Characterization of industrial TNT in ammunition shells: An in-depth study of artificial aging effects using Fourier-Transform infrared spectroscopy and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

In this study, we comprehensively investigated the degradation of industrial trinitrotoluene (TNT), focusing on the effects of aging and direct contact with steel surfaces, mirroring real-world usage conditions. While practical knowledge exists regarding this degradation, the existing literature lacks in-depth insights into the underlying processes. To address this gap, we conducted experiments using small steel samples, representative of military ammunition casings, which were coated with TNT and subjected to 30 days of heating at 75 °C under vacuum conditions.