An experimental and theoretical study of the nitrosation of ammonia and thiourea

Abstract

The nitrosation reactions of both thiourea and ammonia have been investigated, owing to their interesting kinetic behaviour and their industrial importance in the sensitisation of emulsion explosives. Kinetic experiments were conducted using a well-mixed aqueous reactor, from which samples were periodically removed, quenched, and then analysed for nitrite concentration using ion chromatography. We derived a number of plausible rate equations for both the ammonia and thiourea gassing processes, which we subsequently tested against experimental results to determine the operating kinetic mechanism, under a range of conditions. The reaction between ammonia and nitrite was seen to proceed by way ..