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554 CHEMISTRY AND TECHNOLOGY OF EXPLOSIVES

HEXANITRODIPHENYL SULPHONE

2,2’,4,4’,6,6’-Hexanitrodiphenyl sulphone (m. p. 307°C, decomposition) forms

yellowish crystals difficult to dissolve in most organic solvents.

In 1912 Sprengstoff A. G. Carbonit [17] was granted a patent for a method

of preparation of this explosive, consisting in reacting hexanitrodiphenyl sulphide

with nitric acid. Since picryl chloride, as the starting material for picryl sulphide

was rather expensive, another method of preparation of hexanitrodiphenyl sulphone,

via tetranitrodiphenyl sulphide, was also used. The latter was obtained by treating

chlorodinitrobenzene with sodium thiosulphate. Then it was nitrated and oxidized

simultaneously with nitric acid to hexanitrodiphenyl sulphone:

(12)

During World War I the compound was used by the Germans in mixtures with

TNT and sometimes also with ammonium nitrate for filling bombs.

Hexanitrodiphenyl sulphone proved to be a stable compound. According to van

Duin and van Lennep [8], it withstands heating at 95°C for 30 days. Its initiation

temperature is 297-308°C depending on the rate of heating.

It is a more powerful explosive than hexyl or picryl sulphide, mainly due to

a more favourable oxygen balance, and also surpasses picric acid. Its sensitivity

to impact is of the order of tetryl.

LITERATURE

1. MAXIM, U.S. Pat. 951445 (1904); 974900 (190.5).


2. Du Pont de Nemours, U.S. Pat. 976211 (1910).
   2a. A. CAHOURS, Ann. chim. [3]. 27, 439 (1850); Ann. 74, 298 (1850).


3. H. SALKOWSKI, Ann. 174, 259 (1874).