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2,4,6‐Trinitrotoluene (TNT) was found to react in aqueous solution with surfactants containing amino and quaternary ammonium groups at pH 10–11 at ambient temperature. The surfactants investigated included N‐tallow 1,3‐diaminopropane, trimethyl N‐tallow ammonium chloride and N,N,N′,N′,N′‐pentamethyl N‐tallow 1,3‐propane diammonium dichloride. The reaction products were insoluble in water and readily separated through filtration. The dried solids were not explosive and the solids burned without explosion. The results showed that TNT can be reduced to less than 0.1 ppm from the initial concentration of 110 ppm in 2–3 hours. The wastewater of Composition B contains TNT and 1,3,5‐trinitro‐1,3,5‐triazacyclohexane (RDX). Treatment of the wastewater with the ammonium cationic surfactants showed that TNT was removed quantitatively by precipitation and RDX was simultaneously hydrolyzed. The mechanism of this treatment is discussed.

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