The Chemistry of Powder and Explosives - Sciencemadness Dot Org

438 PRIMARY EXPLOSIVES, DETONATORS, AND PRIMERS
nitrotriazidobenzene may be dead-pressed and in that condition
burns or puffs when it is ignited. It is a practical primary explosive
and is prepared for loading in the granular form by mixing
the moist material with nitrocellulose, adding a small amount of
amyl acetate, kneading, rubbing through a sieve, and allowing
to dry.
In the Trauzl test, trinitrotriazidobenzenc gives 90% as much
net expansion as PETN; tctryl gives 70%, TNT 60%, mercury
fulminate 23%, and lead azidc 16%. Used as a high explosive in
compound detonators and initiated with lead azide, trinitrotriazidobenzene
is about as strong as PETN and is stronger than
tetryl.
Nitrogen Sulfide
Nitrogen sulfide was first prepared by Soubciran in 1837 by the
action of ammonia on sulfur dichloridc dissolved in benzene.
6SC12 + I6NH3 > N,S4 + 2S + 12NH4CI
It is conveniently prepared by dissolving 1 volume of sulfur
chloride in 8 or 10 volumes of carbon disulfide, cooling, and
passing in dry ammonia gas until the dark brown powdery precipitate
which forms at first has dissolved and an orange-yellow
solution results which contains light-colored flocks of ammonium
chloride. These are filtered off and rinsed with carbon disulfide,
the solution is evaporated to dryness, and the residue is extracted
with boiling carbon disulfide for the removal of sulfur. The undissolved
material is crude nitrogen sulfide. The hot extract on
cooling deposits a further quantity in the form of minute goldenyellow
crystals. The combined crude product is recrystallized
from carbon disulfide.
The same product is also produced by the action of ammonia
on disulfur dichloride in carbon disulfide, benzene, or ether
solution.
6&C1, + I6NH3 > N4S4 + 8S + 12NH4CI
Nitrogen sulfide has a density of 2.22 at 15°. It is insoluble in
water, slightly soluble in alcohol and ether, somewhat more
soluble in carbon disulfide and benzene. It reacts slowly with
water at ordinary temperature with the formation of pentathionic