As a salt of a coordination compound of nickel, nickel hydrazine nitrate (NHN) is an energetic substance with characteristics halfway between those of primary and secondary explosives. It is less sensitive to friction and mechanical impact than other primary explosives, although it is highly sensitive to flames. NHN is not very dangerous to handle, but it explodes readily when exposed to flame. This property makes it possible to fabricate safety detonators with high detonation reliability and detonation capacity. NHN was synthesized by reacting solution of Ni(NO₃)₂·6H₂O and N₂H₄·H₂O and structural analyses performed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. Single component-detonator using NHN consists of detonator body, reinforcing plug, secondary charge, and primary charge. A rational way to avoid the deformation and destruction of the paper tube from moisture is to use a low-cost and moisture proof tube, so detonator body was made of polyethylene tube. Both primary and secondary charges are prepared using only NHN, which can cause accidents in charging process. The stability of the charging process can be ensured by NHN whose moisture is about 10%, and which is treated with 3% PVA solution. The effect of charging density and charging quantity on the primary and secondary charges in the optimum detonator structure determined through several experiments was investigated. The charging conditions of DDT detonator (deflagration to detonation transition detonator) using nickel nitrate hydrazine were determined. The priming ability of DDT detonator was evaluated by the penetration test using 5 mm lead plate.

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1. Huynh MHV, Coburn MD, Meyer TJ, Wetzler M. Green primary explosives: 5-nitrotetrazolato-N2-ferrate hierarchies. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2006;103(28):10322–7.
2. Huynh MHV, Hiskey MA, Meyer TJ, Wetzler M. Green primaries: Environmentally friendly energetic complexes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006;103(14):5409–12.
3. Deng M, Feng Y, Zhang W, et al. A green metal-free fused-ring initiating substance. Nat Commun. 2019;10:1339.
4. Giles J. Green explosives: Collateral damage. Nature. 2004;427(6975):580–1.
5. Zhu S, Wu Y, Zhang W, Mu J. Evaluation of a new primary explosive: Nickel hydrazine nitrate (NHN) complex. Propellants Explos Pyrotech. 1997;22(6):314–20.
6. Hariharanath B, Chandrabhanu KS, Rajendran AG, Ravindran M, Kartha CB. Detonator using nickel hydrazine nitrate as primary explosive. Def Sci J. 2006;56(3):383–9.
7. Wojewodka A, Bełzowski J. Hydrazine complexes of transition metals as perspective explosives. Chemik. 2011;65(1):20–7.
8. Wang Q, Geng B, Wang S, et al. A facile sonochemical route to morphology controlled nickel complex mesostructures. CrystEngComm. 2009;11(6):1317–22.
9. Chhabra JS, Talawar MB, Makashir PS, et al. Synthesis, characterization and thermal studies of (Ni/Co) metal salts of hydrazine: Potential initiatory compounds. J Hazard Mater. 2003;99(2):222–39.
10. Baer MR, Nunziato JW. A two-phase mixture theory for the deflagration-to-detonation transition (DDT) in reactive granular materials. Int J Multiph Flow. 1986;12(6):861–89.
11. Bdzil JB, Menikoff R, Son SF, et al. Two-phase modelling of a deflagration-to-detonation transition in granular materials: A critical examination of modelling issues. Phys Fluids. 1999;11(2):378–402.
12. Keyfitz BL, Sander R, Sever M. Lack of hyperbolicity in the two-fluid model for two-phase incompressible flow. Discrete Contin Dyn Syst B. 2003;3(4):541–63.
13. Tarver CM, Goodale TC, Shaw R, Cowperthwaite M. Deflagration-to-detonation transition studies for two potential isomeric cast primary explosives. In: Proceedings of the Sixth Symposium (International) on Detonation. White Oak: Office of Naval Research; 1976. p. 231.
14. Proud WG, Walley SM, Williamson DM, Collins AL, Addiss JW. Recent trends in research on energetic materials in Cambridge. Cent Eur J Energ Mater. 2009;6(1):67–102.
15. Kapila AK, Menikoff R, Bdzil JB, Son SF, Steward DS. Two-phase modeling of deflagration-to-detonation transition in granular materials: reduced equations. Phys Fluids. 2001;13(10):3002–24.
16. Chao J, Lee JHS. The propagation mechanism of high speed turbulent deflagrations. Shock Waves. 2003;12(4):277–89.
17. Walley SM, Field JE, Greenaway MW. Crystal sensitivities of energetic materials. Mater Sci Technol. 2006;22(4):402–6.

As a salt of a coordination compound of nickel, nickel hydrazine nitrate (NHN) is an energetic substance with characteristics halfway between those of primary and secondary explosives. It is less sensitive to friction and mechanical impact than other primary explosives, although it is highly sensitive to flames. NHN is not very dangerous to handle, but it explodes readily when exposed to flame. This property makes it possible to fabricate safety detonators with high detonation reliability and detonation capacity. NHN was synthesized by reacting solution of Ni(NO₃)₂·6H₂O and N₂H₄·H₂O and structural analyses performed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. Single component-detonator using NHN consists of detonator body, reinforcing plug, secondary charge, and primary charge. A rational way to avoid the deformation and destruction of the paper tube from moisture is to use a low-cost and moisture proof tube, so detonator body was made of polyethylene tube. Both primary and secondary charges are prepared using only NHN, which can cause accidents in charging process. The stability of the charging process can be ensured by NHN whose moisture is about 10%, and which is treated with 3% PVA solution. The effect of charging density and charging quantity on the primary and secondary charges in the optimum detonator structure determined through several experiments was investigated. The charging conditions of DDT detonator (deflagration to detonation transition detonator) using nickel nitrate hydrazine were determined. The priming ability of DDT detonator was evaluated by the penetration test using 5 mm lead plate.

🔒 This is a subscription article

Full text is available to subscribers and institutional members. Please choose an option below to access it.

1. Huynh MHV, Coburn MD, Meyer TJ, Wetzler M. Green primary explosives: 5-nitrotetrazolato-N2-ferrate hierarchies. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2006;103(28):10322–7.
2. Huynh MHV, Hiskey MA, Meyer TJ, Wetzler M. Green primaries: Environmentally friendly energetic complexes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006;103(14):5409–12.
3. Deng M, Feng Y, Zhang W, et al. A green metal-free fused-ring initiating substance. Nat Commun. 2019;10:1339.
4. Giles J. Green explosives: Collateral damage. Nature. 2004;427(6975):580–1.
5. Zhu S, Wu Y, Zhang W, Mu J. Evaluation of a new primary explosive: Nickel hydrazine nitrate (NHN) complex. Propellants Explos Pyrotech. 1997;22(6):314–20.
6. Hariharanath B, Chandrabhanu KS, Rajendran AG, Ravindran M, Kartha CB. Detonator using nickel hydrazine nitrate as primary explosive. Def Sci J. 2006;56(3):383–9.
7. Wojewodka A, Bełzowski J. Hydrazine complexes of transition metals as perspective explosives. Chemik. 2011;65(1):20–7.
8. Wang Q, Geng B, Wang S, et al. A facile sonochemical route to morphology controlled nickel complex mesostructures. CrystEngComm. 2009;11(6):1317–22.
9. Chhabra JS, Talawar MB, Makashir PS, et al. Synthesis, characterization and thermal studies of (Ni/Co) metal salts of hydrazine: Potential initiatory compounds. J Hazard Mater. 2003;99(2):222–39.
10. Baer MR, Nunziato JW. A two-phase mixture theory for the deflagration-to-detonation transition (DDT) in reactive granular materials. Int J Multiph Flow. 1986;12(6):861–89.
11. Bdzil JB, Menikoff R, Son SF, et al. Two-phase modelling of a deflagration-to-detonation transition in granular materials: A critical examination of modelling issues. Phys Fluids. 1999;11(2):378–402.
12. Keyfitz BL, Sander R, Sever M. Lack of hyperbolicity in the two-fluid model for two-phase incompressible flow. Discrete Contin Dyn Syst B. 2003;3(4):541–63.
13. Tarver CM, Goodale TC, Shaw R, Cowperthwaite M. Deflagration-to-detonation transition studies for two potential isomeric cast primary explosives. In: Proceedings of the Sixth Symposium (International) on Detonation. White Oak: Office of Naval Research; 1976. p. 231.
14. Proud WG, Walley SM, Williamson DM, Collins AL, Addiss JW. Recent trends in research on energetic materials in Cambridge. Cent Eur J Energ Mater. 2009;6(1):67–102.
15. Kapila AK, Menikoff R, Bdzil JB, Son SF, Steward DS. Two-phase modeling of deflagration-to-detonation transition in granular materials: reduced equations. Phys Fluids. 2001;13(10):3002–24.
16. Chao J, Lee JHS. The propagation mechanism of high speed turbulent deflagrations. Shock Waves. 2003;12(4):277–89.
17. Walley SM, Field JE, Greenaway MW. Crystal sensitivities of energetic materials. Mater Sci Technol. 2006;22(4):402–6.