Everything about Rdx totally explained
Cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine, also known as
RDX,
cyclonite,
hexogen, and
T4, is an
explosive nitroamine widely used in military and industrial applications. Nomenclature variants include
cyclotrimethylene-trinitramine and
cyclotrimethylene trinitramine.
In its pure, synthesized state RDX is a white, crystalline solid. As an explosive it's usually used in mixtures with other explosives and
plasticizers,
phlegmatizers or desensitizers. It is stable in storage and is considered one of the most powerful and
brisant of the military high explosives.
RDX forms the base for a number of common military explosives:
Composition A (wax-coated, granular explosive consisting of RDX and plasticizing wax), composition A5 (mixed with 1.5%
stearic acid),
Composition B (castable mixtures of RDX and
TNT),
Composition C (a plastic demolition explosive consisting of RDX, other explosives, and plasticizers),
Composition D,
HBX (castable mixtures of RDX, TNT, powdered aluminium, and D-2
wax with calcium chloride),
H-6, and
C4.
RDX is also used as a major component of many
plastic bonded explosives used in nuclear weapons.
Properties
The
velocity of detonation of RDX at a density of 1.76 g/cm³ is 8,750 meters per second.
It is a colourless solid, of maximum theoretical density 1.82 g/cm³. It is obtained by reacting concentrated
nitric acid with
hexamine.
» (CH
2)
6N
4 + 4HNO
3 → (CH
2-N-NO
2)
3 + 3HCHO + NH
4+ + NO
3-
It is a
heterocycle and has the molecular shape of a ring. It starts to decompose at about 170 °C and melts at 204 °C. Its structural formula is: hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine or (CH
2-N-NO
2)
3.
At
room temperature, it's very stable. It burns rather than explodes and detonates only with a
detonator, being unaffected even by
small arms fire. It is less sensitive than pentaerythritol tetranitrate (
PETN). However, it's very sensitive when crystallized, below −4 °C.
Under normal conditions, RDX has a
figure of insensitivity of exactly 80 (as this is the reference point).
RDX
sublimates in
vacuum, which limits its use in
pyrotechnic fasteners for
spacecraft.
History
The discovery of RDX dates from 1899 when Hans Henning obtained a
German patent for its manufacture, by nitrating hexamethylenetetramine nitrate. In his first patent, he cited its use as a medicine. In 1939 a twin-unit industrial-scale plant was designed to be installed at a new 700 acre (283 ha) site,
ROF Bridgwater, away from
London; and production of RDX started at Bridgwater in 1941.
The US Bachmann process for RDX was found to be richer in
HMX than the United Kingdom's RDX and there's a suggestion this later led to a HMX plant being set up at ROF Bridgwater in
1955 using the Bachmann process.
Usage
RDX was widely used during
World War II, often in explosive mixtures with
TNT such as
Torpex. RDX was used in one of the first
plastic explosives. RDX is believed to have been used in many bomb plots including terrorist plots. It was said to have been used in the Bombay (Mumbai) serial bomb blasts of
March 12,
1993 in which more than 300 people were killed and about 1,500 injured. Again, on
July 11,
2006, a series of powerful explosions took place on seven suburban railway trains on Mumbai's Western Railway line killing 209 and injuring over 700. The use of RDX by the Islamic terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba in this incident was subsequently confirmed by India's state investigating agencies. It was recently used in the serial Jaipur blasts.
Names
There are many explanations for the name RDX, including (but not limited to) Royal Demolition eXplosive, Research Department (composition) X and Research Department eXplosive. Research Department composition X is most likely correct.
Davis, writing in the USA in 1943, stated it was generally known in the USA as
cyclonite; the Germans called it
Hexogen, the Italians
T4.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Rdx'.
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