Green primaries: Environmentally friendly energetic complexes
Top Cited Papers
Open Access
- 4 April 2006
- journal article
- Published by Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
- Vol. 103 (14), 5409-5412
- https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0600827103
Abstract
Primary explosives are used in small quantities to generate a detonation wave when subjected to a flame, heat, impact, electric spark, or friction. Detonation of the primary explosive initiates the secondary booster or main-charge explosive or propellant. Long-term use of lead azide and lead styphnate as primary explosives has resulted in lead contamination at artillery and firing ranges and become a major health hazard and environmental problem for both military and civilian personnel. Devices using lead primary explosives are manufactured by the tens of millions every year in the United States from primers for bullets to detonators for mining. Although substantial synthetic efforts have long been focused on the search for greener primary explosives, this unresolved problem has become a “holy grail” of energetic materials research. Existing candidates suffer from instability or excessive sensitivity, or they possess toxic metals or perchlorate. We report here four previously undescribed green primary explosives based on complex metal dianions and environmentally benign cations, (cat)2[MII(NT)4(H2O)2] (where cat is NH4 + or Na+, M is Fe2+ or Cu2+, and NT− is 5-nitrotetrazolato-N 2). They are safer to prepare, handle, and transport than lead compounds, have comparable initiation efficiencies to lead azide, and offer rapid reliable detonation comparable with lead styphnate. Remarkably, they possess all current requirements for green primary explosives and are suitable to replace lead primary explosives in detonators. More importantly, they can be synthesized more safely, do not pose health risks to personnel, and cause much less pollution to the environment.Keywords
This publication has 10 references indexed in Scilit:
- 3,6‐Di(azido)‐1,2,4,5‐Tetrazine: A Precursor for the Preparation of Carbon Nanospheres and Nitrogen‐Rich Carbon NitridesAngewandte Chemie-International Edition, 2004
- Tetrazine ExplosivesPropellants, Explosives, Pyrotechnics, 2004
- U.S. Department of Defense and White House Working Together to Avoid Cleanup and Liability for Perchlorate PollutionInternational Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health, 2004
- Collateral damageNature, 2004
- Polymer Nanocomposites from Energetic Thermoplastic Elastomers and Alex®Propellants, Explosives, Pyrotechnics, 2003
- Perchlorate Clinical Pharmacology and Human Health: A ReviewTherapeutic Drug Monitoring, 2001
- Characterization, Crystal Structure of 2,4-Bis(triphenylphosphanimino)tetrazolo[5,1-a]-[1,3,5]triazine, and Improved Crystal Structure of 2,4,6-Triazido-1,3,5-triazineEuropean Journal of Inorganic Chemistry, 1998
- Binary eutectics formed between ammonium nitrate and amine salts of 5-nitrotetrazole I. preparation and initial characterizationJournal of Energetic Materials, 1983
- ENCYCLOPEDIA OF EXPLOSIVES AND RELATED ITEMS. VOLUME 3Published by Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC) ,1966
- Neues vom StickstoffwasserstoffEuropean Journal of Inorganic Chemistry, 1891