Detonation sensitivity of liquid nitromethane doped with methyl nitrite

It has been suggested, by other workers, that the isomerization of normal nitromethane (NMCH3NO2) to methyl nitrite (CH3ONO) is an important first step in the chemical kinetics of liquid NM detonation. We examine this idea by studying the effect of direct methyl nitrite addition on NM's detonation sensitivity. Failure diameter is used as the measure of sensitivity. A comparison is made between the effect of methyl nitrite addition and that of a known sensitizer of NM i.e., the NM aci ion (CH2NO2−). Methyl nitrite is found to be an ineffective sensitizer relative to NM's aci ion.