Abstract
To obtain a deeper understanding of the process involved in the synthesis of N-nitrodiethanolamine dinitrate (DINA), in this work we carried out systematic studies on the transformation and stability of the N-nitration liquid and DINA. The thermal decomposition processes and dynamic characteristics for both the N-nitration liquid and DINA were carried out by thermal analysis methods and the mechanism for the decrease of stability of the N-nitration liquid was proposed according to experimental results. Mechanical stimulation of the N-nitration liquid and DINA were also studied by friction and impact sensitivity testing. The experimental results showed that the N-nitration liquid is highly sensitive to temperature and can decompose easily when the reaction temperature increases. However, mechanical sensitivity of the N-nitration was demonstrated to be much lower than that of DINA. Therefore, precise thermal control is the key factor to ensure safety during the preparation of DINA.