The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001-07.
trinitrotoluene
or TNT (tr´´n´´trtl´yn) (KEY) , CH3C6H2(NO2)3, crystalline, aromatic compound that melts at 81°C. It is prepared by the nitration of toluene. Trinitrotoluene is a high explosive, but, unlike nitroglycerin, it is unaffected by ordinary shocks and jarring, and must be set off by a detonator. Because it does not react with metals, it can be used in filling metal shells. It is often mixed with other explosives, e.g., with ammonium nitrate to form amatol.
´´n
t
l´y
n) (KEY) , CH3C6H2(NO2)3, crystalline, aromatic compound that melts at 81°C. It is prepared by the nitration of toluene. Trinitrotoluene is a high explosive, but, unlike nitroglycerin, it is unaffected by ordinary shocks and jarring, and must be set off by a detonator. Because it does not react with metals, it can be used in filling metal shells. It is often mixed with other explosives, e.g., with ammonium nitrate to form amatol.
