Nitroglycol

Nitroglycol

 

glycol dinitrate, O2NOCH2—CH2ONO2, a diester of ethylene glycol with nitric acid; a colorless, viscous liquid. Melting point, -20°C; density, ∼ 1.5 g/cm3 (15°C). Ni-troglycol is poorly soluble in water but is miscible with organic solvents. It is produced by nitration of ethylene glycol with a nitrating mixture.

Nitroglycol is a secondary explosive with a heat of explosion of 6.9 megajoules per kg, or 1,650 kcal/kg; it is used in a mixture with nitroglycerin and cellulose nitrates for the preparation of dynamites and propellants, and also as a plasticizer in solid rocket fuels. Nitroglycol is toxic.