Rdx is a manmade chemical not occurring naturally in the environment. Granular explosive consisting of rdx and plasticizing wax, such as composition a3 91% rdx coated with 9% wax and composition a5 98. You may need a pdf reader to view some of the files on this page. Rdx creationwiki, the encyclopedia of creation science. The secret history of rdx the university press of kentucky.
Is equipped to and capable of handling strong, dangerous acids, 2. Jun 05, 20 1,3,5trinitroperhydro1,3,5triazine rdx is a principal component of plastic explosives used in acts of terrorism and within improvised explosive devices, among others. Specific gravity is the ratio of the density of the explosive to the density of water under standard conditions. Rdx explosive made from raw hexamine and fuming nitric acid. Rdx, abbreviation of research department explosive or royal demolition explosive, formally cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine, also called cyclonite, hexogen, or t 4, 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. Very powerful explosives which can be used pure or in plastic explosives c4 or composition c4. How to make semtex semtex is a powerful explosive that is widely used by terrorists. A more energetic explosive than tnt, it was used widely in world war ii and remains common in military applications it is often used in mixtures with other explosives and. It exists as a hard, white crystalline solid that is usually ground into a powder.
Analysis and trends considered the most powerful and brisant of military high explosives, owing to its high density and high detonation velocity unless initiated with a blasting cap it will burn, can be melted due to low heat sensitivity. Direct detection of rdx vapor using a conjugated polymer network. Thermal decomposition of rdx and mixtures sciencedirect. The halo process for manufacturing rdx gives poor yields based on the hexamine and nitric acid used 117 g rdx per 100 g hexamine, or a 37% yield at one mole hexamine for two moles rdx. Safety data sheet rdxnylon perfacord detonating cord. Rdx can be manufactured as a polymer bound, insensitive high explosive form that has reduced sensitivity to sympathetic detonation. The specific gravity of commercial explosives ranges from 0. Thousands of new, highquality pictures added every day. C4 mouldable plastic explosive military systems and. A conceptual model of fate and transport processes for rdx. Nitroaromatics, which include tnt, tetryl, and ammonium picrate, contain no 2 groups bonded to carbon atoms on the aromatic ring. Physical and chemical properties of selected explosives and propellants.
Emission estimation technique manual for explosives. Rdx is the base for a number of common military explosives. The chemical name for rdx is 1,3,5trinitro1,3,5triazine. Find rdx explosive stock images in hd and millions of other royaltyfree stock photos, illustrations and vectors in the shutterstock collection. Rdx is produced at military arsenals and is used as an explosive in military munitions and plastic explosives. Rdx was combined with oils, waxes and other explosives, including 2,4. Trace detection of rdx, hmx and petn explosives using a. In order to recover rdx and tnt from us comp b explosive sample through solvent based technique, the solubility of rdx and tnt per 100 g of solvent was studied at temperature range of 2025oc from table1 and table2 respectively 12. Introduction to explosives for official use only c4. Aes produces fully compliant milspec bulk explosives for use in aerospace and military applications.
Wholesale rdx explosives rdx explosives manufacturers. The above compositions may describe most of the explosive material, but a practical explosive will often include small percentages of other substances. For free running explosives, the density is often specified. Hmx also an explosive is a contaminant of and associated with rdx manufacturing and collection. Rdx is a member of the class of nitramines, which are composed mostly of explosive compounds.
Relatively safe and inexpensive to manufacture, rdx. Rdx apbased aluminized explosives, a schematic diagram of which is presented in figure 1a. 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. It is often mixed with other substances to decrease its sensitivity. Rdx is a synthetic chemical used primarily as a military explosive. Dec 18, 2017 rdx is a mighty instrument, sheehan wrote, that may well have transformed the nature of modern warfare.
Rdx is a nitramine produced mainly for use in explosives hsdb 2009. Analytical methods toxicological profile for rdx ncbi. Rdx is used as an explosive and is also used in combination with other ingredients in explosives. 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. Rdx biodegradation by a methanogenic enrichment culture. H370 causes damage to organs central nervous system by oral exposure h373 may cause damage to organs central nervous system through prolonged or repeated exposure oral. Approaches to detect rdx compatible with remote, standoff sampling that do not require preconcentration strategies, such as the swabs commonly employed in airports, will. Studies on advanced rdxtatb based low vulnerable sheet.
Pdf distribution and fate of military explosives and propellants in. Rdx is an organic compound with the formula o 2 nnch 2 3. Explosive description c4 is an rdx based plastic explosive that is mouldable by hand to form demolition charges of various shapes and weights for eod or general demolition tasks. 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. Hexahydrol,3,5trinitrol,3,5triazine rdx figure 1 is the most important military high explosive in the united states today gorontzy et al. Firing ranges are available for recreational shooters and other operations. Rdx is listed in the worlds largest and most authoritative dictionary database of abbreviations and acronyms the free dictionary. In its purest state, rdx is a white, crystalline solid, and when mixed with plasticizers and other ingredients it makes c4. Is knowledgeable about how to keep the reaction under control, 3. The explosive compound rdx may be the greatest threat to the. In the early twentieth century, more than 60 highly explosive compounds were developed and synthesized for military and civilian use. Chemically, it is classified as a nitramide, chemically similar to hmx. An rdx plastic explosive plasticized to be adhesive and malleable.
Alex berezow is a phd microbiologist, science writer, and public speaker who specializes in the debunking of junk science for the american council on science and health. Sir ahmed salman rushdie frsl born 19 june 1947 is a british indian novelist and essayist. Looking for online definition of rdx or what rdx stands for. In 1920, it was patented as an explosive and its further development at the war department in woolwich, u. Much of his fiction is set on the indian subcontinent. Pdf biodegradation of the explosives tnt, rdx and hmx. For purposes of classification, the department of transportation, explosives manufacturers, and the military have developed many ignition, burnrate, and detonation tests. It is used as an explosive and is also used in combination with other ingredients in explosives. A photograph showing increasing levels of fluorescence quenching of the three sets of fluospots upon increasing the amounts of rdx, hmx and petn. Alow explosive material,suchasgunpowder,smokelesspowderorfireworks,burnsmuch slower.
Rdx was combined with oils, waxes and other explosives. Rdx cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine is a nitroamine organic high explosive. A more energetic explosive than tnt, it was used widely in world war ii and remains common in military applications it is often used in mixtures with other explosives and plasticizers or. He is also an analyst at geopolitical futures and a featured speaker for the insight bureau. 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. Identification of the substancemixture and of the companyundertaking date issued 06.
Rdx forms the base for a number of common military explosives. Used in a wide range of compositions, rdx represents the best solution for both performance and cost. A more energetic explosive than tnt, it was used widely in world war ii and remains common in military applications it is often used in mixtures with other explosives. The use of rdx as an explosive first became common during world. Compared with the other explosives discussed here, t 1 is short, and with t 2. Organic secondary explosives can be further divided into nitroaromatics, nitramines, and nitrate esters. Its relative stability is only slightly less than that of 2,4,6trinitrotoluene tnt, yet its explosive power is much greater. Composition a waxcoated, granular explosive consisting of rdx and plasticizing wax, composition a5 mixed with 1. Sure it does inrease ob, but its a popular but false assumption that increasing the ob increases the vod. Wastewater produced from the manufacture of rdx is treated on site in an. Ddt behavior of waxed mixtures of rdx, hmx, and tetryl pdf. Federoff, a manual for explosives laboratories, vol. T 1, rdx is an ideal candidate for the ssfptype pulse sequences section.
It was found, during world war ii independently in england, germany, and the usa, that the addition of ammonium nitrate in the hale process greatly increased the. Since world war ii, rdx has been used in detonators, primers, mines, rocket boosters, and plas. Ruminal bioremediation of the high energy melting explosive hmx. The experiments were conducted in a cylindrical water pool with a diameter of 85. Hmx is currently produced at only one facility in the united states, the holston army ammunition plant in kingsport. Bulk explosives products for the defense, aerospace, mining. Rdx hexahydro1,3,5trinitro1,3,5triazine contains six nitrogens, all in magnetically inequivalent sites in the crystal. Information regarding the chemical identity of rdx is located in table 41. Eurenco produces rdx by the woolwich or bachmann process.
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. Of these, the most widely used explosives in the world are. The use of rdx as an explosive first became common during world war ii. Rdx synonyms, rdx pronunciation, rdx translation, english dictionary definition of rdx. Six 1 kg cylindrical charges of the rdx apbased aluminized explosives were detonated in tap water at a depth of 4. He was now embroiled in the cold war atmosphere of fear and intrigue. 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%. A new method of preparing the high explosive rdx journal of. Product identifier product name rdx chemical name cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine reach reg no. Fairly common materials always seem to have awsome effects on explosives in the average cookbook. Rdx is an organic compound with the formula o2nnch23.
Rather, the intention is to identify wellestablished methods that are used as the standard methods of analysis. The false information about rdx the typical kewl scientific language the wrong vod for rdx at the end the bit about ammoniumnitrate. Rdx is a hard, white crystalline solid, insoluble in water and only slightly soluble in some other solvents. Army began to grasp that its use of rdx could cause enormous problems when it found explosives in the groundwater seeping underneath the fence line of the cornhusker army ammunition plant, eight miles outside the town of grand island, nebraska cornhusker was run by the quaker oats ordnance corp. The testing and disposal of the nations weapons here in the us have poisoned drinking water supplies, rendered millions of acres of land unsafe or unusable, and jeopardized the health of often unwitting americans. The intent is not to provide an exhaustive list of analytical methods. Sensitive to percussion, its principal nonmilitary use is in blasting caps. The ease with which an explosive or ba can be ignited andor detonated when subjected to heat either confined or unconfined is termed that explosive s flammability. Rdx produced by the bachmann process usually contains about 812% hmx as an acceptable byproduct army 1984a, 1989. He examines the debates between rdx advocates and their opponents and explores the use of the explosive in the bomber war over germany.
The density of an explosive may be expressed in terms of specific gravity. Dutch scenery getty images the united states has built the most powerful military in the world. M ajor manufacturing of rdx began in the united states in 1943 during world war ii with the rise in demand for improved explosives u. A more energetic explosive than tnt, it was used widely in world war ii and. Cole and 2002 bali nightclub bombings recommended in alqaedas traditional curriculum of explosives training. Nitramines contain no 2 groups bonded to nitrogen present within an alicyclic ring, for example, rdx and hmx. 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 vast majority of inservice high explosives across all applications contain rdx. It is a white solid without smell or taste, widely used as an explosive. The products include pure, desensitized and plastic bonded explosive compositions using hmx, hns, petn, rdx and tnt based explosives. Rdx is manufactured at the holston army ammunition plant aap in kingsport, tn.
The yield of hmx is about 5560%, with rdx as an impurity. Royal dutch explosive rdx tnt petn plastic explosive tetryl used in blasting caps note. A new method of preparing the high explosive rdx journal. Hmx, also called octogen, is a powerful and relatively insensitive nitroamine high explosive, chemically related to rdx. His second novel, midnights children 1981, won the booker prize in 1981 and was deemed to be the best novel of all winners on two separate occasions, marking the 25th and the 40th anniversary of the prize. Rdx performance transfer rate by product rdx sata rdx usb dat72 travan tr7 native transfer rate mbs 30 25 3. Explosive, royal demolition explosive or royal dutch explosive. Rdx is believed to have been used in many bomb plots, including terrorist plots. But rdx, a powerful triumph of military ingenuity, has had an unwanted second life as an unusually persistent pollutant poisoning the american homeland. Available in all standard grain sizes, rdx is used in a variety of military applications.
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