A method for producing potassium 1,1 -dinitramino-5,5-bistetrazolate and explosive compositions comprising said salt

A method of producing K2DNABT which includes the steps of:

• (a) reacting dialkyl carbonate with hydrazine hydrate to produce alkyl carbazate;
• (b) reacting the alkyl carbazate with glyoxal to produce dialkyloxy carbonyl glyoxal bishydrazone;
• (c) halogenating the dialkyloxy carbonyl glyoxal bishydrazone with a halogenating agent to form halogenated bishydrazone;
• (d) azidation of the halogenated bishydrazone with an azide to produce diazido dialkyloxycarbonylglyoxal bishydrazone;
• (e) cyclization of the diazido dialkyloxycarbonylglyoxal bishydrazone with a ring closing electrophile reactant to produce bistetrazole intermediate;
• (f) deprotecting the bistetrazole intermediate with a nitrating agent to produce nitramino intermediate;
• and
• (g) alkaline hydrolysing the nitramino intermediate with a potassium hydroxide to produce K2DNABT;
• wherein the nitrating agent is selected from the following:
• a mixture of about 10:1 nitric acid and phosphorous pentoxide;
• and a mixture of nitric acid with acetic anhydride in a range between 1:1 and 4:1.