Kinetic modelling and reactivity of liquid nitromethane under detonation conditions

Abstract Liquid nitromethane (NM) may undergo detonation under accidental stimuli, making kinetic modeling crucial for assessing the safety risks associated with its detonation. This study employs first-principles molecular dynamics to investigate chemical behavior of nitromethane under high tempera...

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Main Authors: Teng Zhang, Lang Chen, Kun Yang, Bin Zhang, Tuo Yang, Yao Long, Jianying Lu, Danyang Liu, Jun Chen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-06-01
Series:Communications Chemistry
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s42004-025-01582-3
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author Teng Zhang
Lang Chen
Kun Yang
Bin Zhang
Tuo Yang
Yao Long
Jianying Lu
Danyang Liu
Jun Chen
author_facet Teng Zhang
Lang Chen
Kun Yang
Bin Zhang
Tuo Yang
Yao Long
Jianying Lu
Danyang Liu
Jun Chen
author_sort Teng Zhang
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Liquid nitromethane (NM) may undergo detonation under accidental stimuli, making kinetic modeling crucial for assessing the safety risks associated with its detonation. This study employs first-principles molecular dynamics to investigate chemical behavior of nitromethane under high temperature (>2000 K) and pressure (>1 GPa) conditions, revealing five previously unidentified intermediates (CH3NO2H, CH2NO2H, CH2NOH, CH2ONO2, NOCH2NO2) and establishing a nitromethane chemical kinetic model which include 543 elementary reactions and 79 species, which is successfully applied in the prediction of nitromethane detonation characteristics. The calculated detonation pressure (13.5 GPa) and reaction zone time (46 ns) are in agreement with the experimental values (11.5–12.0 GPa; 50–53 ns). We also uncover the delayed response mechanism in pure nitromethane detonation. The major pollutants, many CO (34.8%), and small amount of NH3 (1.7%), HCN (1.0%), etc. in nitromethane detonation products are found. These findings advance the fundamental understanding of nitromethane’s detonation reaction kinetics.
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institution Kabale University
issn 2399-3669
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spelling doaj-art-4be842e43c644a6aa70a7fbc5ae71cab2025-08-20T03:47:24ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Chemistry2399-36692025-06-018111510.1038/s42004-025-01582-3Kinetic modelling and reactivity of liquid nitromethane under detonation conditionsTeng Zhang0Lang Chen1Kun Yang2Bin Zhang3Tuo Yang4Yao Long5Jianying Lu6Danyang Liu7Jun Chen8Beijing Institute of TechnologyBeijing Institute of TechnologyBeijing Institute of TechnologyBeijing Institute of TechnologyBeijing Institute of TechnologyLaboratory of Computational Physics, Institute of Applied Physics and Computational MathematicsBeijing Institute of TechnologyBeijing Institute of TechnologyLaboratory of Computational Physics, Institute of Applied Physics and Computational MathematicsAbstract Liquid nitromethane (NM) may undergo detonation under accidental stimuli, making kinetic modeling crucial for assessing the safety risks associated with its detonation. This study employs first-principles molecular dynamics to investigate chemical behavior of nitromethane under high temperature (>2000 K) and pressure (>1 GPa) conditions, revealing five previously unidentified intermediates (CH3NO2H, CH2NO2H, CH2NOH, CH2ONO2, NOCH2NO2) and establishing a nitromethane chemical kinetic model which include 543 elementary reactions and 79 species, which is successfully applied in the prediction of nitromethane detonation characteristics. The calculated detonation pressure (13.5 GPa) and reaction zone time (46 ns) are in agreement with the experimental values (11.5–12.0 GPa; 50–53 ns). We also uncover the delayed response mechanism in pure nitromethane detonation. The major pollutants, many CO (34.8%), and small amount of NH3 (1.7%), HCN (1.0%), etc. in nitromethane detonation products are found. These findings advance the fundamental understanding of nitromethane’s detonation reaction kinetics.https://doi.org/10.1038/s42004-025-01582-3
spellingShingle Teng Zhang
Lang Chen
Kun Yang
Bin Zhang
Tuo Yang
Yao Long
Jianying Lu
Danyang Liu
Jun Chen
Kinetic modelling and reactivity of liquid nitromethane under detonation conditions
Communications Chemistry
title Kinetic modelling and reactivity of liquid nitromethane under detonation conditions
title_full Kinetic modelling and reactivity of liquid nitromethane under detonation conditions
title_fullStr Kinetic modelling and reactivity of liquid nitromethane under detonation conditions
title_full_unstemmed Kinetic modelling and reactivity of liquid nitromethane under detonation conditions
title_short Kinetic modelling and reactivity of liquid nitromethane under detonation conditions
title_sort kinetic modelling and reactivity of liquid nitromethane under detonation conditions
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s42004-025-01582-3
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