The Chemistry of Powder and Explosives - Sciencemadness Dot Org

UTILIZATION OF COAL TAR 131
In each step several isomers arc formed—only one of the possibilities
m each case is indicated above—and the ortho and para
compounds both go through similar series of reactions. The
product is too sensitive and in the wrong physical state (liquid)
fm use as a military explosive. In short, for the manufacture of
FIGURE 45 Manus Marqueyrol, Inspecteur-General des Poudres, France.
1919 Author of many researches on aromatic nitro compounds, nitrocellulose,
smokeless powder, stabilizers and stability, chlorate explosives,
etc—published for the most part in the Memorial des poudres and in the
Bulletin de la societe chimique de France.
military explosives toluene is the most valuable of the materials
which occur in coal tar.
In time of war the industries of a country strive to produce as
much toluene as possible. The effort results in the production also
of increased quantities of other aromatic hydrocarbons, particularly
of benzene, and these become cheaper and more abundant.
Every effort is made to utilize them profitably for military purposes.
As far as benzene is concerned, the problem has been
solved through chlorobenzene, which yields aniline and phenol by
the Dow process, and hence picric acid, and which gives dinitrochlorobenzene
on nitration which is readily convertible, as will
be described later, into picric acid and tetryl and several other