Cyclotrimethylene trinitramine

[R.A. Hettinga]

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RDX>


Cyclotrimethylene trinitramine

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Cyclotrimethylene trinitramine, also known as RDX, cyclonite, or hexogen,
is an explosive material widely used by the military.

There are many interpretations of its acronym including (but not limited
to) Royal Demolition eXplosive and Research Department Explosive. In fact
the latter is nearest to the mark. New explosives were given an
identification number preceded by the letters 'RD' indicating 'Research and
Development'. For some reason, this explosive was unable to be given a
number (the story goes that the department that issued the numbers had just
blown itself up - but this may be apocryphal). Instead the letter 'X' was
appended to indicate 'unknown' with the intention of adding the number
later. Although a number was issued, the term 'RDX' stuck.

In its pure synthesised state it is a white crystalline solid. As an
explosive it is usually used in mixtures with other explosives and
plasticizers or desensitizers. It is stable in storage and is considered
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, Cyclotol and C-4.
[edit]

Properties
It is a colourless solid, of density 1.82 g/cm3. It is obtained by reacting
concentrated nitric acid on hexamine. It is a heterocycle and has the shape
of a ring. It starts to decompose at about 1700C and melts at 2040C. Its
structural formula is: hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine or
(CH2-N-NO2)3

At room temperatures, it is a very stable product. It burns rather than
explodes, and only detonates with a detonator, being unaffected even by
small arms fire. It is less sensitive than pentaerythritol tetranitrate
(PETN). However, it is very sensitive when crystalized, below -40C.

Under normal conditions, RDX has a Figure of Insensitivity of 80.

The manufacture of RDX can easily pollute soil and groundwater.
[edit]

History

The discovery of RDX dates from the 1890s when a German (Hans Henning)
offered it as a medicine. Its explosive properties were not recognized
until 1920 (Herz?). In the 1920s RDX was produced by the direct nitration
of hexamine. It was only in 1940 that an efficient production method was
found, possibly at the McGill University Department of Chemistry
(Meissner?). It was widely used during WW II, often in explosive mixtures
with TNT such as Torpex (TNT (42%),RDX (40%) and aluminium (18%)). RDX was
used in one of the first plastic explosives.



Categories: Explosive chemicals | Heterocyclic bases | Nitroamines

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-- 
-----------------
R. A. Hettinga <mailto: rah at ibuc.com>
The Internet Bearer Underwriting Corporation <http://www.ibuc.com/>
44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA
"... however it may deserve respect for its usefulness and antiquity,
[predicting the end of the world] has not been found agreeable to
experience." -- Edward Gibbon, 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'