showed good second-order rate constants for the expression, -d(RDX)/dt = &2(OH")(RDX) = MRDX), where ki is the first-order rate constant with excess hydroxide ion. At 25.0 °C the kinetic isotope effect for k2-(RDX-h6)//e2'(RDX-d6) = 2.4. Mass spectral evidence for two short-lived intermediates, pentaproteo (I-h6) and pentadeuterio (I-ds) l,3,5-triaza-3,5-dinitrocyclohexene-l, obtained by loss of the elements of nitrous acid from RDX-h6 and RDX-dg is presented. Products obtained on further hydrolysis of I-h5 include, N02~, N20, NH3, N2, CH20, and HCOO", the relative amounts of which depend on the hydroxide ion concentration. A novel method is presented for generating these base sensitive, short-lived intermediates with strongly basic ion-exchange resins.

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Three pseudomonas-like organisms have been shown to metabolically oxidize 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT). Capability for this oxidative dissimilation varied with each organism. Of the three, isolate "Y" was the most proficient, isolate "I" was less, and isolate "II" was the least. For accelerated TNT degradation, addition of glucose or a nitrogenous substance was essential. Complete dissimilation within 24 h by isolate "Y" cultures supplemented with 0.5% yeast extract is presumed since no TNT was detectable.

RDX (cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine) explosive crystals, typically approaching 5 mm in size, were grown by evaporation from acetone solution using production-grade crystals as starting material. Two distinctly different morphologies resulted, including one that apparently has not been previously reported in other investigations. These morphologies were characterized using Laue X-ray diffraction methods and an optical trace analysis, both involving a stereographic projection description. Microindentation experiments were performed on different prominent growth surfaces of several selected laboratorygrown crystals having the conventional morphology type. The hardness results are compared with measurements made directly on several production-grade crystals having a different morphology, and are compared with preceding measurements on a crystal having the previously unreported morphology. The latter crystal exhibited highly localized plastic deformation at the indentations as revealed by dislocation etch-pitting. Observations are made regarding the dislocation structure and cleavage properties of RDX based on its orthorhombic unit cell.

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