A new method of preparing the high explosive rdx journal of the. It was a heat insensitive explosive, but also impact insensitive, requiring a hammer drop from higher than 320 centimeters to cause it to detonate. Rdx is a manmade chemical not occurring naturally in the environment. Rdx, powerful explosive, discovered by georg friedrich henning of germany and patented in 1898 but not used until world war ii, when most of the warring powers introduced it. Hexogen is an explosive used as main charge in military warheads, as well as in mining explosives galante et al. The chemical name for rdx is 1,3,5trinitro1,3,5triazine. Granular explosive consisting of rdx and plasticizing wax, such as composition a3 91% rdx coated with 9% wax and composition a5 98. Development of rdx and hmx 11 polymer bonded explosives recent developments 16. Rdx is used as an explosive and is also used in combination with other ingredients in explosives. Production of rdx in the united states has been limited to army ammunition plants. It is only after contact with the atmospheric oxygen that can allow complete combustion to occur.
Rdx, also known as royal demolition explosive, cyclonite, hexogen and t4, is a synthetic product that does not occur naturally in the environment and belongs to a class of compounds known as explosive nitramines atsdr 2012. Occasionally, metal powders of the lighter elements aluminum or magnesium are added as supplemental reducing agents in explosive mixtures. Optimization and kinetics evaluation of bachmann process. Detonation velocity is the speed with which the detonation shock wave travels through the explosive. Technical fact sheet hexahydro1,3,5trinitro 1,3,5triazine rdx january 2014. To move the sensor into real application, unbiased detection of rdx was achieved on various common surfaces by using a solution spray technique. In writing this edition i have taken information from books and. Studies on advanced rdxtatb based low vulnerable sheet.
The way the damage is caused may vary with different types of warheads, but in the most general sense, damage is caused by the transfer of energy from the warhead to the target. Organic chemistry of explosives is the first text to bring together the essential methods and routes used for the synthesis of organic explosives in a single volume assuming no prior knowledge, the book discusses everything from the simplest mixed acid nitration of toluene, to the complex synthesis of highly energetic caged nitro compounds. The officials said a postblast investigation conducted by security agencies has found that highgrade rdx of about 80 kilogram was detonated in the blast that was carried out by a jaishemohammed jem terrorist after he rammed his explosive laden suv into the illfated bushr 49 f 0637from the left side. Most important symptoms and effects, both acute and delayed information for health personnel ingestion of rdx can cause convulsions similar to epileptic seizures, and should be treated as such. Explosives an explosive is defined as a material chemical or nuclear that can be initiated to undergo very rapid, selfpropagating decomposition that results in the formation of more stable. Pyrometry in the reaction zone of petn and rdxbased polymer. For example, the most commonly used military and commercial explosive compounds such as tnt, rdx, nitroglycerine, petn, etc. Synthesis of rdx by nitrolysis of hexamethylenetetramine in. Rdx is a nitramine produced mainly for use in explosives hsdb 2009. Rdx biodegradation assessment toxics program remediation. Understanding and predicting the thermal explosion violence of hmxbased and rdx based explosives experimental measurements of material properties and reaction violence jon l. Oxygen carriers assure complete oxidation of the carbon in the explosive mixture, which inhibits the formation of carbon monoxide. Analytical methods toxicological profile for rdx ncbi.
Rdx is very mobile in soils, and is often used to indicate the leading edge of an explosives plume, where as the rate of migration of tnt in the soil is far less. The three explosives used, rdx, hmx and petn, are white. Rdx is believed to have been used in many bomb plots, including terrorist plots. However, production of rdx decreased to a yearly total of 16 million pounds for 1984. As pato is made in a singlestep process from inexpensive starting materials, it was expected to be a low cost heat resistant and impact insensitive explosive. Reaction kinetics of rdx and hmx in the condensed phase. A lower heat of explosion means a lower energy output and thereby less efficient blasting. Full blast how the highexplosive known as rdx helped. Explosive thermal decomposition mechanism of rdx the. The sensor reaction of dcm was first characterized in molecular solution, as shown in fig. Explosives detection an overview sciencedirect topics. A new method of preparing the high explosive rdx journal.
The light elements carbon and hydrogen usually serve as the reducing components of he formulations. Besides the experimental studies on rdx, there are some computational studies on its reaction mechanism 7, conformations and bond dissociation energies 8, 9 and gasphase structure 10. Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid cf 3 cf 2 7 so 3 h, pfos catalyses the highly efficient nitrolysis of hexamethylenetetramine in fluorous media, affording high yield of explosive rdx. Galante and haddad, 2009 or additive to propellants. This nitrolysis reaction also produces methylene dinitrate not to be confused. In the present paper, aseries of slow cookoff tests were performed for rdx based explosives to investigate their response characteristics, by varying the binder type and binder content. Detonation reaction zone measurements have been made on five rdxbased explosives 60 mum average particle size rdx, containing 6percent polymer binder and from 0 to 19percent aluminum of different particle size from 2 mum to 20 mum. Nitramines are powerful explosives, sensitive to shock and to friction. K as cyclonite, in germany and russia as hexogen, and in italy as t4.
Chemical and physical information toxicological profile. Highenergy materials are commonly used as military explosives and as advanced propellants. The possible bimolecular reactions between pyrolysis products and hmx are also presented. Materials that detonate the front of the chemical reaction moves faster through the material than the speed of sound are said to be high explosives and materials that deflagrate are said to be low explosives. Baxter documents the journey of the super explosive from conceptualization at woolwich arsenal in england to mass production at holston ordnance works in east tennessee. Eurenco also produces a unique quality of insensitive rdx. Pdf biodegradation of the explosives tnt, rdx and hmx. Thermal decomposition of pure cyclotrimethylene trinitramine rdx shows an endothermic peak at 205c attributed to melting, followed by exothermic decomposition leading to a strong peak at 240c, and a very strong thermogravimetric peak at 260c with a mass loss of 95%. Behind thirtyeight miles of fencing, thousands of men and women synthesized 23,000 tons of rdx each month.
Explosive, royal demolition explosive or royal dutch explosive. Brisance is the ability of an explosive to shatter materials like concrete or steel. Black powder, which is a less energetic material, uses both charcoal and elemental sulfur as reductants. Like rdx, the compounds name is the subject of much speculation, having been variously listed as high melting explosive, her majestys explosive, highvelocity military explosive, or highmolecularweight rdx. Several such explosives, as well as some plasticizers and taggants found in plastique explosives, are listed in table 4. A high explosive is any chemical mixture that detonates with a reaction velocity over 5000. It is a white solid without smell or taste, widely used as an explosive. In the bachmann process, used in the united states, hexamine is reacted with. Irdx, which brings a significant advantage by reducing shock sensitivity level of rdxbased compositions. Reaction will begin if not, heat this vessel and temperature will go up. British chemists toiled with a tripodshaped bond of nitrogen and oxygen molecules linked by carbon and hydrogen they referred to as research department explosive a substance one and. Rdx formation mechanism has been studied either experimentally 11 or computationally 12.
Production of rdx peaked in the 1960s when it was ranked third in explosive. Kim and vigor yang department of mechanical and nuclear engineering the pennsylvania state university 104 research building east, university park, pa 16802 united states of america corresponding author, email. A more energetic explosive than tnt, it was used widely in world war ii and. Thermal decomposition of rdx and mixtures sciencedirect. This is a compilation of published detonation velocities for various high explosive compounds. Rdx was used with tnt to fill bombs and shells during the second world war by both sides in order to create more powerful weapons. The purpose of this chapter is to describe the analytical methods that are available for detecting, measuring, andor monitoring rdx, its metabolites, and other biomarkers of exposure and effect to rdx. The reaction can be carried out at room temperature in the absence of acetic anhydride and produces smaller amounts of waste acid and nitrate than in traditional process. Rdx is the base for a number of common military explosives. The journal of physical chemistry b 2007, 111 37, 1089710904.
The super explosive that helped win world war ii baxter, colin f. Nitration plays an important role in the preparation of explosives. The name rdx stands for research department explosive. Optimization and kinetics evaluation of bachmann process for rdx synthesis article in international journal of chemical reactor engineering 164 january 2017 with 302 reads how we measure reads. It is basically a substitution or double exchange reaction in. If you have a detonation, that means the bonds are breaking in a chain reaction at a speed greater than that of sound. Feb 15, 2019 the officials said a postblast investigation conducted by security agencies has found that highgrade rdx of about 80 kilogram was detonated in the blast that was carried out by a jaishemohammed jem terrorist after he rammed his explosive laden suv into the illfated bushr 49 f 0637from the left side. Properties of explosives are measurable physical attributes typical of a single crystal of an explosive. Eventually, it would be used to blast through the hulls of hitlers uboats, blow gaping holes in enemy dams in the ruhr valley and knock out bridges, railroad tracks and power stations across nazioccupied europe. A deeper understanding of these concepts will contribute to better control than currently possible, improved performance, reliability and safety, and new ways of detecting concealed explosives.
Rdx is an organic compound with the formula o2nnch23. It is a key, directly measurable indicator of explosive performance, but depends on density which must always be specified, and may be too low if the test charge diameter is not large enough. In this process, the reaction temperature is kept between 12c and 15c. These highly characteristic reactions of diagnostic ei and ci fragment ions improve selectivity for tnt and rdx detection. A new method of preparing the high explosive rdx journal of. It is particularly important to examine the effects of maintainingintimate contact between the decomposition products and the remaining condensedphase explosive during slow reaction at elevated temperatures since confinement of the decomposition products may significantly affect thermophysical phenomena and decomposition reaction rates. Synthesis of rdx by nitrolysis of hexamethylenetetramine.
The intent is not to provide an exhaustive list of analytical methods. Trace detection of rdx, hmx and petn explosives using a. While few chemicals find use as military explosives, these can be combined with platiscizers and other materials to create a plethora of formulations. For example, semtex is a blend of cyclomethylenetrinitramine rdx and petn. The average volume of rdx produced from 1969 to 1971 was 15 million pounds per month. Hexogen, rdx, t4 or cyclone are common names for 1,3,5trinitroperhydro1,3,5triazine.
Better understanding of the chemistry will allow these properties to be controlled more successfully than currently possible, improving performance, reliability and safety. Shock waveinduced phase transition in rdx single crystals. This was a code name for the explosive known in the u. Aspects of modeling, simulation, and analysis eun s. Not music, i know, but this is for a class im doing. Rdx, like tnt, does not have enough oxygen in its molecular formula to completely oxidise everything during an explosion. Information regarding the physical and chemical properties of rdx is located in table 42. Hmx is currently produced at only one facility in the united states, the holston army ammunition plant in kingsport. Download explosives books collection 639 books torrent or any other torrent from ebooks category. Rdx rdx cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine is second in strength to. Rdx, also known as royal demolition explosive, cyclonite, hexogen and t4, is a synthetic product that does not occur naturally in the environment.
Equilibria and kinetics of explosive reactions 116 equilibria 116 products of decomposition 117. A typical explosive consists of some explosive material, some sort of detonation device and, typically, some sort of housing. A more energetic explosive than tnt, it was used widely in world war ii and remains common in military applications. Eventually, it would be used to blast through the hulls of hitlers uboats, blow gaping holes in enemy dams in the ruhr valley and knock out bridges, railroad tracks and power stations across nazioccupied europe pioneered by chemists in germany in the late 19 th century. It is soluble in acetone, insoluble in water, and partly soluble in ether and ethanol. The detailed chemical reactions responsible for detonation, deflagration, combustion, and slow aging are poorly understood. Jun 16, 2012 rdx, like tnt, does not have enough oxygen in its molecular formula to completely oxidise everything during an explosion. He examines the debates between rdx advocates and their opponents and explores the use of the explosive in the bomber war over germany.
Its hygroscopic nature prevents its usage in explosive formulations. The reaction can be carried out at room temperature in the absence of acetic anhydride and produces smaller amounts of waste acid and nitrate than in traditional. Information regarding the chemical identity of rdx is located in table 41. Explosives detection is a topic of increasing interest. Nitration is a chemical reaction by which nitro no 2 groups are introduced into organic compounds. The potential contribution of microbial rdx degradation to observed decreases in rdx concentrations in the contaminant plume at nsb bangor laboratory experiments involved the use of radiochemically labeled rdx carbon 14 in microcosms under oxic with oxygen and anoxic without oxygen conditions. Part of the nato asi series book series asic, volume 309. Explosives which detonate and propagate at velocities greater than ms, are high explosives and include the secondary explosives rdx, hmx, hns, dipam, tetryl, datb, tatb, petn, tnt. Risk assessment for hexamine nitration into rdx scielo. Er bestaan vele verklaringen voor het acroniem rdx, onder andere royal demolition explosive en research department explosive. Treatment and biodegradation of the high explosives hmx, rdx, and tnt. As a military explosive, rdx can be used alone as a base charge for detonators or mixed with another explosive such as tnt to form cyclotols, which produce a bursting charge for aerial bombs.
The yield of hmx is about 5560%, with rdx as an impurity. Rdx or research department explosive, also dubbed torpex, was surprisingly stable yet twice as powerful as tnt. Rdx is produced at military arsenals and is used as an explosive in military munitions and plastic explosives. Reaction mechanism of 1,3,5trinitrostriazine rdx deciphered by density functional theory. Production of rdx peaked in the 1960s when it was ranked third in explosive production by volume in the united states u.
The oxygen carriers assist in preventing a lowering of the exploding temperature. Download explosives books collection 639 books torrent. Production, importexport, use, and disposal toxicological. Relatively safe and inexpensive to manufacture, rdx was produced on a large scale in the united states by a secret process. Rdx does have a very fast propagation rate, and this causes it to be brisant. Richard ryan from ratedrr demonstrates the power of rdx and gives a.
A general theory of explosives is that the detonation of the explosives charge. Hmx, also called octogen, is a powerful and relatively insensitive nitroamine high explosive, chemically related to rdx. Dec 18, 2017 the explosive compound rdx helped make america a superpower. Sciencemadness discussion board rdx powered by xmb 1. Table of explosive detonation velocities wikipedia. The development of the d tech field screening methods for rdx and tnt in both soil and ground water have been designed to greatly benefit the explosives remediation effort. The explosive material undergoes a rapid chemical reaction, either a combustion or decomposition reaction, when triggered by heat or shock energy from the detonator. It is used as an explosive and is also used in combination with other ingredients in explosives. Chemical explosives the main purpose of any warhead is to inflict damage on the target.
Effects of polymeric binders on the rdxbased explosive. The bimolecular reactions of rdx are being studied using highlevel quantum chemistry, and combustion modeling is being investigated to identify the. Rdx produced by the bachmann process usually contains about 812% hmx as an acceptable byproduct army 1984a, 1989. The mechanism for this reaction is very complicated. Other novel approaches to explosive detection are considered in chapter 7.
In a nutshell, if you have a substance whose molecules are made of carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen such as rdx, much energy is released when those bonds are brok. Chemically, it is classified as a nitramide, chemically similar to hmx. You need the second vessel and into this vessel you have to put simultaneously dropwise this hno3 and 30 gr of water with small amount of nitrite. Explosive materials may be categorized by the speed at which they expand. Rdx is an organic compound with the formula o 2 nnch 2 3. Richard ryan from ratedrr demonstrates the power of rdx and gives a bit of background information on its relation to tnt. Full blast how the highexplosive known as rdx helped the. Rather, the intention is to identify wellestablished methods that are used as the standard methods of analysis. This procedure is described in russian book, written by orlova.