Abstract:
Enhanced performance of propellants and explosives is the most sought-after attribute
for ambitious research progress in the field of high energy materials. Defense and space
sector priorities have always kept research and development efforts active in the area of
propellants and explosives. The use of chlorine free high performance oxidizers in solid
rocket propellants may reduce launch cost while producing less polluting exhaust products.
Considerable effort has been expended in the search for high energy oxidizers that are useful
in rocket propellant formulation. These oxidizers should be dense, thermally stable and
relatively shock insensitive. It has now been found that hydrazinium nitformate (HNF) has
the required properties. Nitroform is a very valuable compound for use in the preparation of
HNF due to its high oxygen contents and labile hydrogen atom. Many methods have been
tried to obtain HNF of desired quality.
Present work deals with a new method of producing trinitromethane (nitroform) by the
nitration of isopropyl alcohol with a mixture of fuming nitric acid and concentrated sulphuric
acid and the isolation of nitroform with the help of dichloroethane. To the best of our
knowledge these two approaches have been employed for the first time. Further the present
work relates to a method of preparing HNF by the addition of 96% hydrazine to a solution of
nitroform in dichloroethane followed by the purification of the product by means of
recrystallization, a solution being made in methanol. Various instrumental techniques have
been employed to characterize HNF prepared during the present work, which confirm the
purity of the compound.
