Tetrazene
tetrazene
[′te·trə‚zēn]Tetrazene
(or Tetracene), a yellow crystalline substance, poorly soluble in water and organic solvents, with a density of 1.685 g/cm3.
Tetrazene is an explosive initiator that is used in pin-type primers as a sensitizer for lead azide or lead trinitroresorcinate; the heat of explosion is 2,305 kilojoules per kg, or 550 kilocalories per kg, and the flash point is 140°C. Tetrazene is obtained by the interaction of aqueous solutions of nitrate or carbonate of amino-guanidine with sodium nitrite.