The Chemistry of Powder and Explosives - Sciencemadness Dot Org

NITROGLYCOL 225
portions with water, alcohol, glycerin, acetone, and acetic acid,
and not miscible with benzene, chloroform, carbon disulfide, and
ether.
Nitroglycol is manufactured with the same mixed acid and
with the same apparatus as nitroglycerin. Somewhat more heat,
is produced by the nitration reaction, and, as glycol is less viscous
than glycerin, it is feasible to conduct the operation at a lower
temperature. The washing is done with cold water and with less
agitation by compressed air, and smaller amounts of wash water
are used than are used with nitroglycerin, for nitroglycol is
appreciably more volatile and more soluble in water. The tendency
of the partially washed product to undergo an acidcatalyzed
decomposition is less in the case of nitroglycol than
in the case of nitroglycerin.
Nitroglycol is a colorless liquid, only slightly more viscous
than water, specific gravity (z°/15 0 ) 1.5176 at 0°, 1.5033 at 10°,
and 1.4890 at 2O 0 . 42 It freezes at about -22.3°. Rinkcnbach
reports the index of refraction of nitroglycol for white light to be
1.4452 at 22.3°, and that of a commercial sample of nitroglycerin
under the same conditions to be 1.4713. The same author reports
the vapor pressure of nitroglycol to be 0.007 mm. of mercury at
0° and 0.0565 mm. at 22°, and points out that its vapor pressure
at 22° is approximately 150 times as great as the vapor pressure,
0.00037 mm., reported by Peace and Marshall 43 for nitroglycerin
at 22°. Nitroglycol produces a headache similar to that produced
by nitroglycerin, but, corresponding to its greater volatility, the
headache is more violent and does not last so long. "Nitroglycol
is non-hygroscopic. Its comportment with organic solvents is
similar to that of nitroglycerin, but it is distinctly more soluble
in water than that substance. Naoum 44 reports that 1 liter of
water at 15° dissolves 6.2 grams of nitroglycol, at 20° 6.8 grams
of nitroglycol or 1.8 grams of nitroglycerin, and at 50° 9.2 grams
of nitroglycol.
Nitroglycol has a slightly larger energy content than nitroglycerin.
In the Trauzl test with 10-gram samples and water
tamping, Naoum 46 found that nitroglycol gave a net expansion
42 Rinkenbach, Ind. Eng. Chem., 18, 1195 (1926).
*3Loc. cit.
44 Naoiim, op. cit., p. 224.
«/bid., p. 227.