Trinitrotoluene

Trinitrotoluene (pronounced /traɪˌnaɪtrɵˈtɒljʊ.iːn/; abbreviated TNT), or more specifically, 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, is a chemical compound with the formula C6H2(NO2)3CH3. This yellow-coloured solid is a reagent (reactant) in chemistry but is best known as a useful explosive material with convenient handling properties. The explosive yield of TNT is considered the standard measure of strength of bombs and other explosives. (Dynamite, though, has m... more

Trinitrotoluene (pronounced /traɪˌnaɪtrɵˈtɒljʊ.iːn/; abbreviated TNT), or more specifically, 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, is a chemical compound with the formula C6H2(NO2)3CH3. This yellow-coloured solid is a reagent (reactant) in chemistry but is best known as a useful explosive material with convenient handling properties. The explosive yield of TNT is considered the standard measure of strength of bombs and other explosives. (Dynamite, though, has more than 60% more energy density than TNT, with roughly 7.5 MJ/kg compared to 4.6 MJ/kg for TNT.) In chemistry, TNT is used to generate charge transfer salts. Industrially, TNT is synthesized in a three-step process First, toluene is nitrated with a mixture of sulfuric and nitric acid to produce mono-nitrotoluene or MNT. The MNT is separated and then renitrated to dinitrotoluene or DNT. In the final step, the DNT is nitrated to trinitrotoluene or TNT using an anhydrous mixture of nitric acid and oleum. Nitric acid is consumed by the... less