Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, Vol.52, No.31, 10561-10568, 2013
Trapping of Nitric Oxide, Generated during Sensitization of Ammonium Nitrate Emulsion Explosive, by Aromatic Nitroso Sulfonates
This contribution examines the chemical trapping of nitric oxide (formed during chemical gassing of water-in-oil emulsion) using the aromatic nitroso compounds nitrosobenzene sulfonate (NBS), 3,5-dimethyl-4-nitrosobenzene sulfonate (DMNBS), 3,5-dichloro-4-nitrosobenzene sulfonate, and 3,5-dibromo-4-nitrosobenzene sulfonate (DBNBS). Experiments involved a semibatch 750 cm(3) stirred reactor with an outlet purge gas stream interfaced to a NOx analyzer to continuously monitor the concentration of NO. We investigated the trapping of NO generated both in concentrated solutions of ammonium nitrate (up to 7.5 M) and during gassing of ammonium nitrate emulsions. Chemical trapping of NO was found to be more efficient when the nitroso compounds were added at the time of chemical gassing, rather than being part of the discrete phase of the emulsion. Results indicate the capacity of DBNBS to trap up to 70% of the NO formed in the emulsion.