PETN (Pentaerythritol Tetranitrate, also known as Penthrite) is one of the strongest known high explosives, with a relative effectiveness factor (R.E. factor) of 1.66. It is more sensitive to shock or friction than TNT or tetryl, and it is never used alone as a booster. It is primarily used in booster and bursting charges of small caliber ammunition, in upper charges of detonators in some land mines and shells, and as the explosive core of detonation cord. IUPAC nomenclature is a system of naming chemical compounds and of describing the science of chemistry in general. ... A chemical formula (also called molecular formula) is a concise way of expressing information about the atoms that constitute a particular chemical compound. ... General Name, Symbol, Number carbon, C, 6 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 14, 2, p Appearance black (graphite) colorless (diamond) Atomic mass 12. ... General Name, Symbol, Number hydrogen, H, 1 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 1, 1, s Appearance colorless Atomic mass 1. ... General Name, Symbol, Number nitrogen, N, 7 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 15, 2, p Appearance colorless Atomic mass 14. ... General Name, Symbol, Number oxygen, O, 8 Chemical series Nonmetals, chalcogens Group, Period, Block 16, 2, p Appearance colorless (gas) very pale blue (liquid) Atomic mass 15. ... The molecular mass (abbreviated MM) of a substance, formerly also called molecular weight and abbreviated as MW, is the mass of one molecule of that substance, relative to the unified atomic mass unit u (equal to 1/12 the mass of one atom of carbon-12). ... BIC pen cap, about 1 gram. ... The mole (symbol: mol) is the SI base unit that measures an amount of substance. ... Shock sensitivity is a comparative measure of the sensitivity to sudden movement of a chemical compound, usually of an explosive. ... Friction Sensitivity This is an approximation of the amount of friction or rubbing a compound can withstand before prematurely exploding. ... Density (symbol: ρ - Greek: rho) is a measure of mass per volume. ... BIC pen cap, about 1 gram. ... A cubic centimetre (cm3) is an SI derived unit of volume, equal to the volume of a cube with side length of 1 centi metre. ... Celsius is, or relates to, the Celsius temperature scale. ... djbdasjkhfohasoiflkasdfioalkjsfoijaoislkna wu9832u09q1b oai iu3y hq oi23u89q This page meets Wikipedias criteria for speedy deletion. ... Metre per second (U.S. spelling: meter per second) is an SI derived unit of both speed (scalar) and velocity (vector), defined by distance in metres divided by time in seconds. ... Relative effectiveness factor () is a measurement of an explosives power for military demolitions purposes. ... The melting point of a crystalline solid is the temperature at which it changes state from solid to liquid. ... The autoignition temperature of a substance is the lowest temperature at which a chemical will spontaneously combust in a normal atmosphere, without an external source of ignition, such as a flame or spark. ... CAS registry numbers are unique numerical identifiers for chemical compounds, polymers, biological sequences, mixtures and alloys. ... PubChem is a database of chemical molecules . ... Smile (album), for the musical, see Smile (Musical) and for the bank, see smile (bank) Smile was also the name of the band later known as Queen. ... Preparing C-4 explosive This article is concerned solely with chemical explosives. ... Relative effectiveness factor () is a measurement of an explosives power for military demolitions purposes. ... Trinitrotoluene (TNT) is an explosive. ... Tetryl is a sensitive explosive compound used to make detonators. ... An explosive booster acts as a bridge between a low energy explosive and a low sensitivity (but typically high energy) explosive. ... The word calibre (British English) or caliber (American English) designates the interior diameter of a tube or the exterior diameter of a wire or rod. ... Boxes of ammunition clog a warehouse in Baghdad Ammunition is a generic military term meaning (the assembly of) a projectile and its propellant. ... A detonator is a device used to trigger bombs, shaped charges and other forms of explosive material and explosive devices. ... A land mine is a type of self-contained explosive device which is placed onto or into the ground, exploding when triggered by a vehicle, a person, or an animal. ... Detonating cord, also called detonation cord, detacord, det. ...

PETN is one of the explosive ingredients used in Semtex plastic explosive. During World War II the M9A1 2.36" Rocket Launcher (Bazooka) shaped charge, with 8 oz of pentolite (a mixture of PETN and TNT), could penetrate up to 5 inches of armor. DJ Semtex is also a BBC hip-hop disc jockey and producer from the UK. Semtex is a general-purpose plastic explosive. ... Combatants Major Allied powers: United Kingdom Soviet Union United States Republic of China and others Major Axis powers: Nazi Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Harry Truman Chiang Kai-Shek Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tojo Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead... Pentolite is a high explosive used for military and civilian purposes e. ...

Demolition charge, M118, commonly called Flex-X or sheet explosive, consists of 4 half-pound sheets of flexible explosive packed in a plastic envelope. Each sheet is approximately 3 inches wide, 12 inches long, and ¼ inch thick. Note: The exact explosive contained in an M118 charge varies with the manufacturer. At present, some manufacturers use PETN as the basic explosive. Others use RDX. Charges manufactured in the future may include other explosives. [edit] Headline text ANEWNGONEWGEQWMedia:Example. ...

PETN is also used as a vasodilator. The medicine for heart diseases, "Lentonitrat", is pure PETN. A vasodilator is a substance that causes blood vessels in the body to become wider by relaxing the smooth muscle in the vessel wall, or vasodilation. ... This article is about the field and science of medical practice and health care. ... There are different forms of heart disease: Coronary heart disease Ischaemic heart disease Cardiovascular disease Pulmonary heart disease The study of the heart (and diseases of the heart) is Cardiology This is a disambiguation page, a list of pages that otherwise might share the same title. ...

PETN was also used by Richard Reid for the plot to destroy American Airlines Flight 63 by trying to ignite explosives hidden in his shoes. Richard Colvin Reid (born August 12, 1973), also known as the shoe bomber, is an individual convicted on charges of terrorism currently serving a life sentence in the United States. ... Matt Lauer with the crew of Flight 63, the Shoebomber flight. ...

Properties

The velocity of detonation of PETN at a density of 1.7 is 8,400 meters per second. A weapons cache is detonated at the East River Range on Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan Detonation is a process of supersonic combustion that involves a shock wave and a reaction zone behind it. ...

PETN's formula is C(CH₂ONO₂)₄. Its theoretical maximum crystal density is 1.773 g/cm³. It melts toward 141 °C.

As a pollutant in the environment

PETN does not occur naturally, so the production and use of this kind of compound can lead to contamination of the environment. PETN is subject to biodegradation in untreated or unpreserved urine and feces. There also have been some reports of its degradation by bacteria, whose PETN reductase denitrates PETN into trinitrates and then dinitrates (French et al., 1996). The last compound shown in the pathway, pentaerythritol dinitrate, is degraded further to unknown products. Biodegradation is the decomposition of organic material by microorganisms. ... Kingdoms Actinobacteria Aquificae Chlamydiae Bacteroidetes/Chlorobi Chloroflexi Chrysiogenetes Cyanobacteria Deferribacteres Deinococcus-Thermus Dictyoglomi Fibrobacteres/Acidobacteria Firmicutes Fusobacteria Gemmatimonadetes Lentisphaerae Nitrospirae Planctomycetes Proteobacteria Spirochaetes Thermodesulfobacteria Thermomicrobia Thermotogae Verrucomicrobia Bacteria (singular: bacterium) are unicellular microorganisms. ...

Production

PETNs' preparation involves the nitration of pentaerythritol with a mixture of concentrated nitric and sulfuric acid. The preferred method of nitration is the ICI method, which utilizes concentrated nitric acid (98%+) alone, as mixed acid can create unstable sulfonated by-products.
Pentaerythritol is a polyol used in the fabrication of PETN and varnishes. ... The chemical compound nitric acid (HNO3), otherwise known as aqua fortis or spirit of nitre, is an aqueous solution of hydrogen nitrate (anhydrous nitric acid). ... Sulfuric acid (British English: sulphuric acid), H2SO4, is a strong mineral acid. ...

C(CH₂OH)₄ + 4HNO₃ → C(CH₂ONO₂)₄ + 4H₂O

References

Cooper, Paul W., Explosives Engineering, New York: Wiley-VCH, 1996. ISBN 0-471-18636-8

External links

• Prva Iskra Namenska AD (Serbia)