Military uses of high explosives Flashcards
1
Q
Picric acid
A
phenol (in presence of nitric acid) –> picric acid
stable ish. heavy metal salts make it unstable so used Fe instead of Pb
2
Q
TNT
A
toluene (in presence of nitric acid) –> trinitrotoluene
less sensitive. is used in armour piercing shells for tanks
3
Q
nitration of toluene (TNT) vs phenol (picric acid)
A
nitration of toluene = slower than phenol because phenol = more e- rich (ring structure) and the OH group can move e- around and overcome the activation barrier
4
Q
RDX/HMX
A
ammonia and formaldehyde
has a high shattering power