Tetrytols sensitivity

Ref 1 states that PVA-4 has sensitivity and stability characteristics considered satisfactory for a demolition expl, and has greater brisance than Composition A or Tetrytol. It undergoes... 

TNT, Tritonal, Baratol, Tetryl, Tetrytol, Fentolite, RDX, M15 Propellant, PEJN, Ballistite, JPN Propellant, LA, DDNP, NG MF. No correlation was found between radiation resistance thermal stability, mech sensitivity or ignition temp Refs 1) H. Kallmann W. Schrankler, Naturwissenschaften 21, 379—82(1933)... 

Tetrytol (Tetryl/TNT-75/25). Used as bursting chge in some bombs and as a booster chge(with the addn of wood meal to decrease the density and thereby increase the sensitivity)(Ref l,p 94) TNT. See Trotyl... 

Grade E Mg powd and BkPdr dust when exposed in layers. Dust of solid proplnts can also be ignited from the spark that can accumulate on a person, and conductive floors Sc shoes must be used when the dust is present. In addn, dust-air mixts of Amm Picrate, Tetryl, Tetrytol dust of solid proplnts are sensitive to static elec discharges. Many flammable liquids Sc air mixts ( ether, ethyl alcohol, ethyl acetate, acetone gasoline) can also be ignited by static discharge from a person (Refs 1 3)... 

Tetryl has been used as an expl since 1906. In the early part of this century it was frequently used as the base charge of blasting caps but is now replaced by PETN or RDX. During WWII it was used as a component of expl mixts (see Tetrytols in this Vol). Tetryl is still used in military boosters and leads (the expl component of a fuze between the detonator and booster), but even here it is being replaced by plastic-bonded or waxed RDX and HMX expls. A widely used shock sensitivity test employs Tetryl as the donor charge (see Shock Sensitivity of ... 

There is no difference in the impact sensitivity of 65/35,70/30 or 75/25 Tetrytol. All are less sensitive than Tetryl and more sensitive than TNT (Ref 3)... 

In a wax gap test (Ref 4), 75/25 Tetrytol is somewhat more sensitive than Comp B, but appreciably less sensitive than Pentolite... 

Only a small amount of PA was observed in the solids formed during the tetrytol testing (O Neil, 2001). However, if a mixed feed stream containing an aromatic nitro compound (Composition B and tetryl or tetrytol) is processed with a propellant that contains lead, lead picrate (a very sensitive primary explosive) can be formed. During the M28 propellant tests, lead dioxide precipitated on the cell membrane, so it is possible that the precipitation of lead with the small amount of picric acid that might be present does not compete with the formation of lead dioxide in the electrochemical cell. However, the possibility of lead picrate precipitation cannot be dismissed a priori. A determination of the relative solubilities of lead dioxide and lead picrate in nitric acid solutions could provide some insight into whether the formation of lead picrate is likely to be a problem for mixed feeds. 

They are more powerful but less sensitive than TNT. Tetrytols can be cast into munitions, which is an advantage over press loading. Table 8-73 compares the physical characteristics of various tetrytol compositions. 

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