US1751064A

US1751064A - Explosive and process of manufacture

Info

Publication number: US1751064A
Application number: US271657A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ahlum Charles Chester
Original assignee: EI Du Pont de Nemours and Co
Current assignee: EIDP Inc
Priority date: 1928-04-20
Filing date: 1928-04-20
Publication date: 1930-03-18
Anticipated expiration: 1947-03-18

Description

Patented Mar. 18, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT oF icE CHARLES CHESTER AHLUM, OF CHESTER, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO E. I. DU PON T DE NEMOURS & COMPANY, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A CORPORATION OF DELA- WARE EXPLOSIVE AND PROCESS OF MANUFACTURE No Drawing.

This invention relates to a process of nitrating polyhydroxy alcohols having from four to six carbon atoms by mixing them with liquid polyhydroxy alcohols and subjecting to the action of a nitrating acid, and

to the explosive produced thereby.

Polyhydroxy alcohols having from four to six carbon atoms such as erythritol, arabitol, sorbitol, and their various isomers when nitrated alone with mixed acid give pasty products or syrups of high viscosity which are diificult to purify. I have found that by mixing polyhydroxy alcohols having from four to six carbon atoms, such as mentioned above, with liquid polyhydroxy alcohols, such as glycerine and glycol, Iobtain a product which when nitrated is a fluid oil of sufliciently low viscosity to be readily purified and stabilized by the usualmethods of nitroglycerin practice. In general the yields and nitrogen content of the nitrated polyhydroxy alcohol having from four to six carbon atoms are greater when nitrated in solution as described above, than when nitrated alone.

A particular object of this invention is the development of an economic process for the nitration of polyhydroxy alcohols having from four to six carbon atoms and one that is practical from the viewpoint of handling. Other objects will appear as the description proceeds.

The explosive products obtained as described above are valuable in supplanting nitroglycerine. I am aware that cane sugar has been nitrated in combination with glycerine. By using sorbitol in place of cane sugar I have found that I gain several distinct advantages over the latter. For ex- 0 ample, using a solution. of 80 parts glycerine and 20 parts of sorbitol, I obtain an oil of higher nitrogen content and greater strength than when I use a similar solution of 80 parts glycerine and 20 parts of cane sugar. The

explosive thus obtained from sorbitol also has a lower viscosity, which is of considerable advantage in washing, handling, and incorporating. into dynamite. Instead of 20 parts sorbitol I may use from 10 to 90 parts sorbitol, the remainder of the mixture being liquid Application filed April 20,

1923. Serial No. 271,657.

polyhydroxy alcohols. Instead of sorbitol I may use such polyhydroxy alcohols having" from four to six carbon atoms as man'nitol, arabitol or erythritol, though for some purposes these are notv quite as satisfactory as sorbitol due to the fact that when nitrated they give products which are not as soluble as nitrosorbitol in nitroglycerine.

A'preferred example'of my process and resultant explosive is the following. I may, for example, dissolve 50 parts of sorbitol in 50 parts of glycerine. This solution when added to the usual nitroglycerine mixed acid gives a fluid oil which separates on the surface of the waste acid. This oil can be readily washed to neutrality using a dilute sodium carbonate solution such as is customary in nitroglycerine practice. The neutral oil thus produced has a high nitrogen content and excellent stability. It is a valuable oxplosive oil for use in dynamites, where it may displace in part or in whole the usual liquid explosive ingredients. In carrying out my process, the proportions of polyhydroxy alcohols having from four to six carbon atoms and liquid polyhydroxy alcohols may, if desired, be as follows':-

10% to 90% sorbitol to 10% glycerine 10% to 90% sorbitol 90% to10% ethylene glycol 10%to 90% sorbitol s5 45% to 5% glycerine 45% to 5% glycol In place of using a solution of polyhydroxy alcohols having from four to six carbon atoms in liquid polyhydroxy alcohol, I may use themin admixture or add them separately to the nitrator. In place of sorbitol I may use erythritol,-mannitol, arabitol or any other polyhydroxy alcohol having from four to six'carbon atoms or mixture of polyhydroxy alcohols having from four to six carbon atoms. In place of glycerine I may use ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, butylene glycol, 'chlorohydrin, diglycerine or any other liquid polyhydroxy alcohol or mixture of liquid polyhydroxy alcohols) dition so that they can be handled practically on alarge scale. I also obtain an explosive oil which is an excellent practical explosive.

By the term polyhydroxy alcohols having from 4 to 6 carbon atoms I mean to exclude the sugars and also the polyglycerines and polyglycols.

As many apparently widely difierent embodiments of this invention may be made without departing from the spirit thereof, it is to be understood that I do not intend to limit myself to the specific embodiments thereof except as indicated in the appended claims.

' I claim 1. The process of producing explosives which comprises nitrating mixtures of polyhydroxy alcohols having from four to six carbon atoms and liquid polyhydroxy alcohols.

2. The process of producing explosives which comprises nitrating mixtures of polyhydroxy alcohols having from four to six carbon atoms with liquid polyhydroxy alcohols in which th content of the mixture of polyhydroxy alcohols having from four to six carbon atoms varies from 10 to 90 parts by Weight. f l

3. Theprocess of producing explosives which comprises nitrating mixtures of polyhydroxy alcohols having from four to six carbon atoms andglycerine and glycol.

4. The process of producing explosives which comprises nitrating mixtures of polyhyd'roxyalcohols having from four to six carbon atoms and glycerine.

5. The process of producing explosives which comprises nitrating mixtures of glycerine and glycol and a polyhydroxy alcohol taken from a group consisting of erythritol, sorbitol, mannitol, and arabitol.-

6. The process of producing explosives which comprisesnitrating mixtures of sorbitol and glycerine.

7. An explosive which comprises nitrated polyhydroxy alcohols having from four to six carbon atoms and nitrated liquid poly- .hydroxy alcohols.

8. An explosive which comprises nitrated mixtures of lycerine and glycol and a polyhydroxy alcslol taken from a group consisting of erythritol, sorbitol, mannitol and arabitol.

12. An explosive which comprises nitrated mixtures of glycerine and a solid, polyhydroxy alcohol taken from a group consisting of erythritol, sorbitol, mannitol, and arabitol. v

13. As new articles of manufacture, explosives coniprising nitrates of a polyhydroxy alcohol having from four to six carbon'atoms and of ethylene glycol.

1 1. As new articles. of manufacture, explosives comprising nitrates of sorbitol and of ethylene glycol.

15. The process of producing explosives which consists in nitrating a mixture comprising a polyhydroxy alcohol having from four to six carbon'atom's and a liquid polyhydroxy alcohol.

. 16. The process of producing explosives which consists in nitrating a mixture comprising a polyhydroxy alcohol having from four to six carbon atoms and ethylene glycol. 17. The process of producing explosives which consists in nitrating a mixture comprising sorbitol and ethylene glycol.

18. The process ofv producing explosives which consists in nitrating a mixture com- .prising a polyhydroxy alcohol, having from four to six carbon atoms, ethyleneglycol and I glycerol.

19. The process of producing explosives which consists in nitrating a mixture comprising sorbitol, ethylene lycol and glycerol. 20. As new articles of manufacture, explosives comprising nitrates of ethylene glycol and nitrates of a compound taken from a group consisting of erythritol, sorbitol, mannitol, and arabitol.

21. The process of producing explosives;

which consist in nitrating a mixture comprisingethylene glycol and a solid polyhydroxy I alcohol taken from a group consisting of erythritol, sorbitol, mannitol, and arabitol. In testimony whereof, I alfix my signature.

CHARLES CHESTER AHLUM.

mixtures of polyhydroxy alcohols having from four to six carbon atoms and liquid polyhydroxy alcohols.

9. An explosive which comprises nitrated mixtures of polyhydroxy alcohols having from four to six carbon atoms and glycerine and glycol.

10. An explosive whichcomprises nitrated mixtures of polyhydroxy alcohols having from four to six carbon atoms and glycerine.

11. An explosive which comprises nit-rated