Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Molecular formula: C
6
H
10
N
4
O
13
Chemical structure:
CH
2
ONO
2
CH
2
ONO
2
HC
O
CH
CH
2
ONO
2
Molecular weight: 346.14
Oxygen balance: 18.49 % (CO
2
-based)
Nitrogen content: 16.18 %
Nitro diglycerine is a stickier liquid explosive than nitroglycerine. It is insoluble
to water and nonhygroscopic. It can be soluble to most of organic solvents and
partly dissolve collodion. Its chemical stability is similar with nitroglycerine. Its
remarkable advantage is that it would not freeze at a temperature under
CH
2
ONO
2
C.
Nitro diglycerine is one of the strongest known explosives. The explosion heat
of the explosive mixture consisting of 75 % nitroglycerine and 25 % nitro di-
glycerine is equal to that of pure nitroglycerine. Its shock sensitivity is very weak
with a characteristic height of 8
−
35
°
10 cm for 2 kg falling weight. The explosive
decomposition reaction of nitro diglycerine can be written as
-
C
6
H
10
N
4
O
13
!
2CO
2
þ
4CO
þ
5H
2
O
þ
2N
2
þ
5,564
:
7J
=
g
5.5.3.2 Preparation of Diglycerine Tetranitrate
Glycerine can be polymerized with a small amount of sulfuric acid at 130
160
°
C.
-
If a small amount of sodium carbonate or sodium sul
te of about 0.5 % is added
into glycerine, diglycerine ether of 2,2
′
,3,3-tetrahydroxyl ether (sym bis(2,3-di-
hydroxypropyl)ether)
is produced with water, as expressed in the following
equation.
C
3
H
5
OH
ð
3
!
CH
2
OH
CHOH
CH
2
O
CH
2
CHOH
CH
2
OH
þ
H
2
O
The fraction of triglycerine and polyglycerine is about 4
6 % and unpolymerized
-
glycerine is about 30
40 %. The main product in the mixture is diglycerine with a
density of 1.33, a 11 times larger viscosity than glycerine, and a boiling point of
247
-
C at 8 mmHg.
The nitration of diglycerine to nitro diglycerine is similar with the method of
glycerine nitration, but has a little difference because of the difference properties of
raw materials. The major reaction is:
249
°
-
CH
2
OH
CHOH
CH
2
O
CH
2
CHOH
CH
2
OH
!
CH
2
ONO
2
CHONO
2
CH
2
O
CH
2
CHONO
2
CH
2
ONO
2
þ
H
2
O
