The need and preparation of spherical 1,1-diamino-2,2-dinitroethene (FOX-7) particles to meet certain special applications in high explosives and propellant formulation have been illustrated. Preparation of spherical FOX-7 particles by using a microemulsion technique has not been reported in the literature. In the present study, the preparation of spherical FOX-7 particles has been described using the novel concept of a micelle-based nanoreactor. Micelle-based nanoreactors have been prepared using a microemulsion of Triton X-100, cyclohexane, and water. Formation of spherical FOX-7 particles in the reverse micelle reactors have been described in the subsequent sections of this article. It is observed that spherical particles of FOX-7 are formed within 2 h in the microemulsion media. Analysis of the experimental results revealed that the particle size and shape of FOX-7 can be varied by changing the water/surfactant molar ratio in the microemulsion. Spherical particles synthesized by this method have diameters that are generally in the submicrometer to nanometer range. Impact sensitivity (h 50) of the spherical particles obtained by the fall-hammer method is around 45 cm compared to regular synthesized FOX-7 (i.e., 50 ± 5 cm) without any change in friction sensitivity, i.e. 36 kg. Loadability of the explosive charges can be enhanced by using these spherical particles of FOX-7.

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A thermally stable, insensitive, high-explosive 1,3,5-triamino-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene (TATB) is manufactured by amination of 1,3,5-trichloro-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene in toluene with NH3 gas. An orange–red, sensitive impurity, 1,3,5-triamino-2-chloro-4,6-dinitrobenzene (TACDNB), was found forming with product TATB in the pilot-plant process. This impurity was isolated and characterized by single-crystal XRD, NMR, FTIR, DSC, and sensitivity test. The chemical reactivity of this impurity with aqueous sodium hydroxide solution was also studied. The process anomalies which led to the formation of this impurity with product TATB were investigated. This TACDNB impurity was formed due to amination of 1,3,5,6-tetrachloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (T4) when excess NH3 gas was fed into the reactor.