Hexamthylene tetramine

As noted, RDX (cyclonite) also called royal Dutch explosive or royal demolition explosive, was developed in 1898 by Henning, a German chemist. His method was to nitrate hexamthylene tetramine using concentrated nitric acid. Hexamthylene tetramine appears on the list of chemicals purchased in bulk by the Chemical Warfare Service. A nitrating shed appears on the 1918 building plat map. This structure is far removed from the AUES campus, probably due to the danger inherent in making explosives. Report Nos. DR 03-065 and DR 03-046 indicate the AUES experiments with RDX precursors. 

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