Dunnite, also known as Explosive D or systematically as ammonium picrate, is an explosive developed in 1906 by US Army Major Beverly W. Dunn, who later served as chief inspector of the Bureau of Transportation Explosives.[2][3] Ammonium picrate is a salt formed by reacting picric acid and ammonia. It is chemically related to the more stable explosive trinitrotoluene (TNT).
It was the first explosive used in an aerial bombing operation in military history, performed by Italian pilots in Libya in 1911.[4] It was used extensively by the United States Navy during World War I.[5]
Though Dunnite was generally considered an insensitive substance, by 1911 the United States Army had abandoned its use in favor of other alternatives.[6] The Navy, however, used it in armor-piercing artillery shells and projectiles, and in coastal defense.
Dunnite typically did not detonate on striking heavy armor. Rather, the encasing shell would penetrate the armor, after which the charge would be triggered by a base fuze.
Dunnite can be used as a precursor to the highly stable explosive TATB (1,3,5-triamino-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene), by first dehydrating it to form picramide (attaching the ammonia as an amine group instead of an ion) and then further aminating it, using 1,1,1-trimethylhydrazinium iodide (TMHI) made from unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine rocket fuel and methyl iodide. Thus, surplus materials that would have to be destroyed when no longer needed are converted into a high value explosive.[9][10]
^War Records Committee of the Alumni Association (1920), Technology's War Record: An Interpretation of the Contribution Made by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, its Staff, its Former Students and its Undergraduates to the Cause of the United States and the Allied Powers in the Great War, 1914-1919, Cambridge, MA: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, p. 364
^Mitchell, Alexander R.; Pagoria, P. F.; Schmidt, R D. (10 November 1995). Conversion of the Rocket Propellant UDMH to a Reagent Useful in Vicarious Nucleophilic Substitution Reactions(PDF) (Technical report). Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. S2CID 54794595. UCRL-JC-122489.
^Mitchell, Alexander R.; Coburn, Michael D.; Schmidt, Robert D.; Pagoria, Philip F.; Lee, Gregory S. (2002). "Advances in the chemical conversion of surplus energetic materials to higher value products". Thermochimica Acta. 384 (1–2): 205–217. doi:10.1016/S0040-6031(01)00806-1.
December 15, 2023
dunnite, confused, with, dunite, also, known, explosive, systematically, ammonium, picrate, explosive, developed, 1906, army, major, beverly, dunn, later, served, chief, inspector, bureau, transportation, explosives, ammonium, picrate, salt, formed, reacting, . Not to be confused with dunite Dunnite also known as Explosive D or systematically as ammonium picrate is an explosive developed in 1906 by US Army Major Beverly W Dunn who later served as chief inspector of the Bureau of Transportation Explosives 2 3 Ammonium picrate is a salt formed by reacting picric acid and ammonia It is chemically related to the more stable explosive trinitrotoluene TNT Dunnite NamesIUPAC name Ammonium 2 4 6 trinitrophenolateOther names Ammonium picrate Picratol 2 4 6 Trinitrophenol ammonium salt Ammonium picronitrate Explosive DIdentifiersCAS Number 131 74 8 Y3D model JSmol Interactive imageChemSpider 8259 NECHA InfoCard 100 004 582EC Number 205 038 3PubChem CID 8577UNII 4N99515C3Z YCompTox Dashboard EPA DTXSID50872815InChI InChI 1S C6H3N3O7 H3N c10 6 4 8 13 14 1 3 7 11 12 2 5 6 9 15 16 h1 2 10H 1H3 NKey PADMMUFPGNGRGI UHFFFAOYSA N NInChI 1 C6H3N3O7 H3N c10 6 4 8 13 14 1 3 7 11 12 2 5 6 9 15 16 h1 2 10H 1H3Key PADMMUFPGNGRGI UHFFFAOYAZSMILES C1 C C C C C1 N O O O N O O N O O NH4 PropertiesChemical formula C 6H 6N 4O 7Molar mass 246 135 g mol 1Density 1 719 g cm3 1 Melting point 265 C 509 F 538 K 1 Solubility in water 10 g L 20 C HazardsGHS labelling PictogramsSignal word DangerHazard statements H201 H315 H317 H319Precautionary statements P210 P230 P240 P250 P261 P264 P272 P280 P302 P352 P305 P351 P338 P321 P332 P313 P333 P313 P337 P313 P362 P363 P370 P380 P372 P373 P401 P501Except where otherwise noted data are given for materials in their standard state at 25 C 77 F 100 kPa N verify what is Y N Infobox referencesHistory editIt was the first explosive used in an aerial bombing operation in military history performed by Italian pilots in Libya in 1911 4 It was used extensively by the United States Navy during World War I 5 Though Dunnite was generally considered an insensitive substance by 1911 the United States Army had abandoned its use in favor of other alternatives 6 The Navy however used it in armor piercing artillery shells and projectiles and in coastal defense Dunnite typically did not detonate on striking heavy armor Rather the encasing shell would penetrate the armor after which the charge would be triggered by a base fuze In 2008 caches of discarded Dunnite in remote locations were mistaken for rusty rocks at Cape Porcupine Newfoundland and Labrador Canada 7 8 Dunnite can be used as a precursor to the highly stable explosive TATB 1 3 5 triamino 2 4 6 trinitrobenzene by first dehydrating it to form picramide attaching the ammonia as an amine group instead of an ion and then further aminating it using 1 1 1 trimethylhydrazinium iodide TMHI made from unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine rocket fuel and methyl iodide Thus surplus materials that would have to be destroyed when no longer needed are converted into a high value explosive 9 10 References edit a b Record of Ammoniumpikrat in the GESTIS Substance Database of the Institute for Occupational Safety and Health accessed on 24 Nov 2007 War Records Committee of the Alumni Association 1920 Technology s War Record An Interpretation of the Contribution Made by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology its Staff its Former Students and its Undergraduates to the Cause of the United States and the Allied Powers in the Great War 1914 1919 Cambridge MA Massachusetts Institute of Technology p 364 Dunnite Smashes Strongest Armor The New York Times August 18 1907 1 La Stampa November 2 1911 Dunnite Firstworldwar com Ridicule Spy Story Army Abandoned the Use of Dunnite Years Ago Officers Say The New York Times August 8 1911 Moore Oliver 2008 09 11 Family makes explosive discovery on Labrador shore The Globe and Mail Archived from the original on 2017 01 09 Beachcombing Labrador family carries home wartime explosive Canadian Broadcasting Corporation 2008 09 10 Retrieved 2017 01 07 Mitchell Alexander R Pagoria P F Schmidt R D 10 November 1995 Conversion of the Rocket Propellant UDMH to a Reagent Useful in Vicarious Nucleophilic Substitution Reactions PDF Technical report Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory S2CID 54794595 UCRL JC 122489 Mitchell Alexander R Coburn Michael D Schmidt Robert D Pagoria Philip F Lee Gregory S 2002 Advances in the chemical conversion of surplus energetic materials to higher value products Thermochimica Acta 384 1 2 205 217 doi 10 1016 S0040 6031 01 00806 1 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Dunnite amp oldid 1174646075, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
