1,3,3-Trinitroazetidine (TNAZ) is a highly energetic
heterocyclic compound
A heterocyclic compound or ring structure is a cyclic compound that has atoms of at least two different elements as members of its ring(s). Heterocyclic chemistry is the branch of organic chemistry dealing with the synthesis, properties, and ...
that has been considered as a potential replacement for
TNT because of its low melting point (101 °C) and good thermal stability (up to 240 °C). TNAZ was first synthesized by Archibald et al. in 1990.
Several synthesis routes are known, and bulk production of several hundred kilogram batches has been demonstrated at
Los Alamos National Laboratory.
Properties
The compound crystallizes in an
orthorhombic lattice with the
space group Pbca.
Thermolysis
Thermal decomposition, or thermolysis, is a chemical decomposition caused by heat. The decomposition temperature of a substance is the temperature at which the substance chemically decomposes. The reaction is usually endothermic as heat is req ...
occurs starting around 240 °C - 250 °C with decomposition products that include
nitrogen dioxide,
nitric oxide
Nitric oxide (nitrogen oxide or nitrogen monoxide) is a colorless gas with the formula . It is one of the principal oxides of nitrogen. Nitric oxide is a free radical: it has an unpaired electron, which is sometimes denoted by a dot in its che ...
,
nitrous acid,
carbon dioxide, and
formaldehyde. It has a heat of decomposition of 6343 kJ/kg, and a detonation pressure of 36.4 GPa.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Trinitroazetidine, 1, 3, 3-
Explosive chemicals
Azetidines