Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Explosive reaction
1
2
CO
3
2
H
2
O
1
2
CO
2
þ
1
2
N
2
CH
3
ONO
2
!
þ
þ
Oxidation and reduction reactions alternately happen among products to form
gases of nitrous oxide and carbon monoxide. Methyl nitrate would be oxidized
through spontaneous decomposition path at 300
°
C.
CO
þ
H
2
O
!
CO
2
þ
H
2
2NO
þ
2CO
!
2CO
2
þ
N
2
þ
2H
2
!
þ
2NO
2H
2
O
N
2
The overall reaction is expressed as
Q
CH
3
ONO
2
!
0
:
95NO
þ
0
:
025N
2
þ
0
:
75CO
þ
0
:
25CO
2
þ
0
:
7H
2
þ
0
:
8H
2
O
For the spark-induced reaction, the reaction can be given as
Spark
CH
3
ONO
2
!
0
:
175NO
þ
0
:
41N
2
þ
0
:
49CO
þ
0
:
51CO
2
þ
0
:
175H
2
þ
1
:
31H
2
O
The decomposition of methyl nitrate under ultraviolet is different from other
decomposition pathway.
h
c
0
CH
3
ONO
2
!
:
þ
:
35N
2
þ
:
þ
:
50CO
2
þ
:
30H
2
þ
:
30NO
0
0
50CO
0
0
1
2H
2
O
Therefore, the explosive decomposition of methyl nitrate is radical reaction
2CH
3
ONO
2
!
CO
2
CO
þ
3H
2
O
þ
N
2
or
2CH
3
ONO
2
!
2CO
2
þ
H
2
þ
2H
2
O
þ
N
2
At the initial stage of thermal decomposition of methyl nitrate, as well as other
simple nitrate esters, the reactions can be written as [
44
]:
RCH
2
O
þ
RCH
2
ONO
2
NO
2
RCH
2
O
þ
RC
HONO
2
RCH
2
ONO
2
!
RCH
2
OH
þ
RC
þ
HONO
2
!
RCHO
þ
NO
2
1
2
RCHO
1
2
RCH
2
OH
RCH
2
O
!
þ
