Table Of ContentTHE PREPARATORY MANUAL OF
EXPLOSIVES
A LABORATORY MANUAL
Jared B. Ledgard, A.A.S., B.S., M.A.
Organic chemist, Inventor
Seattle, Washington USA
i
Contents
Section I:
Introduction page 1
Chapter 1 page 1
Chemical bonding: oxidation states page 1
Ionic compounds and ionic bonds page 2
Covalent compounds and covalent bonds page 3
Understanding chemical structures and formulas page 4
Chemical reactions page 6
Language of chemistry page 6
Conversion factors page 7
Section II:
Tutorial page 9
Chapter 2 page 9
Lab safety page 9
Laboratory equipment page 10
Methods of heating page 11
Methods of cooling page 13
Extraction page 15
Recrystallization, product recovery, and filtration page 17
Washing liquid and solids page 20
Drying agents, and drying liquids page 21
Distillation page 22
Final lesson: A tutorial on explosives page 24
The dynamics of detonation page 25
Detonation verses deflagration and combustion page 26
Primary, and secondary explosives page 27
Initiation of explosives page 28
The power of explosives page 29
The physical effects of explosives page 30
Section III:
Chemical reagents, intermediates, and solvents page 32
Chapter 3 page 32
Section IV:
Explosives and explosive compositions page 65
Chapter 4: The preparation of metal azide, fulminates,
and nitrides page 66
4-01. AZ AZ Ammonium azide page 66
4-02. CZ Cupric azide page 67
CZ rim fire composition page 68
4-03. SZ Silver azide page 68
4-04. MZ Mercury azide page 69
4-05. LZ Lead azide page 70
4-06. Mercury fulminate page 71
Priming mixture page 72
Gunpowder page 72
Rim fire composition page 72
Rim fire composition page 72
Initiating mixture page 73
4-07. Silver fulminate page 73
Priming mixture page 74
4-08. Copper fulminate page 74
4-09. Silver nitride page 75
4-10. Mercury nitride page 75
4-11. Sulfur nitride page 77
Chapter 5: Preparation of Azides and azo nitros page 80
5-01. BDPF Bis(1,3-diazido-2-propyl)formal page 80
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CONTENTS
5-02. TETRAZIDE Isocyanogen tetraazide page 82
5-03. TAEN Triazoethanol nitrate page 83
TAEN dynamite composition page 84
5-04. AZIDOETHYL Tris(2-azidoethyl)amine page 84
5-05. DANP 1,3-Diazido-2-nitrazapropane page 86
DANP explosive composition page 88
5-06. DIANP 1,5-diazido-3-nitraza pentane page 89
DIANP propellant page 90
5-07. Diazodinitrophenol 4,6,-Dinitro-2-diazophenol page 91
5-08. HNTCAB Hexanitrotetrachloroazobenzene;
2,4,6,2',4',6'-Hexanitro-3,5,3',5'-
tetrachloroazobenzene page 94
5-09. DNAT 1,1'-dinitro-3,3'-azo-1,2,4-triazole page 96
5-10. ADNB 4-Azido-4,4-dintro-1-butyl acetate page 98
5-11. ADBN. 4-Azido-4,4-dintro-1-butyl nitrate page 100
Chapter 6: The preparation of aza/oxa nitramines page 103
6-01. TNTC. 2,4,6-trinitro-2,4,6-triazacyclohexanone page 103
Azadine explosive composition page 105
TNTC plastic explosive page 105
6-02. DDD. 5,7-dinitro-5,7-diaza-1,3-dioxabicyclo[3:3:0]
octan-2-one page 105
DDD composition page 107
6-03. TEX. 4,10-dinitro-2,6,8-12-tetraoxa-4,10-diazatetracyclo-
[5.5.0.05,903,11]-dodecane page 107
6-04. DNFA-P. 1,4-dinitrofurazano[3,4-b]piperazine page 110
Chapter 7: The preparation of cyclic nitramines page 113
7-01. RDX. Cyclonite; Hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine;
1,3,5-trinitrohexahydro-s-triazine;
cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine page 113
Composition B page 118
RDX explosive composition page 119
PBX explosive composition page 119
RDX high performance rocket propellant page 119
C3 plastic explosive page 120
C4 plastic explosive page 120
RDX explosive munitions page 121
7-02. Solex. 1-(N)-acetyl-3,5,7-trinitro-cyclotetramethylene
Tetramine page 123
Solex explosive composition page 124
7-03. HMX. Octogen; 1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-
tetraazacyclooctane; alpha-HMX and beta-HMX page 124
HMX gun propellant page 128
HMX explosive page 128
HMX plastic explosive page 128
PBX B HMX explosive composition page 129
HMX explosive page 129
7-04. NINHT. 2-nitroimino-5-nitro-hexahydro-1,3,5-triazine page 129
7-05. TNAD. 1,4,5,8-Tetranitro-1,4,5,8-tetraazadecalin page 131
7-06. DPT. 1,5-methylene-3,7-dinitro-1,3,5,7-
tetraazacyclooctane page 134
Chapter 8: The preparation of nitramines page 136
8-01. DITN. Diisopropylamine trinitrate page 136
8-02. DMMD. 2,4-dinitro-2,4-diazapentane page 137
8-03. Tetryl. Nitramine; N-methyl-N,2,4,6-
tetranitrobenzenamine page 139
Tetry explosive booster compostion page 141
8-04. MNA. Methylnitramine page 141
8-05. Methylene dinitramine page 144
8-06. HNIW. 2,4,6,8,10,12-hexanitro-2,4,6,8,10,12-
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CONTENTS
Hexaazaisowurtzitane page 146
Chapter 9: The preparation of nitramines page 151
9-01. ADN. Ammonium dinitramide page 151
9-02. KDN. Potassium dinitramide page 154
Chapter 10: The preparation of amino nitro benzenes page 158
10-01.Tetraniline. Tetranitro aniline page 158
Tetraniline explosive page 160
10-02. TATB. 1,3,5-triamino-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene page 160
RDX/TATB booster composition page 164
TAT TATB/TNT explosive composition page 164
10-03. DATB. 1,3-diamino-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene page 165
10-04. DATBA. 5-Carboxy-1,3-diamino-2,4,6-
trinitrobenzene page 167
10-05. A-NPNT. 4-amino-N,2,3,5,6-pentanitrotoluene page 169
10-06. UDTNB. 5-ureido-1,3-diamino-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene page 171
10-07. DNPU. 2,4-dinitrophenylurea page 174
10-08. ADNBF. 7-amino-4,6-dinitrobenzofuroxan page 176
10-09. TNPU. N,N'-bis(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl)urea page 177
Chapter 11: The preparation of nitro benzenes page 180
11-01. TNT. 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene; trinitrotoluene page 180
Composition A1 page 185
TNT blasting composition page 186
TNT wax composition page 186
Hexotonal RDX/TNT explosive composition page 187
Octol explosive composition page 187
TNT explosive munitions page 187
11-02. F-TNB. 1,3,5-trifluoro-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene page 188
11-03. TCTNB. Trichlorotrinitrobenzene; 1,3,5-trichloro-2,4,6-
Trinitrobenzene page 190
11-04. Picryl Chloride. 1-chloro-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene page 191
11-05. TNBCl. Trinitrobenzylchloride page 192
Chapter 12: The preparation of poly nitro benzenes page 194
12-01. HNB. Hexanitrobibenzyl; 2,2', 4,4', 6,6'-
hexanitrobibenzyl page 194
12-02. HNS. Hexanitrostilbene page 195
12-03. TNTPB. 1,3,5-trinitro-2,4,6-tripicrylbenzene page 198
12-04. PNT. 2,3,4,5,6-pentanitrotoluene page 200
12-05. HNBP. Hexanitrobiphenyl page 202
12-06. Hexaditon. 2,2',4,4',6,6'-hexanitrodiphenylmethane page 203
12-07. TNN. Nitronaphthalene; 1,3,6,8-tetranitronaphthalene page 205
Chapter 13: The preparation of nitrate esters page 209
13-01. EDT. N,N'-di-(2-ethanol)ethylenediamine tetranitrate page 209
13-02. Nitrocellulose. Nitrated cellulose; Gun cotton page 212
Gun propellant page 219
Gun propellant page 219
Smokeless powder page 219
Blasting powder page 220
Blasting powder page 220
13-03. ETN. Erythritol tetranitrate page 220
13-04. PEN. Pentaerythritol trinitrate page 221
13-05. PETN. Pentaerythritol tetranitrate; 2,2-Bis[(nitrooxy)-
methyl]-1,3-propanediol dinitrate page 225
Blasting explosive page 229
PETN bonded explosive page 229
PETN propellant charge page 229
Pentolite PETN composition page 229
Semtex PETN explosive page 229
PETN explosive munitions page 230
13-06. NQ. Nitroglycerine page 230
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CONTENTS
HESP high-energy smokeless powder page 232
Dynamite page 233
13-07. Nitro starch. Nitrated cornstarch page 233
Nitro starch explosive composition page 234
13-08. EGDN. Ethylene glycol dinitrate page 234
13-09. Metriol. page 235
13-10. Nitropropylene. PGDN. Propylene glycol dinitrate page 237
Chapter 14: The preparation of polyhydric nitrate esters page 240
14-01. Hexanitrate. Sorbitol hexanitrate page 240
14-02. Quebrachitol nitrate. Monomethyl
cyclohexanepentanitrate page 241
14-03. Inositol nitrate. Inositol hexanitrate page 243
14-04. MGP. N-Methyl gluconamide pentanitrate page 245
14-05. MON. Maltose octanitrate page 246
14-06. MX. Nitromannite; page 248
14-07. PVN. Polyvinylnitrate page 250
Chapter 15: The preparation of nitrate ester nitramines page 253
15-01. NMHAN. N-Nitro-N-methylhydroxy acetamidenitrate page 253
15-02. DINA. Dinitroxydiethylnitramine page 254
15-03. DNAN. Dinitroxydiethylamine nitrate page 259
15-04. NENA. N-(2-Nitroxyethyl)nitramine page 261
15-05. Silver NENA. N-(2-Nitroxyethyl) nitramine,
silver salt page 263
Chapter 16: The preparation of nitro triazoles page 265
16-01. NTA. 3,5-Dintro-1,2,4-triazole page 265
16-02. MNTA. 1-Methyl-3,5-dinitro-1,2,4-triazole page 267
16-03. CDNTA. 3,5-Dinitro-1,2,4-triazole-copper salt page 269
16-04. NTO. 3-nitro-1,2,4-triazol-5-one page 271
16-05. 5-NDTT. 5-nitro-2(3,5-diamino-2,4,6-trinitrophenyl)-
1,2,4-triazole page 272
Chapter 17: The preparation of nitro tetrazoles page 276
17-01. SATP. di-Silver aminotetrazole perchlorate page 276
17-02. CNTA. Copper salt of 5-nitrotetrazole page 277
CNTA priming mixture page 280
17-03. HGNTA. Mercury nitrotetrazole page 280
HGNTA priming mixture page 282
17-04. LNTA. Lead nitrotetrazole, basic salt page 282
17-05. TADA. 5,5'-bi-1H-tetrazole diammonium salt page 284
Chapter 18: The preparation of nitro phenyls page 287
18-01. TPG. 2,4,6-trinitrophloroglucinol page 287
18-02. DNP. 2,4-Dinitrophenol page 288
Phenolene explosive composition page 290
18-03. DNR. 4,6-dinitroresorcinol page 290
18-04. Picric Acid. 2,4,6-trinitrophenol page 291
Pentotal explosive composition page 294
18-05. Styphnic Acid. 2,4,6-trinitro-1,3-benzenediol page 294
18-06. Picramic acid. 2-amino-4,6-dinitrophenol page 296
18-07. Methylpicric acid. 2,4,6-trinitro-3-methylphenol page 298
Explosive composition page 299
18-08. TA. Trinitroanisole page 300
Chapter 19: The preparation of nitro phenyl salts page 302
19-01. Lead-TNP. Trinitrophloroglucinol lead salt page 302
Lead-TNP ignition/initiating mixture page 303
19-02. Barium Styphnate page 304
19-03. Lead Styphnate. 2,4,6-trinitro-lead-II-resorcinate page 305
19-04. Ammonium Picramate. Ammonium 2-amino-4,6-
dinitrophenolate; Ammonium-2-amino-4,6-dinitropicrate page 308
19-05. AP. Ammonium Picrate page 310
19-06. Lead Picrate. 2,4,6-Trinitro-lead-phenolate basic page 311
v
CONTENTS
Lead pircrate initiating mixture page 312
19-07. Sodium picramate. Ammonium 2-amino-4,6-
dinitrophenolate; Ammonium-2-amino-4,6-dinitropicrate page 313
Chapter 20: The preparation of nitrates, chlorates, and
perchlorates page 315
20-01. AN. Ammonium Nitrate page 315
AN/Aluminum blasting prill page 317
Blasting composition page 317
ANFO page 317
ANFO B page 317
AN black powder page 318
AN explosive munitions page 318
20-02. AC. Ammonium chlorate page 319
20-03. APC. Ammonium perchlorate page 320
Perchlorate high performance rocket propellant page 321
Perchlorate high performance rocket propellant page 321
Perchlorate high performance rocket propellant page 322
20-04. PCB. Perchlorylbenzene page 322
20-05. Nitro-PCB. 3-Nitroperchlorylbenzene page 323
20-06. BDC. Biguanide diperchlorate page 325
20-07. EDDN. Ethylenediamine dinitrate page 326
Chapter 21: The prepartion of paraffins and their derivatives page 328
21-01. Nitroform. Trinitromethane page 328
21-02. HNF. Hydrazine nitroform; Hydrazinium nitroformate page 332
21-03. KNF. Potassium nitroform page 334
21-04. Silver nitroform page 335
21-05. TNM. Tetranitromethane page 336
21-06. TBA. 4,4,4-Trinitrobutyraldehyde page 340
21-07. TNB. 4,4,4-Trinitro-1-butanol page 341
21-08. 4,4-DNB. 4,4-Dintro-1-butanol page 343
21-09. HNH-3. 1,1,1,6,6,6-Hexanitrohexyne-3 page 344
21-10. TNP. 1,1,1,2-Tetranitropropane page 346
21-11. TNEN. 2,2,2-Trinitroethyl-2-nitroxyethyl ether page 347
21-12. NTND. 2-Methyl-2-(N-nitro-N-trinitroethylamino)-1,3-
propyl dinitrate page 352
Chapter 22: Miscellaneous page 355
22-01. TNA. 1,3,5,7-Tetranitroadamantane page 355
22-02. TND. 1,4,6,9-Tetranitrodimantane page 358
22-03. Nitroguanidine page 361
22-04. NU. Nitrourea page 362
22-05. Acetone-P; Acetone peroxide page 363
22-06. Tetracene. Tetrazene page 265
References page 367
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