lucas
January 4th, 2005, 08:21 AM
I recently spotted Urea Formaldehyde ( C3H8N2O3 ) at the hardware store while shopping for something else. On arrival home I searched for its structure and for any normal uses. I then pondered it's explosives related uses. Nitration being the obvious aproach, since I note that it contains two hydroxyl groups and one primary amine. The other amine of the urea group is tertiary, substiututed by two CH2OH groups.
The only reference I found to this chemical on this site was in the RDX syntesis review thread. Elsewhere it seems to be used in insulating related resins.
Potential for a tri nitrated form of urea formaldehyde is interesting, containing 1 nitramine and two nitric esters. Also a nitrate salt of the teriary amine is pehaps possible, in addition to the other nitro groups.
A scheme I ponder may be feasable is to form a dinitrate salt by addition of solution of urea formaldehyde to dilute nitric acid, analagous to making other nitrate salts of amines like urea and hexamine. Excess of 2 moles nitric would be used per mole or urea formaldehyde.
Then addition to a typical mixed acid, three moles of nitric in a 2:1 weight mixture sulphuric :nitric would follow.
Recovery by addition to suitable amount of crushed ice and filtration followed by washing with cold water and sodium carbonate would hopefully be suitable.
A reactiuon scheme is linked:
http://cloud.prohosting.com/notlucas/urea_formaldehyde.jpg
Should the proposed scheme be workanble, the created explosive should be of good power based on it's structure. One problem I forsee is potential instability caused by presence or the carbonyl group. The carbonyl group is blamed for the drawbacks of nitrosugars as compare to other nitric esters.
Anyone have any thoughts worth sharing?
The only reference I found to this chemical on this site was in the RDX syntesis review thread. Elsewhere it seems to be used in insulating related resins.
Potential for a tri nitrated form of urea formaldehyde is interesting, containing 1 nitramine and two nitric esters. Also a nitrate salt of the teriary amine is pehaps possible, in addition to the other nitro groups.
A scheme I ponder may be feasable is to form a dinitrate salt by addition of solution of urea formaldehyde to dilute nitric acid, analagous to making other nitrate salts of amines like urea and hexamine. Excess of 2 moles nitric would be used per mole or urea formaldehyde.
Then addition to a typical mixed acid, three moles of nitric in a 2:1 weight mixture sulphuric :nitric would follow.
Recovery by addition to suitable amount of crushed ice and filtration followed by washing with cold water and sodium carbonate would hopefully be suitable.
A reactiuon scheme is linked:
http://cloud.prohosting.com/notlucas/urea_formaldehyde.jpg
Should the proposed scheme be workanble, the created explosive should be of good power based on it's structure. One problem I forsee is potential instability caused by presence or the carbonyl group. The carbonyl group is blamed for the drawbacks of nitrosugars as compare to other nitric esters.
Anyone have any thoughts worth sharing?