urbaf2

598 CHEMISTRY AND TECHNOLOGY OF EXPLOSIVES

content of dinitropropane the octane number of the fuel increases from 44 to 51,

while with 0.5% it increases to 53.5.

OTHER POLYNITRO ALIPHATIC COMPOUNDS

A new general method of preparing polynitro aliphatic compounds was recently

described by Frankel [92]. The reaction consists in acting with 2-bromo-2,2-dinitro-

ethyl acetate (I) on metallic salts of organic and inorganic compounds having active

hydrogen atoms.

The following mechanism is given by the author, for the formation of 2,2,4,4-

tetranitrobutyl acetate (V) :

I II

IV V

(33a)

(33b)

(34)

It is suggested that the reaction occurs through the intermediate formation of

1,1-dinitroethylene (III). The reaction was described as “dinitroethylation”.

NITROAROMATIC DERIVATIVES OF

MONO-, DI-, AND TRI-NITROMETHANE

T. Urbanski and Gedroyc [93] prepared dinitrophenylnitromethane (I) -

a trinitrotoluene isomer - by nitration of phenylnitromethane. The compound

has proved to have explosive properties similar to those of TNT.

Milone and Massa [94] prepared another isomer of trinitrotoluene, namely

nitrophenyl dinitromethane (II) by the action of nitrogen dioxide on benzaldoxime

followed by the nitration of the resultant product: