The Chemistry of Powder and Explosives - Sciencemadness Dot Org

TRIMETHYLENE GLYCOL DINITRATE 233
is about the same; it is slightly less sensitive to impact, about
l°/o less effective in the sand test, and about 3% more effective in
the small Trauzl test. In compound detonators it is somewhat
better than TNT and somewhat poorer than pentryl, tetryl, and
picric acid, as indicated by the lead plate test. When heated
rapidly, it ignites at 390-400°.
Trimethylene Glycol Dinitrate
Trimethylene glycol occurs in the glycerin which is produced
by fermentation. There is no harm in leaving it in glycerin which
is to be used for the manufacture of explosives. It may however
be separated by fractional distillation. When pure it is a colorless,
odorless, syrupy liquid, specific gravity (x°/4°) 1.0526 at
18°. It mixes with water in all proportions and boils at atmospheric
pressure at 211° without decomposition. At temperatures
above 15° or so, it is oxidized rapidly by nitric acid or by mixed
acid. It is accordingly nitrated at 0-10° under conditions similar
to those which are used in the preparation of ethyl nitrate and
other simple aliphatic nitric esters (except methyl nitrate).
CH2—OH CH2—ONO2
CH2-0H CH2—ONO2
Trimethylene glycol dinitrate is a water-white liquid, very
mobile, and scarcely more viscous than nitroglycol, specific
gravity (20°/4°) 1.393 at 20°. It boils at 108° at 10 mm. without
decomposition. It is less volatile than nitroglycol and more volatile
than nitroglycerin. It has about the same solubility relationships
as nitroglycerin, and forms a good gelatin with collodion
nitrocotton. It causes headache by contact with the skin. When
heated slowly it takes fire with a puff and burns tranquilly or
decomposes at about 185° and deflagrates at about 225°. It is
much less sensitive to shock than nitroglycerin and is much more
stable in storage. Naoum 58 reports that a 10-gram sample in the
Trauzl test with water tamping gave an expansion of 540 cc. or
about 90% of the expansion produced by nitroglycerin. The calculated
energy content of trimethylene glycol dinitKate is only
68 Op. dt., p. 235.