1,2,4-Butanetriol trinitrate (BTTN), also called butanetriol trinitrate, is an important military
propellant. It is a colorless to brown explosive liquid.
BTTN is used as a
propellant in virtually all single-stage
missile
In military terminology, a missile is a guided airborne ranged weapon capable of self-propelled flight usually by a jet engine or rocket motor. Missiles are thus also called guided missiles or guided rockets (when a previously unguided rocke ...
s used by the United States, including the
Hellfire. It is less volatile, less sensitive to shock, and more thermally stable than
nitroglycerine
Nitroglycerin (NG), (alternative spelling of nitroglycerine) also known as trinitroglycerin (TNG), nitro, glyceryl trinitrate (GTN), or 1,2,3-trinitroxypropane, is a dense, colorless, oily, explosive liquid most commonly produced by nitrating ...
,
for which it is a promising replacement.
BTTN as a propellant is often used in a mixture with nitroglycerin.
The mixture can be made by co-nitration of butanetriol and
glycerol
Glycerol (), also called glycerine in British English and glycerin in American English, is a simple triol compound. It is a colorless, odorless, viscous liquid that is sweet-tasting and non-toxic. The glycerol backbone is found in lipids known ...
. BTTN is also used as a
plasticizer
A plasticizer ( UK: plasticiser) is a substance that is added to a material to make it softer and more flexible, to increase its plasticity, to decrease its viscosity, and/or to decrease friction during its handling in manufacture.
Plasticiz ...
in some
nitrocellulose
Nitrocellulose (also known as cellulose nitrate, flash paper, flash cotton, guncotton, pyroxylin and flash string, depending on form) is a highly flammable compound formed by nitrating cellulose through exposure to a mixture of nitric acid and ...
-based propellants.
BTTN is manufactured by nitration of
1,2,4-butanetriol.
Biotechnological
Biotechnology is the integration of natural sciences and engineering sciences in order to achieve the application of organisms, cells, parts thereof and molecular analogues for products and services. The term ''biotechnology'' was first used ...
manufacture of butanetriol is under intensive research.
References
External links
WebBook page for 1,2,4-Butanetriol, trinitrate
{{DEFAULTSORT:Butanetriol trinitrate, 1,2,4-
Nitrate esters
Explosive chemicals
Liquid explosives
Propellants