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

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2
Q

TNT

A

toluene (in presence of nitric acid) –> trinitrotoluene
less sensitive. is used in armour piercing shells for tanks

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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

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4
Q

RDX/HMX

A

ammonia and formaldehyde
has a high shattering power

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