Trinitrotoluene

Trinitrotoluene (CAS 118-96-7), commonly known as TNT, is a high-explosive compound used as a benchmark energetic material in military and commercial blasting.

Where is Trinitrotoluene used?

• Defense and munitions: melt-cast explosive fill for artillery shells, bombs, and warheads, alone or with RDX or HMX
• Composite explosives such as Composition B and Pentolite
• Commercial mining and demolition: TNT-based formulations where controlled fragmentation is required
• Explosive equivalency calculations: primary reference material for expressing yields in TNT equivalent units
• Research and testing facilities procure it as a calibration standard for blast modeling and detonation studies.

Good to know: Its detonation characteristics and chemical stability during storage make it a reference standard against which other explosives are measured. Supply is subject to strict regulatory licensing, and sourcing is handled through authorized defense contractors and licensed explosive distributors.

Commercial specifications

• Purity requirements typically governed by defense standards such as MIL-DTL-248
• Military-specification grades dominate procurement