Making TNT

In this video I discuss and make a small quantity of the notorious compound TNT or trinitrotoluene.

PLEASE READ: I do not recommend anyone but trained professionals attempt this process due to several significant hazards associated with the synthesis of this chemical.
I intentionally made a very small amount, but with compounds that can potentially undergo rapid decomposition, safety is a very fine line.
I find this synthesis to be an excellent educational model (which is the purpose of this video), and considering the full synthesis is already outlined in detail on Wikipedia and Google Patents, felt it reasonable to post this video.
That said, heed all warnings presented in this video, and check for the legality of this process by legal statutes in your local area before ever proceeding with anything shown on this channel.

A FEW POST-RELEASE NOTES (I was up late editing and made some mistakes):
1. There is a typo at 2:20. Text on screen says 98% HNO3 when it should be H2SO4.

2. 8.46m in reference to the side length of a block of TNT is for a kiloton, not a ton as I said.

3. Toluene is misspelled at 1:46.. Rookie mistake.. if I had known this video was going to do so well I would have spent more than 2 hours in editing..

4. As an attempt to help keep this video up, I may remove comments implying or suggesting this be used to make any weapon. That was obviously not the intent of the video, but if the comment section is flooded with people saying things like that, it invites an element I don't particularly want associated with my channel. Try and keep it legal down there..

5. All the product seen at the end of the video was destroyed, as I have no further use for this chemical and do not recommend anyone keep this around. Not only is it a fire hazard, but even in many places where this is legal to make, there can be separate laws dictating whether it can be stored.

[dhawthorne]

Contrary to what AC/DC would have you believe, TNT is not, in fact, dynamite. That is mechanically stabilized Nitroglycerine.

[ahmetyldz]

Mr. FBI. I swear, I watched this for educational purposes.

[milikettom]

Dear my FBI surveillance officer, I clicked on this video purely because youtube suggested it and it looks interesting. I can't even brew my coffee right, let alone TNT

[zyxwvutsrqponmlkh]

Next episode, we make a neutron bomb. It's used in disinfecting planets or procuring colony ships.

[_arthurski]

Generally, it's a *bad* idea to use vacuum filtration with energetic compounds. Fortunately TNT is exceptionally stable.

[HyperspacePirate]

As a troubled teenager with numerous un-diagnosed mental illnesses, I thoroughly enjoyed this video, Thank You.

[scottfranco]

I'm not a chemist, but you have to admire the sheer range of the chemical sciences. It can make everything from bombs to bottles, and can explain how you work.

There was a good vignette from my sister, who was in fact a chemist. Her first year chemistry teacher was going on about careers in chemistry, and said that "many students get started in chemistry because they want to make drugs or bombs". Then he started talking about other things. A hand went up. "yes", the teacher said. "what made YOU want to start chemistry, interest in bombs or drugs?". The teacher replied: "both, of course"...

[memberberries]

Even though the title says EXACTLY what has been shown to us, I didn't expect a manual how to make TNT this detailed.
Makes me wonder why youtube recomended me this video in the middle of the night and if I'm on a watchlist now for going through the whole clip.

[zegermanscientist]

As a chemist, I am amazed time and time again how you learn at university how the methyl group will direct the NO2 groups towards the 2, 4, 6 positions, but seeing the lab method shows how sophisticated this really is. I cannot imagine the amount of work that went into finding out the natural law behind it, establishing temperatures and reaction times etc. All at a time when no one knew what a bloody benzene ring looked like, or had a clue about the structure of atoms.

Later, they would find out that TNT, which has a strongly negative oxygen balance of some -75 %, formed a castable azeotrope with ammonium nitrate, making explosives cheaper without losing explosive power.

[SetTheCurve]

At this point we need to start downloading the videos on this channel, if you ever want to see them again

[Rovibronique]

I just discovered your channel and I must say: I really like your professionalism. As a former chemist, I really appreciate that you treat chemistry with respect and not from the point of view of sensationalism.

[t.dubbya]

It's amazing how something so complicated was created in the late 1800s with none of the technology we have today to assist. Great video and really informative!

[LabCoatz_Science]

Great to see a decent video explaining the full synthesis of TNT!

[esoteric]

For my finals in the lab portion of my 3rd quarter Ochem required we pick a chemical that had a historical impact and write out the steps it would take to create given normal lab chemicals. We had to write out the whole thing which was well over 1 page, including requisite catalysts and 3-d structure, listing all possible reagents and products as well as as the degree each rxn would favor products. I chose TNT. At the end we had to describe the reason behind our choice. Most unique final I’ve ever had in 8 years of college.

[giostisskylas]

My grandfather was an artillery observer in the Imperial German Army during World War I. He reported that German soldiers in their trenches lit the TNT in the "pots" of their stick grenades and used it to heat up their food rations or drinks in an emergency. This was of course strictly forbidden, but everyone did it anyway. TNT must therefore have an unprecedented stability for an explosive.

[yin-fire]

I've seen some comments saying the video will be taken down and stuff, but this is educational, and not a tutorial. Regardless, it's the first time I see this channel, and I've got to say I appreciate 15 min + videos about chemistry. Hope to see more long-format videos from you 😊

[REBTEC]

Once upon a time, videos like this awakened my interest in chemistry. It's really cool when you can clearly see the production processes of such complex substances. Thank you for your content.

[chaos-ivy]

This is like oldschool Nile Red. Huge fan! I'm going to binge every single one of your videos now.

[genericfakename]

This man is insane lmao. Not only do you have to be a little nutty to play with that many toxic compounds, the audacity to put the video up with such an accurate title? Outstanding. On "the list" for sure and subscribed.

[Ifelta]

There is an off-road park in Alabama at a WW2 manufacturing and storage facility. There are dozens of concrete bunkers with huge blast doors still there that you can rent to camp in.