DNP, a nitramine, has been studied with regard to the kinetics and mechanism of thermal decomposition, using thermogravimetry (TG), differential thermal analysis (DTA), infrared (IR) spectroscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The IR spectra of DNP have also been recorded and the kinetics of thermolysis has been followed by non-isothermal TG. The activation energy of the solid-state process was determined using Flynn-Wall-Ozawa method. The actual reaction mechanism obeyed nucleation and growth model, Avramie Erofeev function (n = 1) with integral form G(alpha) = -ln(1 - alpha) (alpha = 0.10-0.65). E-a and A were determined to be 116.51 kJ/mol and 10(10.52) s(-1). The T/Jump FT-IR analysis showed that CH2O, NO2, and NO are produced in larger amounts than CO2 and HCN. The cleavage of the N-N and C-N bond appears to be the primary step in the thermolysis of DNP. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.