Samples of 2,4,6-trinitroaniline (PAM), 2,4,6-trinitro-N-(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl)aniline (DPA), N,N '-bis(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl)-3,5-dinitropyridine-2,6-diamine (PYX) and N,N ',N"-tris(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl)-1,3,5-triazine-2,4,6-triamine (TPM) were exposed to heat or to shock and then analysed chromatographically (LC-UV and LC/MS). It was found that the main identified decomposition products of these two incomplete initiations are identical for each of the compounds studied. It has been stated that the chemical micro-mechanism of the primary fragmentations of their low-temperature decomposition should be the same as in the case of their initiation by shock, including fragmentation during their detonation transformation. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.