Allright, I'm afraid I got quite un-scientifically impatient to find out more about the diphoronepentaperoxide, hereafter referred to DPPP, so after
slowly and carefully reading through the pages, I searched the german patent database and found that the .gifs were copies of those pages. I then made
a synthesis as outlined in the patent: 5 mL acetone was mixed with 5 mL part HCl 30%, heat was evolved and very slight bubbling was observed ( I know
that it is most likely parts by weight, but as I said I was impatient ).
Once the liquid had cooled, 0.5 mL was transferred to a test tube and 0.5 mL H2O2 40% was added. At first drop by drop, then as nothing untowards was
happening, I added the rest.
A white precipitate immediately appeared and the mix was allowed to sit undisturbed for 10 min. After this period the product was filtered off, washed
and dried.
Then I started examining the it and found that it smelled exactly like acetone peroxide, but was a fine amorphous powder like HMTD. Upon ignition from
flame it flashed like HMTD or AP, but if placed on a piece of Al foil above a flame, the powder melted and then detonated violently. Thus far,
everything except morphology pointed at AP, but then I did the impact sensitivity tests. I performed my standard qualitative test which consists of
placing the sample in a piece of Al foil which has been folded to form a small envelope. This envelope is then placed on a steel anvil and a
carpenters hammer is used to pound the sample. It was quite hard to get the sample to detonate; it took blows consistent with what PETN requires, and
when the flat, un-exploded samples still in their envelopes were held into a flame they didn't detonate but only flashed as before.
The final test I did was to pack about .25 gram into a 2 mm pipe attach a fuse, and ignite - no detonation, only flashing which ejected the rest of
the fuse. Further testing will follow. |
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