1.3.5- Triamino-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene TATB

Formal sequential addition of amino groups to 2,4,6-trinitroaniline gives 1,3-diamino-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene (DATB, 56) and 1,3,5-triamino-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene (TATB, 57). TATB is more stable than expected from the additivity calculation. The ability to have hydrogen bonding with three amino groups both intra- and inter-molecularly in the crystal stabilizes the molecule. The molecule that results is thermally stable and used as an explosive in situations where a very insensitive explosive is needed. 

Plastic explosives contain one or more of the explosives listed above, moulded in an inert, flexible binder. Because powders do not readily hold a shape and TNT is the only common melt-castable explosive, most of the explosive powders (RDX, HMX, PETN, 1,3,5-triamino-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene (TATB)) are plasticized to make a mouldable material, for example, C-4, Semtex H, PE4, sheet explosive. A variety of plasticizers are added, but the maximum level is usually 10-15% because most plasticizers are inert and would degrade explosive output. Plastic explosives were originally developed for convenient use in military demolitions but have since been widely used in terrorist bombs. For detection techniques that rely on vapour signatures, such as canine olfaction, it is worth considering that the plasticizer is much more volatile than the explosive component. 

The nitration of l,3,5-trichloro-2-nitrobenzene (8) to l,3,5-trichloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (9) with dinitrogen pentoxide in absolute nitric acid goes to completion in only 2-4 minutes at 32-35 °C. Further nitration of (9) would yield l,3,5-trichloro-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene (10) which undergoes ammonolysis on treatment with ammonia in toluene to give the thermally stable explosive 1,3,5-triamino-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene (TATB) (11). The same sequence of reactions with l,3-dichloro-2-nitrobenzene provides a route to l,3-diamino-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene (DATE). Such reactions are clean and occur in essentially quantitative yield. 

Triamino-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene (TATB) Thermally stable and very insensitive main high explosive. Special fine-grained TATB is used in boosters... 

Kolb H.F. Rizzo, Growth of 1,3,5-Triamino-2,4,6-Trinitrobenzene (TATB). I. Anisotropic Thermal Expansion , Proplnts Expls 4 (1), 10-16(1979)... 

Apart from FOX-7, only one of the energetic molecules in this Ust, 1,3,5-triamino-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene (TATB, 3), is already estabhshed as an important, widely used explosive. Two of the others, 2,6-diamino- (35) and 2,4,6-triamino-3,5-dinitropyridine N-oxide (36), and have been aroimd for 10-15 years and have yet to become widely used. This is in part because they are not much better than TATB in terms of explosive properties and thermal stability. One molecule which does promise to be significantly better than TATB is 2,6-diamino-3,5-dinitropyrazine 1-oxide (37). This has only relatively recently appeared on the scene and has yet to be fully investigated. 

Substantial previous work by Pagoria [2] and associates has attempted to discover new insensitive high explosives (IHE) such as LLM-105 that have higher energy densities than 1,3,5-triamino-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene (TATB). TATB is well noted for its thermal stability (m.p. > 370 C) low insensitivity to external stimuli such as drop hammer, spark, and friction and its very low solubility in a wide array of solvents. We compare our results for RX-55-AE-5 to PBX-9502, LX-17 and TATB [3]. PBX 9502 is formulated from 95% TATB and 5% Kel-F 800 and LX-17 is formulated from 92.5% TATB and 7.5% Kel-F 800. 

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