Hydrothermal reactions of 1-nitrobutane in high-temperature water

Development of a rational basis for the design of safe and reliable methods for the destruction of high-energy materials and explosives motivated the study of the reactions of model explosive compounds in high-temperature water (HTW). Specifically, the reaction of 1-nitrobutane in HTW occurred with a pseudo-first-order-rate constant almost three times greater than that for neat pyrolysis. Water also influenced the product spectrum. The preliminary reaction network included the formation of nitriles and aldehydes as primary products, amides and acids as secondary products, and esters and acids as higher-rank products. In contrast, pyrolysis, under otherwise identical conditions, yielded nitriles, pyrrolidine derivatives, and char as products. Free radical and hydrolysis mechanisms explain 1-nitrobutane product formation pathways well.