Into a 1000-mL beaker place 300 mL of concentrated nitric acid (95-98%) and cool the acid to 0 C by immersing the beaker in a salt-ice bath.  Slowly add, with stirring, 100 g of MEAN while maintaining the temperature between 0 and 10 C.  After 15 minutes of stirring the reaction should be complete.  Pour 400 mL of ethyl ether into the beaker to precipitate the product.  Decant off as much of the acid ether mixture as possible before dumping the precipitate on a filter to collect it.  Wash the crystals of ethanolamine dinitrate with ice cold ethyl alcohol.  Final yield is around 97%.  Store the crystals in a desiccator as they will absorb moisture from the air.  The ether and nitric acid can be recovered and reused by distilling under vacuum.

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