Erythritol tetranitrate

• Erythrittetranitrat
• 1,2,3,4 -tetrakis ( nitryloxy ) butane
• ETN

Colorless solid

Fixed

1.6 g · cm -3

61 ° C

Insoluble in water, soluble in acetone, ethanol and glycerol

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Erythritol tetranitrate (ETN ) is an explosive, similar to PETN ( PETN ). Nitroerythrit occurs in colorless crystals which melt at 61 ° C and decompose explosively at 120 ° C. Erythritol is similar to nitroglycerin or Pentaerythritetranitrat a nitric acid ester.

Properties

ETN having a relatively high detonation velocity of 8,000 m / s to 8100 m / s. At the maximum density of 1.6 g / cm ³ The deflagration temperature is 154-160 ° C, the heat of explosion 6352 kJ / kg. Due to its low melting point ETN is often used in castable mixtures, with high security risks by the same low decomposition temperature. At this critical feature is the fact that the fabric by about 33 % is shock sensitive than PETN, and not more than four years can be stored, which makes him both military and civilian unusable. The compound is insoluble in water, soluble in ethanol and methanol, and highly soluble in acetone and some other ketones.

Oxygen balance

One of the characteristics of erythritol is that it has a positive oxygen balance. This means that the molecule contains more oxygen than is required to fully implement all known carbon and hydrogen to carbon dioxide and water.

It is about half a mole of oxygen, which can still oxidize other combustible materials.

Production

The production takes place on the treatment of the polyol erythritol with nitric acid or nitrating acid mixture.

Terms of Use

Swell

• T. Urbanski: Chemistry and technology of explosives. 1961
• U.S. Patent Number 1,691,954 ( November 20, 1928 ) ( Frank Bergheim )
• U.S. Patent Number 1,74,693 ( January 21, 1930 ) ( Frank Bergheim )