Thermal degradation of pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN) was investigated in microdroplets within a heated capillary used as a flow reactor. The thermal degradation was monitored by aerodynamic thermal breakup droplet ionization mass spectrometry. It was shown that the PETN degradation in microdroplets occurs much faster than the bulk reaction (by 4–5 orders of magnitude). The effect of the capillary material [stainless steel (Fe, Cr), copper (Cu), or fused quartz (SiO₂)] on the thermal PETN degradation in microdroplets of water or acetonitrile was studied next. The capillary material affected the rate of thermal PETN degradation much more weakly than did the use of microdroplets (pure Cu was most conducive to the degradation). Kinetic parameters (activation energy and the frequency factor) of the PETN degradation for all the studied materials of the flow-through reactor and the solvents were estimated under the assumption that the thermal degradation is a first-order reaction. Implications of the acceleration of PETN degradation in microdroplets are discussed.

在用作流动反应器的加热毛细管内的微滴中研究了季戊四醇四硝酸酯 (PETN) 的热降解。热降解通过空气动力学热裂解液滴电离质谱法进行监测。结果表明，微滴中的 PETN 降解比本体反应快得多（4-5 个数量级）。毛细管材料 [不锈钢 (Fe, Cr)、铜 (Cu) 或熔融石英 (SiO ₂)] 接下来研究了水或乙腈微滴中 PETN 的热降解。与使用微滴相比，毛细管材料对热 PETN 降解速率的影响要弱得多（纯铜最有利于降解）。在假设热降解是一级反应的情况下，估计流通反应器和溶剂的所有研究材料的 PETN 降解的动力学参数（活化能和频率因子）。讨论了加速微滴中 PETN 降解的影响。