TATB

Not to be confused with TATP, a highly sensitive primary explosive.
TATB
Names
Preferred IUPAC name
2,4,6-Trinitrobenzene-1,3,5-triamine
Identifiers
3D model (JSmol)
ChemSpider
ECHA InfoCard 100.019.362 Edit this at Wikidata
UNII
  • InChI=1S/C6H6N6O6/c7-1-4(10(13)14)2(8)6(12(17)18)3(9)5(1)11(15)16/h7-9H2 checkY
    Key: JDFUJAMTCCQARF-UHFFFAOYSA-N checkY
  • InChI=1/C6H6N6O6/c7-1-4(10(13)14)2(8)6(12(17)18)3(9)5(1)11(15)16/h7-9H2
    Key: JDFUJAMTCCQARF-UHFFFAOYAO
  • c1(c(c(c(c(c1[N+](=O)[O-])N)[N+](=O)[O-])N)[N+](=O)[O-])N
Properties
C6H6N6O6
Molar mass 258.15 g/mol
Appearance Yellow or brown powdered crystals (rhombohedral)
Density 1.93 g/cm3
Melting point 350 °C (662 °F; 623 K)
Explosive data
Shock sensitivity Insensitive
Friction sensitivity Insensitive
Detonation velocity 7350 m/s (at 1.80 g/cm3)
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
☒N verify (what is checkY☒N ?)

TATB, triaminotrinitrobenzene or 2,4,6-triamino-1,3,5-trinitrobenzene is an aromatic explosive, based on the basic six-carbon benzene ring structure with three nitro functional groups (NO2) and three amine (NH2) groups attached, alternating around the ring.

TATB is a very powerful explosive (somewhat less powerful than RDX, but more than TNT), but it is extremely insensitive to shock, vibration, fire, or impact. Because it is so difficult to detonate by accident, even under severe conditions, it has become preferred for applications where extreme safety is required, such as the explosives used in nuclear weapons, where accidental detonation during an airplane crash or rocket misfiring could potentially detonate the fissile core. All British nuclear warheads use TATB-based explosives in their primary stage.[1] According to David Albright, South Africa's nuclear weapons used TATB to increase their safety.[2]

TATB is normally used as the explosive ingredient in plastic bonded explosive compositions, such as PBX-9502, LX-17-0, and PBX-9503 (with 15% HMX). These formulations are described as insensitive high explosives (IHEs) in nuclear weapons literature.

Though it could theoretically be mixed with other explosive compounds in castable mixtures or other use forms, the applications for such forms would be unclear since they would largely undo the insensitivity of pure TATB.

  1. ^ Memorandum from Prospect, UK MOD position statement, 23 January 2006
  2. ^ David Albright (July 1994). "South Africa and the Affordable Bomb". Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. p. 44.