The Chemistry of Powder and Explosives - Sciencemadness Dot Org

218 NITRIC ESTERS
Mononitroglycerin (Glyceryl mononitrate)
Mononitroglycerin is a by-product in the preparation of dinitroglycerin
and is separated from the latter substance by its
greater solubility in water. It is usually obtained as a colorless
oil, density 1.417 at 15°, more viscous than dinitfoglycerin and
less viscous than nitroglycerin. This oil is a mixture of the two
isomers which are crystalline when separate but show little tendency
to crystallize when they are mixed. a-Mononitroglycerin
when pure consists of colorless prisms, m.p. 58-59°, specific
gravity 1.53 at 15°; it yields both of the dinitrates on nitration.
The /3-compound crystallizes in dendrites and leaflets, m.p. 54°,
and is more readily soluble in ether than the a-compound; it
yields only the a,/3-dinitrate on nitration. Both isomers boil at
155-160° at 15 mm.
Mononitroglycerin resembles glycerin in being very hygroscopic
and miscible in all proportions with water and alcohol,
and in being only slightly soluble in ether, but it differs from
glycerin in being freely soluble in nitroglycerin. It does not form
a satisfactory gel with collodion cotton. Its aqueous solution
reacts neutral. It appears to be perfectly stable on moderate
heating, but decomposes to some extent at 170°, gives off gas,
and turns yellow.
Mononitroglycerin is insensitive to shock. In the form of oil
it is not detonated by a No. 8 blasting cap in the Trauzl test.
If the oil is absorbed in fuller's earth, 10 grams gives a net expansion
of 75 cc. The crystalline material, however, detonates easily;
10 grams gives an expansion of 245 cc. It is interesting to compare
these results, reported by Naoum, 33 with the results which
the same author reports for nitroglycide which is the anhydride
of mononitroglycerin. Ten grams of liquid nitroglycide with water
tamping and a No. 8 detonator gave a net expansion of 430 cc;
10 grams absorbed in fuller's earth, with sand tamping, gave
310 cc; and 10 grams gelatinized with 5% collodion nitrocotton,
with sand tamping, gave 395 cc.
Nitroglycide
This substance cannot be prepared by the nitration of glycide,
for the action of acids upon that substance opens the ethylene
Ibid., pp. 174, 177.