What is PETN?

PETN stands for Pentaerythritol tetranitrate. It is a highly explosive organic compound belonging to the same chemical family as nitroglycerin. It is considered one of the most powerful high explosives known, often used in military and industrial applications, including detonating cords and plastic explosives like Semtex.

Chemically, its formula is C₅H₈N₄O₁₂. Despite its primary use as an explosive, PETN also has significant medical applications. It acts as a vasodilator, similar to nitroglycerin, and is used to treat heart conditions such as angina pectoris by widening blood vessels to improve blood flow and oxygen delivery to the heart muscle. It is often in the news due to its use in improvised explosive devices (IEDs) because it is difficult to detect and highly stable until detonated by a primary explosive.