A Study of Reduced-Sensitivity RDX

Abstract

Five lots of RDX (1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5,-triazinane) were believed to have different shock sensitivities based on large-scale gap test (LSGT) results. Laboratory investigations included direct-insertion mass spectrometry, liquid chromatography, powder X-ray diffraction, polarized light with hot-stage microscopy, infrared and Raman spectroscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). DSC proved useful at distinguishing differences between lots. The RDX lots studied included three made in the United States by BAE Ordinance Systems (Holston), one from Eurenco (formally SNPE), and one from Dyno Nobel. Of Holston RDX, two lots had been reprocessed by Eurenco to reduce sensitivity. Increased sensitivity appeared to correlate with increased HMX (octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine) content. Aging and heating of RDX with HMX content appeared to contribute to the formation of an RDX/HMX eutectic, which could explain the enhanced sensitivity observed in some samples.

Keywords:

• insensitive RDX
• large-scale gap test
• RDX
• RDX/HMX eutectic

Acknowledgements

The authors thank researchers at Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey, for funding this work.

Notes

¹Struck, S. and Fishburn, B., personal communication.

n.d. = not detected.