Picric acid converted it to acetylsalicylic acid, i.e., aspirin, to keep it from the Allies. See Great Phenol Plot. At the time, phenol was obtained from coal as a co-product of coke ovens and the manufacture of gas for gas lighting. Laclede Gas reports being asked to expand production of phenol (and toluene) to support the war effort. Both Monsanto and Dow Chemical undertook manufacture of synthetic phenol in 1915. Dow was the leading producer. Dow describes picric acid as “the main battlefield explosive used by the French. Large amounts [of phenol] also went to Japan, where it was made into picric
Pyrophosphoric acid Pyrophosphoric acid Pyrophosphoric acid, also known under the name diphosphoric acid, is colorless, odorless, hygroscopic and is soluble in water, diethyl ether, and ethyl alcohol. The anhydrous acid has two different forms, which melt at 54.3 °C and 71.5 °C. It is best prepared by ion exchange from sodium pyrophosphate or by reacting hydrogen sulfide with lead pyrophosphate. When phosphoric acid is dehydrated pyrophosphoric acid is produced as one of the products. When molten, pyrophosphoric acid rapidly forms an equilibrium mixture of phosphoric acid, pyrophosphoric acid and polyphosphoric acids. The percentage by weight of pyrophosphoric acid is around 40% and