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Guide for Characterization of Sites Contaminated with Energetic Materials
3
Table 1. Physical and chemical properties of nitroaromatics and nitramines.
Vapor
pressure
Boiling
Melting
Water
at
point
point
solubility
Molecular
20C/torr
(C)
(C)
(mg/L)
Analyte
weight
1.1 106
TNT
227.13
80.181.6
240 (explodes)
130
(20C)
4.2 109
RDX
222.26
204.1
(decomposes)
42
(20C)
3.3 1014
HMX
296.16
276280
(decomposes)
5.0
(25C)
2.2 1014
TNB
213.11
122.5
315
34
(20C)
3.9 103
DNB
168.11
89.6
300303
460
(15C)
5.7 109
Tetryl
287.14
129.5
(decomposes)
80
(25C)
2.2 104
300
2,4-DNT
182.15
70
270
(22C)
(25C)
(decomposes)
5.6 109
2,6-DNT
182.15
6466
206
(25C)
4 105
2-ADNT
197.17
176
2,800
2 105
4-ADNT
197.17
171
2,800
Propellants include both rocket and gun propellants. Most rocket propellants
consist of a rubbery binder filled with ammonium perchlorate (AP) oxidizer and
possibly powdered aluminum as fuel. Propellants may also be based on a nitrate
ester, usually nitroglycerine (NG), nitrocellulose (NC), or a nitramine such as
RDX or HMX. Gun propellants usually are single based (e.g., NC), double based
(e.g., NC and NG), or triple based (e.g., NC, NG, and nitroguanidine [NQ]).
Single-based propellants may also contain 2,4-dinitrotoluene (2,4-DNT).
Pyrotechnics include illuminating flares, signaling flares, colored and white
smoke generators, tracers, incendiary delays, fuses, and photoflash compounds.
Pyrotechnic flares are typically composed of an inorganic oxidizer and metal
powder in a binder. Illuminating flares contain sodium nitrate, magnesium, and a
binder. Signaling flares contain barium, strontium, or other metal nitrates. Smoke
generators are mainly composed of red and white phosphorous, and colored
smoke contains organic colorants.
Improper disposal practices and incomplete detonation of munitions can lead
to the eventual contamination of soil and groundwater with EM, because they can
be leached by rainfall. Propellants are composed primarily of polymeric sub-
stances such as NC or nitrate esters such as NG, which require special sampling
and analysis techniques. Pyrotechnics, on the other hand, are based mainly on
chemicals for which sampling and analytical methods already exist. One import-
ant aspect of contamination by pyrotechnics is that the phosphorus can be extin-
guished if submersed in water. This pyrotechnic can become a significant prob-
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