Explosive Properties of Melt Cast Erythritol Tetranitrate (ETN)

Erythritol tetranitrate (ETN) is a low melting, solid, nitrate ester with significant explosive properties. The increased availability of its precursor (erythritol), which is now used as a sweetener, has attracted attention to the possible misuse of ETN as an improvised explosive. However, ETN also has some potential to be used as a component of military explosives or propellants. This article focuses on the properties of melt-cast ETN. The sensitivity of the compound towards impact and friction was tested. The explosive performance was evaluated, based on cylinder expansion tests and detonation velocity measurements. The impact energy and friction force required for 50% probability of initiation was 3.79 J and 47.7 N, respectively. A Gurney velocity value of G = 2771 m·s−1 and a detonation velocity of 8027 m·s−1 at a charge density of 1.700 g·cm−3, were found for the melt-cast material. The sensitivity characteristics of melt-cast ETN does not differ significantly from either literature values or the authors’ data measured using the crystalline material. The explosive performance properties were found to be close to those of PETN.