Like other strongly nitrated organic compounds, picric acid is an explosive, which is its primary use. (wikipedia.org)
Not until 1830 did chemists think to use picric acid as an explosive. (wikipedia.org)
Before then, chemists assumed that only the salts of picric acid were explosive, not the acid itself. (wikipedia.org)
In 1871 Hermann Sprengel proved it could be detonated and afterwards most military powers used picric acid as their main high explosive material. (wikipedia.org)
Picric acid was the first strongly explosive nitrated organic compound widely considered suitable to withstand the shock of firing in conventional artillery. (wikipedia.org)
However, shells filled with picric acid become unstable if the compound reacts with the metal shell or fuze casings to form metal picrates which are more sensitive than the parent phenol. (wikipedia.org)
Toluene was less readily available than phenol, and TNT is less powerful than picric acid, but the improved safety of munitions manufacturing and storage caused the replacement of picric acid by TNT for most military purposes between the World Wars. (wikipedia.org)
Efforts to control the availability of phenol, the precursor to picric acid, emphasize its importance in World War I. Germans are reported to have bought US supplies of phenol and converted it to acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) to keep it from the Allies. (wikipedia.org)
Dow describes picric acid as "the main battlefield explosive used by the French. (wikipedia.org)
Large amounts [of phenol] also went to Japan, where it was made into picric acid sold to the Russians. (wikipedia.org)
Among the molecules referenced as explosives is the class of nitroaromatics such as picric acid (PA), identified as a notorious environmental polluting agent. (docksci.com)
Military1
The detection of explosives has applications in various fields including military affairs, public security, and pollution concerns for humans and ecosystems. (docksci.com)