This report delivers an in-depth analysis of the production method for erythritol nitrate using erythritol, potassium nitrate and sulfuric acid, as posted by a jihadist forum member.
The presented synthesis does not necessitate the use of nitric acid as a starting material. The author suggests alternative sweeteners that can serve as starting materials in the synthesis of this HME.
Erythritol tetranitrate (ETN) was discovered in 1849, and since then has served as an additive to smokeless powders, replacing nitroglycerin, as well as an ingredient for pharmaceutical applications.
Erythritol is one of three sugar alcohol sweeteners that are potential main ingredients for alcohol-based HMEs. The sweeteners are mannitol, sorbitol, and erythritol, which are the starting materials for mannitol hexanitrate (MHN); sorbitol hexanitrate (SHN); and erythritol nitrate (ETN), respectively.
ETN’s explosive properties are on the scale of military explosives, with the advantage of a relatively low melting temperature, which allows ETN to be altered from its powdery form into various solid cast IEDs.
This report features a reconstruction and analysis of the synthesis instructions in the recipe, with the purpose of verifying their credibility versus scientific literature and our laboratory conditions results.
The recipe applies a synthesis method slightly different from the scientific one: it replaces the nitric acid with potassium nitrate, and sulfuric acid as a nitrating reagent.
The ETN synthesis presented in this recipe requires no prior knowledge in chemistry and can be performed with common household tools.
Get the full report
If you would like to get the full report, leave your details in the form below.
