Background of TNT
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| Yellow dye from TNT |
2, 4, 6 - Trinitrotoluene
(TNT) with the molecular formula of C7H5N3O6
is entirely different compound from
dynamite. TNT has an interesting starting point where it was originally
developed as a dye, not an explosive!
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| Julius Wilbrand a.k.a Joseph Wilbrand |
TNT
revolutionized civil engineering and has cemented itself in the public
consciousness as the definition of explosives. TNT was invented in 1863, just
four years before dynamite by a German chemist named Julius Wilbrand also known as Joseph Wilbrand.
Interestingly enough, TNT’s intended purpose was to act as a yellow dye. Its
explosive capabilities weren’t even realized until years after its invention.
Its explosiveness weren’t noticed because it has fairly high activation energy.
In addition to that, it was actually less powerful than alternative explosive
compounds of the day.
Properties of TNT
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| TNT is powder |
TNT is a
yellow, odorless solid that does not occur naturally in the environment. It has
a melting point of 80.1°C and boiling point of 240°C. It is commonly used as an
explosive in military shells, bombs and grenades, in industrial uses, and in
underwater blasting. TNT may be burned but it is difficult to ignite. When
water has been driven off or evaporated, the residue is easily ignited and it
burns vigorously and is highly explosive. TNT also produces toxic oxides of
nitrogen during combustion.
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| TNT in chunks |
Safety and toxicity of TNT
TNT is
poisonous, and skin contact can cause skin irritation. It causes the skin to
turn into a bright yellow-orange color. During the First World War, workers who
handled TNT found their skin turned bright yellow which resulted in them
acquiring the nickname of “canary girls” or simple “canaries”.
People who
are exposed to TNT over a prolonged period tend to experience anemia and
abnormal liver functions. Blood and liver effects, spleen enlargement and other
harmful effects on the immune system have also been found in animals that
ingested or breathed TNT. There is evidence that TNT adversely affects male
fertility. TNT is listed as carcinogenic as its effects are tested on lab rats.
Consumption of TNT produces red urine through the presence of breakdown
products and not blood as sometimes believed.
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| Symptoms of Anemia |
TNT may
cause contamination called “pink water” as it was found that some military testing
grounds’ wastewater are contaminated by the TNT and appeared as pink in color.
Advantages of TNT
Prior to
the development of TNT, explosives were highly instable and prone to
near-spontaneous combustion where they are easily exploded. Compounds such as
black powder and nitroglycerine were often used, sometimes in volatile
multi-compound mixtures. These compounds stated were highly explosive but the
major and severe drawback is they have low activation energies. In other words,
these explosives could be combust accidentally without ignition. In fact, there
were cases where the shipment of the compounds above exploded and killed many
people.
TNT’s
stable character made it a good choice for construction operations such as rock-blasting.
Besides that, TNT has a melting point which is well below the temperature at
which it spontaneously combusts. This allows manufacturers to safely pour the
compound in liquid form. Additionally, TNT does not dissolve nor absorb water,
making it safe to use in wet environments.
TNT has
also helped in the military forces in developing weapons ever since 1902 when
German forces began using TNT in their artillery shells. These shells were able
to pass through British ships’ armor prior to exploding. In other words, the
artillery shells tend to pierce or break the armor before exploding. Thus,
TNT-containing shells were able to wreak havoc on contemporary ships by dumping
a huge portion of their energy inside of the target.
TNT is also
widely used alongside dynamite in the construction of the American railroad
system. During this construction, there often are paths that required passage
through a whole mountain, and so TNT and dynamite were brought in by the ton to
clear passageways.
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| M795 projectile with IMX-101 |
Disadvantages of TNT
Though TNT
is relatively stable, it does have some drawbacks. Explosives which contain TNT
can degrade when stored at high temperatures. This in turn may create cracks in
the explosive, increasing its shock sensitivity. Additionally, TNT’s energy
density is somewhat low for an explosive compound. TNT was replaced by a
compound called IMX-101 in the US army artillery shells as IMX-101 is less
shock-sensitive and more stable in high temperatures.
Here's a compiled footage of TNT explosions.
