i nitrated about 9.5 grams of erythritol this morning. using 30 ml of >90% nitric acid (distilled last weekend) in 60 ml of 98% sulfuric acid
cooled in ice bath and slow addition of the erythritol. i let the reaction proceed for 40 minutes keeping temp between 10C and 20C. after the 40
minutes i let the mixture slowly heat up until NOx fumes began to appear. when the reaction mixture reached about 58C i cooled the beaker and then
crashed.
the etn was already formed and the increased temp fused the mass of crystals as it cooled in water. broke up the mass, neutralized with conc. NaHCO3
and dried. crushed the slightly yellowish mass into powder, neutralized again and dissolved in the minimum amount of methanol. heating over a hot
water bath, i reduced the solution beyond the saturation point, and, disturbing the liquid, it became a thick slush of etn crystals slightly wet with
methanol. i emptied this mass into a buchner funnel, washed again with a final 15 ml portion of water and dried with vacuum filtration. all traces of
yellow are gone. final product is snow white and like corn starch in consistency.
final mass weighed in at 10.4 grams not including the portions removed for testing and losses from cleaning and recrystallization.
a 100 mg mass pressed tightly into heavy foil confinement detonates with great force on heating. ears rang for 15 minutes... |