urbaf2

With sodium- or potassium methoxide, trinitroanisole reacts like sym-trinitro-

benzene or α− trinitrotoluene, viz. it adds on an alcoholate molecule, forming a red-

coloured addition product (I) :

I II

The quinonoid structure (see p. 202) is assigned to this product. It decomposes

by the action of acids to yield trinitroanisole again. Boiling with ethyl alcohol

converts the addition product into the analogous derivative of phenetole and sodium

ethoxide (II).

TOXICITY

Trinitroanisole is highly toxic. According to Ilzhijfer [4], poisoning by this sub-

stance causes headache, weakness, loss of appetite, gastric disturbances and irri-

tation of the mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract. Its action on the

skin is particularly harmful. It causes redness, peeling and in more severe cases

blisters, which may join and burst, giving wounds that are difficult to heal. The

sensitivity of individuals differs greatly. Inhaling the dust should be avoided. Pro-

tective clothing and a daily bath after work are highly recommended for those working

with the material. Bare parts of the skin should be protected by a neutral, weakly

absorbent ointment, as for example Vaseline (Lazarev [5]).

EXPLOSIVE PROPERTIES

Dry trinitroanisole is very stable: heating at 95°C for 24 hr leaves it unaffected.

It is distinctly less sensitive to impact than picric acid - the impact energy figure

for explosion produced by a falling weight amounts to 124-129% of that for picric

acid. Its explosive power is slightly less than that of picric acid. Desvergnes [6]

gave the following comparative values determined in a manometric bomb for

densities of loading d = 0.20 and 0.25 g/cm

3

.

trinitroanisole A = 0.20 g/cm^3 2145-2222 kg/cm^2

A = 0.25 g/cm^3  2850 kg/cm^2

picric acid A = 0.20 g/cm^3 2210-2310 kg/cm^2

A = 0.25 g/cm^3  3230 kg/cm^2

The maximum rate of detonation is 7640 m/sec at a density of 1.60 g/cm^3.