Cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine, also known as RDX, cyclonite,hexogen, and T4, is an nitroamine and explosive material widely used by the military. Nitroamines are organic compounds that contain the chemical group R2N-NO2. ... This article is concerned solely with chemical explosives. ...

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. Brisance is a measure of the rapidity with which an explosive develops its maximum pressure. ...

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 C4. Stearic acid also called octadecanoic acid is one of the many useful types of saturated fatty acids that comes from many animal and vegetable fats and oils. ... Composition B is an explosive consisting of castable mixtures of RDX and TNT as well as, in some instances, additional desensitizing agents. ... Trinitrotoluene (TNT, or Trotyl) is a pale yellow crystalline aromatic hydrocarbon compound that melts at 354 K (178 Â°F, 81 °C). ... Composition C is a plastic explosive consisting of RDX, other explosives, and plasticizer. ... HBX is a family of binary explosives that are composed of RDX, TNT, powdered aluminum, and D-2 wax with calcium chloride. ... Cyclotol is an explosive made from a mixture of RDX and TNT.    This article is a stub. ... C4 or Composition C4 is a common variety of military plastic explosive. ...

Properties

It is a colourless solid, of density 1.82 g/cm³. It is obtained by reacting concentrated nitric acid on hexamine. Molecule structure of Cyclotrimethylene trinitramine, typeset with PPCHTeX startchemical chemical[SIX,+SB135,-SB246,Z246,SR246,RZ246][N,N,N,NO_2,NO_2,NO_2] stopchemical File links The following pages link to this file: Cyclotrimethylene trinitramine User:Sverdrup/Images Categories: GFDL images ... The chemical compound nitric acid (HNO3), otherwise known as aqua fortis, is a colorless, corrosive liquid, a toxic acid which can cause severe burns. ... Hexamine ((CH2)6N4) is a chemical created by the reaction of 6 moles of formaldehyde and 4 moles of ammonia . ...

(CH₂)₆N₄ + 4HNO₃ ---> (CH₂-N-NO₂)₃ + 3HCHO + NH₄⁺ + NO₃^-

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 (CH₂-N-NO₂)₃ Heterocycles are organic chemical structures containing non-carbon elements. ...

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 −4°C. A detonator is a device used to trigger bombs, shaped charges and other forms of explosive material and explosive devices. ... The term small arm describes any weapon that a person can easily transport and fire. ... PETN (Pentaerythritol Tetranitrate, also known as Penthrite) is one of the strongest known high explosives, with a relative effectiveness factor (R.E. factor) of 1. ...

Under normal conditions, RDX has a Figure of Insensitivity of 80. Figure of Insensitivity (or FofI) is an inverse scale of measure of the sensitivity of an explosive substance. ...

The manufacture of RDX can easily pollute soil and groundwaters.

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. In the UK, in World War II, RDX was manufactured in pilot plants at Waltham Abbey and at the Research Department at the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich; and an industrial-scale plant was planned in 1939 at a new site, at ROF Bridgwater, away from London. Production of RDX started at ROF Bridgwater in 1941. A slightly different method of production, but still using Hexamine, was found and used in the Canada, possibly at the McGill University Department of Chemistry (Meissner?). Urbanski provides details of five methods of production. There is a suggestion that the USA method was found to be richer in HMX than the UK's RDX and that this led to a new HMX plant being set up at ROF Bridgwater. RDX was widely used during World War 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. Hexamine ((CH2)6N4) is a chemical created by the reaction of 6 moles of formaldehyde and 4 moles of ammonia . ... World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrinations, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons like the atom bomb. ... Waltham Abbey in Essex, England was founded in 1030 and a building was constructed on the site by Harold II of England thirty years later. ... The Royal Arsenal, originally known as the Woolwich Arsenal, carried out armaments manufacture, ammunition proofing and explosives research. ... Woolwich (pronounced Woolitch) is a town in south-east London, England in the London Borough of Greenwich, on the south side of the River Thames, though the tiny exclave of North Woolwich (which is now part of the London Borough of Newham) is on the north side of the river. ... 1939 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... Royal Ordnance Factory (ROF) Bridgwater) is a factory which produced high explosives for munitions. ... St. ... 1941 was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... McGill University is a publicly funded, research-intensive, non-denominational, co-educational university located in the city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. ... HMX, also called octogen or cyclotetramethylene-tetranitramine, is a powerful, but shock sensitive, nitroamine high explosive, chemically related to RDX. First made in 1930, it is used almost exclusively in military applications including as the detonators in nuclear weapons and as a solid rocket propellant. ... World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrinations, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons like the atom bomb. ... Trinitrotoluene (TNT, or Trotyl) is a pale yellow crystalline aromatic hydrocarbon compound that melts at 354 K (178 Â°F, 81 °C). ... Plastic explosive (or plastique) is a specialised form of explosive material. ...

External links

Synthesis@wikibooks

Urbanski, Tadeusz (1967). Chemistry and Technology of Explosives. Vol. III. Warszawa: Polish Scientific Publishers.