Secondary explosives manufacture

The manufacturing process of BX4 was found to be more favorable than that of BX3. The detonation pressure and test of their ability to initiate a secondary explosive have shown that BX4 is the most powerful of these formulations and therefore, it is considered the most promising booster formulation. Another attribute of BX4 is that it could be converted into a blast formulation by the addition of aluminum powder and this modified formulation may find application as a main-charge blast formulation. 

Secondary explosives, or high explosives, are generally less sensitive to heat and shock than primary explosives and are therefore safer to manufacture, transport, and handle. Most secondary explosives will simply burn rather than explode when ignited in air, and most can be detonated only by the nearby explosion of a primary initiator. Among the most common secondary explosives are nitroglycerin, trinitrotoluene (TNT), pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN), and RDX. 

RDX forms orthorhombic crystals with a melting point of 206 Celsius. 1 Gram dissolves in 25 milliliters of acetone, but its solubility in alcohol, ether, ethyl acetate, and glacial acetic acid is even less. It is insoluble in water, carbon tetrachloride, and carbon disulfide. RDX is one of the most important military explosives known to man. It is highly versatile, being resistant to heat, shock and percussion, and is capable of being alloyed with many different secondary explosives. RDX is very well known in several of the most important explosives compositions. These compositions include semtex, C4, and composition B, all of which are widely used in military operations. RDX is by far one of the most important explosives in occurrence, and it is manufactured on an industrial scale. 

Table Vll shows how the process used to manufacture lead azide, or the consequent product, significantly affects the quantity required to initiate a standard secondary explosive, RDX, in the stab-sensitive detonator (Figure la). Dextrinated lead azide has a lower output because it is less compressible and has more diluent namely, 8.5% dextrin compared to the 3.5% carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) [34] in RD 1333, 2% polyvinyl alcohol in PVA lead azide, and no binder in Service lead azide (see Chapters 1 and 2). This situation is shown quantitatively in Table VII, which shows the minimum charge weights of each...

With the approval of the DOD Explosives Safety Board, the Army considers incineration of materials containing less than 10% explosives by weight to be a nonexplosive operation. Soil with less than 10% explosives by weight has been shown by AEC to be nonreactive, that is, not to propagate a detonation throughout the mass of soil. (The military explosives to which this limit applies are secondary explosives such as TNT and RDX, and their manufacturing by-products.)... 

Explosive, primary Explosive substance manufactured with a view to producing a practical effect by explosion which is very sensitive to heat, impact or friction and which, even in very small quantities, either detonates or bums very rapidly. It is able to transmit detonation (in the case of initiating explosive) or deflagration to secondary explosives close to it. The main primary explosives are mercury fulminate, lead azide and lead styphnate. UN App. B, ICAO A2, lATA App. A... 

The amounts of primary initiator needed to detonate a secondary explosive vary from 10 to 400 mg and depend on both components. The major requirements of a good initiator are that it must be sufficiently stable for safe manufacturing, compatible with metal casing, easily loaded into detonators, and not too expensive. Its storage under adverse conditions must not alter its properties or stability. 

By far the largest grouping is secondary explosives, which includes all of the major military and industrial explosives. They are much less easily brought to detonation than primary explosives and are less hazardous to manufacture. Beyond that, however, generalizations are difficult because their sensitivity to initiation covers a very wide range. Generally the military products tend to be more sensitive and the industrial products less sensitive, but all are potentially hazardous and should be handled and stored as prescribed by law. Table 30.3 lists some of the more prominent explosives of each type, along with a few of their properties. 

Yes No Secondary high explosive, By-product of RDX manufacture, Used in Shock Tube (i.e., Nonel) ... 

Nitroalcohols X and XI may be utilized as starting materials for the manufacture of nitric acid esters having explosive properties (see Vol. II). In the presence of primary or secondary amines or ammonia the reaction leads to formation of aminonitroalcohols (XII)... 

Tetryl is a highly brisant, very powerful explosive, with a satisfactory initiating power which is used in the manufacture of primary and secondary charges for blasting caps. Owing to its relatively high melting point, it is employed pressed rather than cast. 

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