What makes nitroglycerin so dangerous?
Yet there is still one factor which makes nitroglycerin significantly more dangerous to work with than TNT and RDX – its sensitivity to shock and temperature, which is far greater than the sensitivities of the other two compounds. Unfortunately, no mechanism for detonation is precisely known, and consequently it is unclear as to what makes a molecule predisposed towards sensitivity. One possible explanation for nitroglycerin’s comparative sensitivity is based on the fact that it is a nitrate ester, which are particularly sensitive to shock and heat, although the reasons for this are currently unknown. 11 This is supported by the fact that similar sensitivities to that of nitroglycerin are seen among other nitrate esters such as pentaerythritol tetranitrate ( ‘ PETN ’ ), 12 amajor component in the plastic explosive Semtex. However, although some correlations between a compound’s sensitivity and its composition have been found, the details are not well understood. In conclusion, we have explored the factors that cause an explosive to be explosive, and shown how nitroglycerinmeets these criteria, principally through its almost neutral oxygen balance, as well as with its high nitrogen content. We have also seen how these factors compare to those of other common explosives, and thereby why nitroglycerin is unusually powerful. However, in order to better understand these conclusions, and especially the reason for nitroglycerin’s high sensitivity, further research into the subject is required.
Display formula of nitrate ester functional group
Image Source: Wikidata Nitrate ester
Bibliography
Encyclopaedia Britannica. Detonating Cord. https://www.britannica.com/technology/explosive/Detonating-cord#ref82389. Consulted 23/08/19 Encyclopaedia Britannica. Nitroglycerin. https://www.britannica.com/science/nitroglycerin. Consulted 23/08/19 Federation of American Scientists. Chemical Explosives. https://fas.org/man/dod- 101/navy/docs/es310/chemstry/chemstry.htm. Consulted 22/08/19 Los Alamos National Laboratory. What is a high explosive? https://www.lanl.gov/museum/news/newsletter/2017/2017-04/high-explosives.php. Consulted 22/08/19 Manner, V. (09/03/2018) ‘Examining the chemical and structural prop erties that influence the sensitivity of energetic nitrate esters’ , Chemical Science 9: 3649-3663 Sigma-Aldrich. 2,4,6 – Trinitrotoluene solution. https://www.sigmaaldrich.com/catalog/product/cerillian/ert022s?lang=en®ion=GB. Consulted 23/08/19
11,12 See Manner, V. ‘Examining the chemical and structural properties that infl uence the sensitivity of energetic nitrate esters’
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