Trinitrotoluene

TNT is used for industrial as well as military purposes, and is popular because of it's insensitivity to shock and friction, greatly reducing the risk of accidental detonation. Trinitrotoluene can be safely mixed with other explosives as well as be used in wet environments since it does not dissolve in or absorb water. It is often mistaken that TNT and Dynamite are the same thing, or Dynamite contains TNT, when actually TNT is a specific chemical compound where Dynamite is an absorbent mixture that is compressed into a cylinder and wrapped in paper.
 * Trinitrotoluene**, commonly know as TNT is a chemical compound with a formula of C6H2(NO2)3CH3 and a molar mass of 227.13 g/mol. TNT has a melting point of 80.35 degrees Celcius or 176.63 degrees Farenheit and a boiling point of 295 degrees Celcius or 563 degrees Farenheit. It can be used as a reagent in chemical synthesis but is best known as a explosive material, and is the standard measure of strength all bombs and other explosives are compared to.

Energy Content:

 * TNT produces 4.184 megajoules per kilogram, in comparison gunpowder produces 3 megajoules per kilogram and dynamite produces 7.5 megajoules per kilogram.
 * For comparison, gunpowder contains 3 megajoules per kilogram, dynamite contains 7.5 megajoules per kilogram, gasoline contains 47.2 megajoules per kilogram (though gasoline requires an oxidant, so an optimized gasoline and O2 mixture contains 10.4 megajoules per kilogram), and butter contains 30 megajoules per kilogram (also requiring an external oxidizing agent).

Explosive Character:
It is a common misconception that TNT and dynamite are the same, or that dynamite contains TNT. In fact, whereas TNT is a specific chemical compound, dynamite is an absorbent mixture soaked in nitroglycerin that is compressed into a cylindrical shape and wrapped in paper. Upon detonation, TNT decomposes as follows: 2 C7H5N3O6 → 3 N2 + 5 H2O + 7 CO + 7 C 2 C7H5N3O6 → 3 N2 + 5 H2 + 12 CO + 2 C The reaction is exothermic but has a high activation energy. Because of the production of carbon, TNT explosions have a sooty appearance. Because TNT has an excess of carbon, explosive mixtures with oxygen-rich compounds can yield more energy per kilogram than TNT alone. During the 20th century, amatol, a mixture of TNT with ammonium nitrate was a widely used military explosive. Detonation of TNT can be done using a high velocity initiator or by efficient concussion. For many years, TNT used to be the reference point for the Figure of Insensitivity. TNT has a rating of exactly 100 on the F of I scale. However, the reference has since been changed to a more sensitive explosive called RDX, which has an F of I of 80.

History:

 * TNT was first prepared in 1863 by German chemist Julius Wilbrand and used a yellow dye
 * In 1910, The UK's Ecplosives Act of 1875 exempted TNT as an explosive for the purposed of maufacture and storage
 * The majority of TNT currently used by the US military is manufactured by Radford Army Ammunition Plant near Radford, Virginia

Safelty and Toxicity
TNT is poisonous, and skin contact can cause skin irritation, causing the skin to turn a bright yellow-orange color. During the First World War, munition workers who handled the chemical found that their skin turned bright yellow, which resulted in their acquiring the nickname "canary girls" or simply "canaries." People exposed to TNT over a prolonged period tend to experience anemia and abnormal liver functions. Blood and liver effects, spleen enlargement and other harmful effects on the immune system have also been found in animals that ingested or breathed trinitrotoluene. There is evidence that TNT adversely affects male fertility. TNT is listed as a possible human carcinogen, with carcinogenic effects demonstrated in animal experiments (rat), although effects upon humans so far amount to none [according to IRIS of March 15, 2000]. Consumption of TNT produces red urine through the presence of breakdown products and not blood as sometimes believed. Some military testing grounds are contaminated with TNT. Wastewater from munitions programs including contamination of surface and subsurface waters may be colored pink because of the presence of TNT. Such contamination, called "pink water", may be difficult and expensive to remedy. TNT is prone to exudation of dinitrotoluenes and other isomers of trinitrotoluene. Even small quantities of such impurities can cause such effect. The effect shows especially in projectiles containing TNT and stored at higher temperatures, e.g. during summer. Exudation of impurities leads to formation of pores and cracks (which in turn cause increased shock sensitivity). Migration of the exudated liquid into the fuze screw thread can form fire channels, increasing the risk of accidental detonations; fuze malfunction can result from the liquids migrating into its mechanism.