HMX (C7H6O)
Homocyclonite family; specifically cyclotetramethylenetetranitramine, the U.S name for Octogen, as an acronym for High Melting Explosive, and in the UK as Her Majesty’s Explosive. Octogen
RDX (C3H6N6O6)
Secondary high explosive used extensively by the military.
A high explosive compound, the term RDX originated as an acronym for research development explosive by the U.S. military. In reality RDX is Cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine - for short cyclonite and is expressed as the empirical formula C3H6N6O6. Cyclonite is a colorless crystal, with a molecular weight of 222.1, density of 1.82 g/cm3, oxygen balance: -21.6%, nitrogen content: 37.84%, volume of detonation gases: 900 l/kg. Detonation velocity, confined: 8,750 m/s = 28,700 ft/s at r = 1.76 g/cm3. Critical diameter of steel sleeve test: 8mm, impact sensitivity 7.5 N m. RDX is very stable, insoluble in water, sparingly soluble in alcohol, ether and benzene, and soluble in acetone. Cyclohexanone, nitrobenzene and glycol are solvents at elevated temperatures.
RDX is probably the most important high-brisance explosive; its brisant power is owed to its high density and high detonating velocity. It is relatively insensitive (as compared to PETN - an explosive of similar strength). Its performance properties are only slightly inferior to those of the homologous Octogen (HMX).
PETN (C5H8N4O12)
1) An explosive compound, pentaerythritol tetranitrate represented by the empirical formula C5H8N4O12 , it is a colorless crystal, with a molecular weight 316.1 and density of 1.76 g/cm3. Oxygen balance: -10.1%, nitrogen content: 17.72%, volume of detonation gases 823 l/kg. Detonation velocity, confined: 8400 m/s = 27,600 ft/s at r = 1.70 g/cm3. Critical diameter of steel sleeve test: 6mm. Deflagration point: 202 °C = 396 F, impact sensitivity 3 N m. PETN is very stable, insoluble in water, sparingly soluble in alcohol, ether and benzene, and soluble in acetone and methyl acetate.
2) A high explosive of exceptional brisance, pentaerythrite tetranitrate. Used in detonating cord, boosters, detonators, blasting caps and as a constituent of Dentolite. in which it is mixed with TNT
The UN number for HMX is 0226, for RDX the number is 0072 for PETN the number is 0150. All three are HazCat 1.1D, which decodes as Hazard Class 1 (explosive), Division 1 (mass explosion hazard), and Compatibility Group D (secondary blasting explosive).
215 tons of HMX
156 tons of RDX
6.4 tons of PETN
Used prudently, that's three quarters of a million suddenly severed aircraft, completely compromised engineering plants or power turbines, sheered pairs of structural building pillars, HEAT treated main battle tanks, usw. 750,000 units of High Energy Access Tools.
If we're lucky (for a very large value of "we"), most of it will be wasted in spectacularly large IEDs in an already IED-materials-rich enviornment. Maybe we'll all (for a very large value of "we") will be lucky. If we're not lucky, three quarters of a million drops of rain is a lot of raindrops to attempt to dodge.
Update: Readers at Phillips Labs (plk.af.mil) can post corrections.
Posted by EBW at October 26, 2004 12:11 AM | TrackBackAs an example of three quarters of a million "raindrops," over on corrente --
One pound of this stuff took down Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie. Two hundred fifty nine people on board died, and eleven more on the ground, hit by debris.
One pound.
Three quarters of a million pounds? That's Flight 103 detonating over Lockerbie over and over again. Once per hour, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.
From now until 2091.
Posted by: George W. Bush, President at October 26, 2004 11:29 AMThanks for visiting with us Mr. Resident, from your Comcast Cable couch in the Bay Area, I appreciate your making the stretch to the mouse.
Your threat model does not depend upon (make best use of) the high brisance of the ordinance inventory.
Now if you'd said "Goodbye to every containment vessel and every powerhouse and dam the opfors choose to target", I'd say you better appreciated the capabilities of the ordinance, the delivery systems of its possessors, and targeting in "total war". Who needs the bother of aircraft to cut structural steel?
Please take a few weeks off after November 2nd, say until mid-January when you have to be back in the Capitol.
Posted by: Eric at October 26, 2004 12:04 PM