K9
February 22nd, 2005, 10:18 PM
I'd like to make some MNN and MNT using a nitrate salt / H2SO4 method but I'm a bit confused as to how I should go about working out optimal numbers for it. I was given a nice explanation on numbers for nitrostarch by Boomer here http://www.roguesci.org/theforum/showthread.php?t=226 but I'll have to assume that the numbers don't transfer over the same as it is a different type of nitration.
For MNT the numbers I have seen are "20ml 97% H2SO4, 9grams of KNO3 and 9ml toluene" and "12g KNO3 20ml H2SO4 and 10ml toluene". I would probably be using ammonium nitrate, but that is easy enough to convert.
My understanding is that I would need one mole of ammonium nitrate to make one mole of HNO3 which would nitrate the toluene once. If one mole of toluene is roughly 106 or 107 ml, then it would be roughly 8 grams of NH4NO3 for 10/11 ml of toluene. And I'm not sure where the number for the H2SO4 comes from. Now I'm probably off somewhere but I'm not sure where, and that's my problem.
As for the MNN, in this thread - http://roguesci.org/theforum/showthread.php?t=3765&highlight=mnn I see a ratio of "120ml of 91% H2SO4 and 60g AN" to as much naphthalene that would go which happened to be 40 grams for that experiment. Again, I'm not sure how to work out what the optimal numbers are but I guess it would be done in a somewhat similar fashion.
Would anyone be able to help? Thank you.
For MNT the numbers I have seen are "20ml 97% H2SO4, 9grams of KNO3 and 9ml toluene" and "12g KNO3 20ml H2SO4 and 10ml toluene". I would probably be using ammonium nitrate, but that is easy enough to convert.
My understanding is that I would need one mole of ammonium nitrate to make one mole of HNO3 which would nitrate the toluene once. If one mole of toluene is roughly 106 or 107 ml, then it would be roughly 8 grams of NH4NO3 for 10/11 ml of toluene. And I'm not sure where the number for the H2SO4 comes from. Now I'm probably off somewhere but I'm not sure where, and that's my problem.
As for the MNN, in this thread - http://roguesci.org/theforum/showthread.php?t=3765&highlight=mnn I see a ratio of "120ml of 91% H2SO4 and 60g AN" to as much naphthalene that would go which happened to be 40 grams for that experiment. Again, I'm not sure how to work out what the optimal numbers are but I guess it would be done in a somewhat similar fashion.
Would anyone be able to help? Thank you.