HDN

HDN stands for Hexamethylenetetramine Dinitrate which is sometimes just called Hexamine Dinitrate. It is very easily prepared but with such an easy preparation there is always a downside. This explosive is fairly useless. There are many better explosives out there. I look at this explosive as a middle ground. The point where you're too lazy to synth something difficult but to damn bored to just mix two things together (like ANFO). Its normally a white solid. It decomposes in water forming formaldehyde and some other nasties, but it decomposes slowly. When it precipitates it gives almost pearlescent crystals. When you're making it, you have to work fairly quickly. It can be used as starting ground for some RDX or HMX syntheses however.

C6H12N4 + 2HNO3 ----> C6H14N6O6

Materials	Equipment
Hexamine (Prep/OTC)	200ml Flask (or similar device)
70% Nitric Acid	20mm x 150mm testtube (or similar device)
Acetone	Funnel and filter paper
	Graduated Cylinder

Measure out 50ml of water and pour it into a 200ml flask (or similar device). Weigh out 15g of hexamine and add it to the flask with water. Swirl the flask until all of the hexamine is dissolved in the water. Prepare and ice bath and stick the flask containing the hexamine solution in it. Measure out 15ml of 70% nitric acid in a graduated cylinder, then pour it into a 20mm x 150mm testtube. Place this in the ice bath as well. Once the hexamine solution and nitric acid are cold, pull the hexamine solution out of the ice bath and dump in the nitric acid. Begin swirling. Once it reaches room temperature, place it back into the ice bath and swirl it around in there for a good 60 seconds. Quickly filter it out. While you're waiting for the liquid in the filter to drain, add ~100mls of water free acetone to the 200ml flask. Swirl it around to grab the remaining crystals of HDN. Once all of the water is out of the filter, pour the acetone into the filter. This is to remove the water and excess acid. Place the filter some place to dry and then store this in a tightly closed container perferably with a dessicant. I used this synthesis 5 times and averaged out the yeild. Getting an average of 14.58g which comes to a 51% yeild.