GB615419A - Nitramines and their preparation - Google Patents

Abstract

3 : 7-Dinitropentamethylene tetramine, i.e. D.P.T., is obtained by treating hexamine with concentrated nitric acid, separating the cyclonite thus produced from the nitrolyses mother liquor, and neutralizing said mother liquor to a pH of about 5.6. Alternatively, it may be produced from hexamine dinitrate by treatment with a liquid carboxylic anhydride or by the condensation of formaldehyde, nitramide and ammonia. On treatment with a solution of ammonium nitrate or absolute nitric acid, D.P.T. yields a mixture of cyclonite and homocyclonite. Detailed examples are given of (a) the preparation of D.P.T. by (1) neutralization of the mother liquors from the nitrolyses of hexamine; (2) treating hexamine at moderate temperatures with nitric acid containing dissolved ammonium nitrate; (3) converting hexamine to hexamine dinitrate and treating the latter compound with a carboxylic acid anhydride; (4) using sulphuric acid instead of the carboxylic acid anhydride in (3); (5) condensing formaldehyde with nitramide at about 0 DEG to 30 DEG C. and treating the reaction product with ammonia; (b) the following reactions of D.P.T.; (6) treatment with concentrated nitric acid at 0-30 DEG C. to produce homocyclonite; (7) treatment with ammonium nitrate dissolved in nitric acid together with acetic anhydride to produce p homocyclonite; (8) treatment with sulphuric and nitric acids to produce cyclonite and homocyclonite.