LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Nitric Acid: Explosives
built 657 days ago
People use nitric acid for lots of things. It is used to make fertilizer. It is ... used to make explosives, like nitroglycerin and TNT. The acid is used to make patterns and designs on glass and metal, including jewelry. Nitric acid is also used in some types of liquid fueled rockets!
Source:
Being a powerful oxidizing agent, nitric acid reacts violently with many organic materials and the reactions may be explosive. Depending on the acid concentration, temperature and the reducing agent involved, the end products can be variable. Reaction then takes place with all metals except the precious metal series and certain alloys. As a general rule of course, oxidizing reactions occur primarily with the concentrated acid, favouring the formation of nitrogen dioxide (NO2).
Source:
One important use for nitric acid is the manufacture of various organic nitro compounds, especially explosives, such as trinitrotoluene (TNT), nitrocellulose, nitroglycerin, and RDX and PETN (the last two being components of Semtex). For example, nitroglycerin (the explosive component of dynamite) is made by adding nitric and sulphuric acids to glycerol under very carefully controlled conditions. Nitric acid is ... used as an oxidising agent in the manufacture of nylon.
Source:
The largest application for nitric acid is in the production of nitrogen containing solid - and liquid fertilizers. Substantial quantities are ... used in the chemical synthesis of intermediates for products like fibers, dyes, drugs, explosives. Nitric acid is also used as cleaning agent in the dairy industry, as metal treatment agent and as a nitrogen source for micro-bacterial water purification systems.
Source:
The principal end-use of nitric acid is in the production of nitrogen fertilizers, an important source of plant nutrients. Non-fertilizer uses include the production of: explosive-grade ammonium nitrate; adipic acid, for making nylon, and toluene diisocyanate, for manufacturing polyurethane.
Source:
MORE ABOUT
Explosives