Synthesis and Characterization of Urea Nitrate and Nitrourea

Abstract

Urea nitrate (UN) has not found use as a legitimate explosive but is commonly used as an improvised explosive. The dehydration product of UN is nitrourea (NU). Visually both UN and NU are white solids that both melt around 160 °C. Other properties differ markedly as might be expected from an inorganic salt (UN) and an organic molecular compound (NU). An extensive physical characterization of NU and UN is reported. Two reported routes to the NU product are compared and a decomposition mechanism of UN proposed.

Rapid Quantification of Ammonium Nitrate and Urea Nitrate Using Liquid Chromatography–High-Resolution Orbitrap Mass Spectrometry

“…44−46 Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were performed to determine characteristic thermal analysis for UN batch synthesis and compared with the literature. 44,45,50−52 DSC revealed a characteristic UN exotherm between 155−170 °C (Supporting Information, Figure S4) comparable to previous UN findings. 44,45,50 TGA revealed a three-step decomposition with an onset mass loss at approximately 130−140 °C (Supporting Information, Figure S5) similar to previous investigations.…”

“…44,45,50−52 DSC revealed a characteristic UN exotherm between 155−170 °C (Supporting Information, Figure S4) comparable to previous UN findings. 44,45,50 TGA revealed a three-step decomposition with an onset mass loss at approximately 130−140 °C (Supporting Information, Figure S5) similar to previous investigations. 44,51,52 In addition, FTIR 46,53−55 and Raman spectroscopy 44,46 measurements found in the Supporting Information, Figures S6 and S7, respectively, revealed characteristic vibrational signatures for UN.…”

Salt-Forming Ability of 2,3,4а,6,7,8а,9,10-Octaaza-4,8-Dioxo-3,4,4a,7,8,8а,9,9a,10,10а-Decahydroantracene

“…Исходный 2,3,4а,6,7,8а,9,10-октааза-4,8-диоксо-3,4,4a,7,8,8а,9,9a,10,10а-декагидроантрацен (соединение 1) синтезировали по методике [4]. Динитрат 2,3,4а,6,7,8а,9,10-октааза-4,8-диоксо-3,4,4a,7,8,8а,9,9a,10,10а-декагидроантрацена (2). Навеску 0,5 г исходного соединения 1 растворяли в 12 мл 68 % растворе азотной кислоты при 0 °С.…”

“…[1]. Особого внимания в этом плане заслуживают нитраты и перхлораты азотистых соединений, например мочевины и диаминомочевины [2,3], имеющие в своем составе высокое содержание кислорода и обладающие высокоэнергетическими свойствами, позволяющими использовать их в газогенерирующих композициях или как смесевые ВВ. Продолжающийся поиск новых малочувствительных, мощных и экологически безвредных, заместителей вторичных взрывчатых веществ, таких как гексоген, является актуальным, с одной стороны, и очень сложной задачей, с другой стороны.…”

Removal of explosive compounds RDX and DNAN from water by catalytic ozonation

“…Nitrourea is a synthesized explosive compound from the nitration of urea or a urea nitrate dehydration reaction. Meanwhile, 2,4-dinitrophenol is an organic compound but has been known to cause weight lost, vomiting, nausea, sweating and more when taken orally and has even been used in several developments for weight loss supplements (Oxley, Smith, Vadlamannati, Brown, Zhang, Swanson, & Canino, 2013;Grundlingh, Dargan, El-Zanfaly & Wood, 2011). Although the RDX degradation has shown improvement, DNAN has not seen the same hope for materialization using ozone and AOPs or UV photolysis and still poses a significant threat to human health and environmental wellbeing although it proves a better alternative than TNT.…”