R. Meyer J. Köhler A. Homburg Explosives

231 Nitromethane
detonation velocity, confined:
7600 m/s = 24900 ft/s at r = 1.68 g/cm3 deflagration point: 185 °C = 365 °F
impact sensitivity: 0.2 kp m = 2 N m
The compound is less volatile than nitroglycerine, practically insoluble
in water and petroleum ether, soluble in alcohol, acetone, ether, benzene,
and chloroform, and is a good gelatinizer of guncotton. Its
explosive strength is close to that of nitroglycerine.
It is prepared by condensation of formaldehyde with nitromethane and
by nitration of the nitroisobutylglycerine product under the same conditions
as nitroglycerine. The nitration and stabilization procedures are
very difficult because of decomposition reactions.
While being of interest to the explosives industry, since it has an ideal
oxygen balance, its stabilization in practice has proven to be impossible.
Nitromethane
Nitromethan; nitrométhane; NM
CH3NO2
colorless liquid
molecular weight: 61.0
energy of formation: – 413.7 kcal/kg = –1731 kJ/kg
enthalpy of formation: – 442.8 kcal/kg = –1852.8 kJ/kg
oxygen balance: –39.3%
nitrogen content: 22.96%
volume of explosion gases: 1059 l/kg
heat of explosion
(H2O liq.): 1152 kcal/kg = 4821 kJ/kg
(H2O gas): 1028 kcal/kg = 4299 kJ/kg
specific energy: 127 mt/kg = 1245 kJ/kg
density: 1.1385 g/cm 3
solidification point: –29 °C = –20 °F
boiling point: 101.2 °C = 214.2 °F
heat of vaporization: 151 kcal/kg = 631 kJ/kg