R. Kant2, Pentaegthritol Tetranitrate Pi Bibliography, NTIS, Springfield, Va., 1965. 

Pentaeythritol Tetranitrate (PETN), U. S. Spec. MIL-P-00387B, USGPO, Washington, D.C., 1967. 

Polyols. Several important polyhydric alcohols or polyols are made from formaldehyde. The principal ones include pentaerythritol, made from acetaldehyde and formaldehyde trimethylolpropane, made from -butyraldehyde and formaldehyde and neopentyl glycol, made from isobutyraldehyde and formaldehyde. These polyols find use in the alkyd resin (qv) and synthetic lubricants markets. Pentaerythritol [115-77-5] is also used to produce rosin/tall oil esters and explosives (pentaerythritol tetranitrate). Trimethylolpropane [77-99-6] is also used in urethane coatings, polyurethane foams, and multiftmctional monomers. Neopentyl glycol [126-30-7] finds use in plastics produced from unsaturated polyester resins and in coatings based on saturated polyesters. 

Nitrates. Anhydrous zirconium tetranitrate [12372-57-5] Zr(N02)4, is prepared from zirconium tetrachloride and nitrogen pentoxide (201). The hydrated compounds are obtained from aqueous nitric acid (165) Zr0(N02)2 2H20 [20213-65-4] is most commonly used Zr(N02)4 5H20 [12372-57-5] can be produced from strong nitric acid. 

Pentaerythritol. Pentaerythritol tetranitrate, the tetranitrate derivative of 2,2-bis(hydroxymeth5l)-l-3-propanediol [115-77-5] is... 

Magnesium dross, wet or hot Mannitan tetranitrate Mannitol hexanitrate (dry)... 

Methyidichloroarsine Methylene glycol dinitrate Methyl ethyl ketone peroxide, >50% alpha-Methylglucoside tetranitrate alpha-Methylglycerol trinitrate Methyl nitramine (dry) metal salts of Methyl nitrate Methyl nitrite... 

PENTACHLOROETHANE PENTACHLOROPHENOL PENTADECYLAMINE PENTAERYTHRITE TETRANITRATE PENTAMETHYLHEPTANE... 

After the removai of acid, the nitrate was dried by suction on the nutsch for about 15 minutes. The dried material was refined by means of acetone treatment or other suitabie refining means. About 210 parts refined pentaerythritol tetranitrate per charge was obtained. 

---