Oxalylhydrazinium Nitrate and Dinitrate—Efficiency Meets Performance

Oxalylhydrazinium nitrate (OHN) and dinitrate (OHDN) were synthesized by protonation of oxalyldihydrazide with nitric acid. The synthesis is extremely cost effective (∼$40/kg at the lab scale) and can be carried out in large scales and very good yields. OHN and OHDN were intensively characterized by low-temperature X-ray diffraction (XRD), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and vibrational spectroscopy. These new organic nitrate salts could be used as powerful ingredients in energetic formulations due to their low sensitivities (measured by Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und Pröfung methods). Their thermal stability was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurements. Further thermal studies of OHN showed compatibility with TNT (2,4,6-trinitrotoluene), DNAN (2,4-dinitroanisole), and RDX (1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazinane). The theoretical detonation and propulsion parameters of OHN and OHDN were calculated with the EXPLO5.5 code and compared to well-known insensitive explosives. The aquatic toxicity of OHN was determined by the luminescent bacteria inhibition test, yielding a much lower toxicity than RDX.