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🧨 Nitroglycerine Propellant (Military Grade)
Product Introduction
Nitroglycerine (NG), also known as glyceryl trinitrate (GTN), is one of the most energetic nitrate esters used in modern propellant chemistry. In pure form it is a colourless-to-pale-yellow oily liquid; for safe handling and transport in propellant supply, it is delivered absorbed onto nitrocellulose as a moistened paste or as a stabilised gel (as shown), which eliminates the shock sensitivity of the free liquid while preserving full energetic performance.
Nitroglycerine is the primary plasticiser and energy booster in all double-base and triple-base military propellants. Combined with nitrocellulose, it forms the energetic backbone of small-arms propellants (M9), tank gun propellants, artillery propellants (M30 Triple-Base), and modern extruded rocket motor grains for tactical and strategic missile systems.
Chemical Identification
| Chemical name | Glyceryl trinitrate (Nitroglycerine) |
| Common names / synonyms | NG, GTN, trinitroglycerin, 1,2,3-propanetriol trinitrate |
| Molecular formula | C3H5N3O9 |
| Molecular weight | 227.09 g/mol |
| CAS number | 55-63-0 |
| Delivery form | NG absorbed on NC as moist paste / stabilised gel (typically dyed pink for ID) |
Physical & Performance Properties (pure NG basis)
| Density (20 °C) | 1.591 g/cm³ |
| Melting point | 13.2 °C (stable form) |
| Detonation velocity | ~7700 m/s |
| Detonation pressure | ~25 GPa |
| Heat of explosion | ~6300 kJ/kg |
| TNT equivalent | ~1.50 |
| Oxygen balance | +3.5 % (oxygen positive) |
| Ignition temperature | ~200 °C |
Sensitivity & Safety
Pure liquid NG is extremely shock-sensitive and is never shipped or stored in that form. Our supply is stabilised by absorption onto nitrocellulose or into a plasticised gel matrix, which dramatically reduces impact sensitivity while retaining full performance for propellant manufacturing use.
Transport & Classification
| UN number (desensitised) | UN 0143 (Nitroglycerine, Desensitised) |
| Hazard class | 1.1D (Mass Explosion Hazard) |
| Compatibility group | D |
Applications
- Double-base propellants — small-arms (M9), aircraft cannon, tank gun propellants
- Triple-base propellants — high-energy artillery propellant (M30, JA2)
- Solid rocket motor propellants — cast double-base (CDB), composite modified double-base (CMDB), and extruded double-base (EDB) rocket grains for tactical and strategic missile systems
- Ballistite & cordite — historic and modern smokeless powder formulations
- Commercial blasting gels and dynamite production (industrial-grade NG)
- Pharmaceutical intermediate (medical-grade NG, cardiovascular applications) — not supplied by STEC in this classification
Packaging
- Supplied as NG-on-NC moist paste in polyethylene-lined fibreboard drums
- Kept moist with water/isopropanol for stability during storage and transport
- Palletised for container shipping under IMDG / IATA / ADR regulations
- Storage: cool, dry, approved explosive magazine (Class 1.1)