R.D.X.
R.D.X. 2
R.D.X., also called cyclonite, or composition C-1 (when mixed with
plasticisers) is one of
the most valuable of all military explosives. This is
because it has more than 150% of the
power of T.N.T., and is much easier to
detonate. It should not be used alone, since it can be
set off by a not-too
severe shock. It is less sensitive than mercury fulminate, or
nitroglycerine,
but it is still too sensitive to be used alone.
NO
2
|
N
/ \ RDX MOLECULE
/ \
H C H C
/ 2 2
/ |
O N N–NO
2 \ / 2
\ /
\ /
CH
2
R.D.X. can be made by the surprisingly
simple method outlined hereafter. It
is much easier to make in the home than all other high
explosives, with the
possible exception of ammonium nitrate.
MATERIALS
EQUIPMENT
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
hexamine 500 ml beaker
or
methenamine glass stirring rod
fuel tablets (50 g)
funnel and filter paper
concentrated
nitric acid (550 ml) ice bath container (plastic bucket)
distilled
water centigrade thermometer
table salt blue litmus paper
ice ammonium
nitrate
1) Place the beaker in the ice bath, (see section 3.13, steps 3-4) and
carefully
pour 550 ml of concentrated nitric acid into the beaker.
2) When the
acid has cooled to below 20 degrees centigrade, add small amounts
of the crushed fuel tablets
to the beaker. The temperature will rise, and
it must be kept below 30 degrees centigrade, or
dire consequences could
result. Stir the mixture.
3) Drop the temperature below
zero degrees centigrade, either by adding more
ice and salt to the old ice bath, or by
creating a new ice bath. Or,
ammonium nitrate could be added to the old ice bath, since it
becomes cold
when it is put in water. Continue stirring the mixture, keeping the
temperature below zero degrees centigrade for at least twenty minutes
4) Pour the
mixture into a litre of crushed ice. Shake and stir the mixture,
and allow it to melt. Once it
has melted, filter out the crystals, and
dispose of the corrosive liquid.
5)
Place the crystals into one half a litre of boiling distilled water. Filter
the crystals, and
test them with the blue litmus paper. Repeat steps 4 and
5 until the litmus paper remains
blue. This will make the crystals more
stable and safe.
6) Store the crystals wet
until ready for use. Allow them to dry completely
using them. R.D.X. is not stable enough to
use alone as an explosive.
7) Composition C-1 can be made by mixing 88.3% R.D.X. (by
weight) with 11.1%
mineral oil, and 0.6% lecithin. Kneed these material together in a
plastic
bag. This is one way to desensitize the explosive.
H.M.X. is a mixture
of T.N.T. and R.D.X.; the ratio is 50/50, by weight.
it is not as sensitive, and is almost as
powerful as straight R.D.X.
9) By adding ammonium nitrate to the crystals of R.D.X.
after step 5, it
should be possible to desensitize the R.D.X. and increase its power, since
nitrate could also
be added; a small quantity is sufficient to stabilize
the R.D.X.
10) R.D.X.
detonates at a rate of 8550 meters/second when it is compressed to a
density of 1.55 g/cubic
cm.
-= RFLAGG =-
Much of this information is incorrect…for instance the reason RDX is not used alone as an explosive is not because it “is not stable enough to use alone as an explosive” (it is more stable than TNT) is because it is not SENSITIVE enough…a primary explosive must be used to ignite it, whether it be an azide or fulminate. Secondly, HMX is not a 50/50 mixture of RDX and TNT (that would make HMX weaker than RDX when in fact it is much more powerful). There are several ways of making it,,, such as with SOLEX, or a more complex RDX method. Thirdly, no nitrate needs to be added to stabilize it because it is already stable!!! Fourthly, this method is very dangerous and everything needs to be done at the given temperatures for safety reasons and because the right product will not form if not done correctly (thus this method has a very low % yield). RDX is naturally a low %yield reaction, but there are many better methods of production that increase the yield and the safety.
*Correction* RDX is a little more sensitive and less stable than TNT…hence its use in military applications. In addition, RDX has a calculated detonating velocity at 8700ft/s not 8550.