The thermal decomposition of pentaerythritol tetranitrate, nitroglycerin, ethylenediamine dinitrate and ammonium nitrate

Abstract

Abstract The decomposition of nitroglycerin and ammonium nitrate follows the unimolecular equation. That of pentaerythritol tetranitrate shows slight autocatalysis and ethylenediamine dinitrate shows considerable autocatalysis. Normal Arrhenius expressions for the decomposition rate were obtained for the two nitrates, but the frequency factor for the two nitric esters is extremely large. With pentaerythritol tetranitrate a significant diminution of the frequency factor in dilute solution was ascribed to reaction chains having a short length dependent on temperature. Analyses of the gaseous products were made including the use of a flow method with pentaerythritol tetranitrate.