Sensitivity to impact

Both RDX and HMX are stable, crystalline soHds, somewhat less sensitive to impact than PETN. Both may be handled with no physiological effect if appropriate precautions are taken to assure cleanliness of operations. Both RDX and HMX detonate to form mostiy gaseous, low molecular weight products and some intermediate formation of soHd carbons. The calculated molar detonation products of RDX are 3.00 H2O, 3.00 N2, 1.49 CO2, and 0.02 CO. RDX has been stored for as long as 10 months at 85°C without perceptible deterioration. 

The Relation Between the Ignition Temperature and Sensitiveness to Impact of Mixtures of PETN and TNT and their Composition. 

Methazonic acid is an exp], less powerful than TNT (Trauzl block expansion 240cc vs 290cc for TNT) but more sensitive to impact (comparable to PA). It is unstable in storage... 

Nitromethylhydantoin is an expl comparable to TNT in its sensitivity to impact. Qc =—448-8 kcal/mole Qf = -99.9kcal/mole. It is slightly hygroscopic, and its stability to heat is inadequate... 

It is a powerful expl, as sensitive to impact as NG (BurMines drop test with 2kg wt, 4cm). Its Abel Test stability is about 20 minutes at 82°. MTN alone does not gelatinize NC unless the temp is raised to 110°, which would be dangerous, but if mixed with only 8% of the triacetate, it gelatinizes the NC at 80° Physical and chemical properties of MTN, detd primarily at Picatinny Arsenal, are as follows ... 

Molex no s 2 3 are physical mixts of AN 52—84, K perchlorate 0—20, DNT oil 7—12, baked cork 1—10, A1 powd 5—7 Ca carbonate 1%. They exhibited satisfactory sensitivity to impact, friction, flame initiation, and had excellent stability. Philips (Ref 4) reported on tests of Molex B and BB , manufd by the National Explosives Co. They are described as physical mixts of AN 80.77—85.06, flake A1 6.02—6.10, DNT oil 4.32—5.84, activated cork 2.55—4.47, Ca stearate 1.10—1.99 and Ca carbonate 0.83-0.95%. They were shown to be stable, to have fairly high brisance, but to be sufficiently sensitive to expl in the rifle bullet impact test. Byers (Refs 1 3) describes blasting expls similar in compn... 

Montan Wax (Lignite wax). White, hard earth wax crude product, dark brown, mp 80—90°. Obtained by countercurrent extrn of lignite. Sol in CCI4, benz chlf insol in w. It is combustible nontoxic. Has been used extensively in Ger for coating particles of expls such as PETN RDX, in order to reduce their sensitivity to impact and friction Ref CondChemDict (1971), 595-R... 

Explds at 60° after 13 sec in a sealed glass tube (Ref 4). Explds spontaneously when frozen and then thawed. Compd is a violent expl, extremely sensitive to impact or friction. It Jalso explds on exposure to strong light (sunlight or diffused), or when in contact with P, As, ozone, fused alkalies, and organic matter such as turpentine rubber, but not with sugar or resins. Metals strong acids do not cause it to expld,... 

Nitroindene Polymer (N.I.P.). Evaluated at PicArsn as a substitute for charcoal in fuze powders. The N.I.P. fuze powders gave longer burning times and lower dispersions in M54 Time Fuzes under rotation and reduced pressure than the corresponding charcoal powders. They were also more sensitive to impact Ref D. Hart, Investigation of the Use of Nitroindene Polymer in Powder for M54 Time Fuze , PATR 1296 (1943) PATR 1525 (1945)... 

It is an expl which is slightly more powerful than TNT (114% as detd by ballistic mortar at the Res Lab of NDRC at Bruccton, Pa), and slightly less sensitive to impact. Its thermal stability is satisfactory and it is nonhygroscopic Ref L.F. Fieser M. Gates, JACS 68, 2249 (1946) CA 41, 733 (1947)... 

It is an expl which is as powerful as TNT (99% by ballistic mortar), but more sensitive to impact, being comparable to Tetryl. Its 120° Vacuum Stability Test yields 8cc for a 5g sample in 8 hours, as compared with 6.5cc/5g sample in 15 hours for PETN and 3.8cc/5g sample in 48 hours for Tetryl Refs 1) Beil, not listed in General Index 2) L.F. Fieser W.H. Daudt, JACS 68, 2248-9 (1946)... 

Nitroindene was considered for use in the USAM54 Time Fuze but was found to be too sensitive to impact (Ref 3)... 

Norris Powder. A low-freezing mining expl invented in 1901 by an American, Norris. It was much less sensitive to impact and friction than contemporary Dynamites. It contained NG 70, mononitrobenzene 15, and Huile empyroma-tique 15%. The latter ingredient consisted of ail oily substance obtained on distn of wood tar. 

Rather surprisingly, early formulations of Octol were slightly more sensitive to impact than Cyclotol (Ref 4) ... 

Ozocerites have also been used as a coating for substances such as AN to render them non-hygro-scopic, and as a coating for HE s such as RDX and PETN to render them less sensitive to impact Refs 1) Colver (1918), 34 2) Davis (1943),... 

In addition to a-terpineol ozonide, Briner et al prepd and investigated other ozonides. Their conclusion was, that, although some of the ozonides are powerful expls, there is absolutely no advantage in employing them as commercial or military expls, because of their extreme sensitivity to impact and poor storage stability Refs 1) Bed 6, (41) 2) E, Briner, M. Mottier ... 

It was about as sensitive to impact as the Ched-dites, and could be expld by rifle bullet. According to Stettbacher (Ref 3), mixt No II was used again during WWII for military purposes Refs 1) Naoum, Expls (1927), 135 2) Stettbacher (1933), 316 3) Stettbacher (1948), 91... 

Fig 3 The relation between the ignition temperature and sensitiveness to impact of mixtures of PETN and TNT, and their composition (according to T. Urbanski) (Ref 1)... 

If an expl is intended as a bursting charge in general purpose sheils, there would be required high brisance, high power, high detonation velocity, and low sensitivity to impact, friction and shock (TNT, PA, Comp B, Pento-lite, etc would be suitable)... 

If an expl is intended for use in primers, then its brisance and power may be lower than for groups (1), (2) and (3), but it should possess low sensitivity to impact and friction and should produce a hot flame in order to ignite a charge of proplnt or a deiay train... 

It is also well known from the classic work of L. Wohler and Wenzelberg (Ref 3) that the sensitivity to impact of aromatic nitro compds increases with increase in the number of sub-... 

It contained Na nitrate 69, K nitrate 5, S 10, coal tar 15, and K dichromate 1%. It was less sensitive to impact than Blk Pdr, and its strength (as detd by the Trauzl test) was about 145% that of BlkPdr. It was less hygroscopic than BlkPdr, and could be ignited at 350°... 

Its rate of detonation, as detd by the Dautriche method, was about the same as that of TNT (6880m/sec). Its sensitivity to impact, as detd in Fr, was considerably lower than for PA, but according to tests conducted in Engl, TNPht was more sensitive than PA (Ref 8). When pellets of TNPht (d 0.25g/cc) were fired in a manometric bomb, the pressure developed was 2490kg/sq cm, as against 3230 for PA... 

It is an expl, slightly less sensitive to impact than TNT, and slightly more sensitive than 2,4-Dini trophenoi... 

Dinitrophenylnitromethane is an expl with about the same power as TNT, but is more sensitive to impact. It is very stable to heat. It ignites at about 343° when heated unconfined at the rate of 10° per minute. Some of its salts are expl... 

The salts were identified by their metallic content, which was detd by standard lab methods. Their expln temps were detd by the method originated by H. Weber (Bull US Bureau of Standards 9, 119 (1913) and modified at PicArsn [PATR 1401 (1944)]. The sensitivity to impact was detd using the PicArsn app, described by H.S. Deck [ArmyOrdn 7, 34 (1926)], using a 2 kg wt... 

According to Hopper, the relative sensitivity of metallic picrates depends largely upon the amts of w of crystn present. The highly hydrated forms are wry insensitive, the lower hydrates are in general more sensitive, and the anhydr forms most sensitive. The anhydr salts, with the exception of Na, Amm, Al and Fe+2, are more sensitive to impact than PA. Anhydr Cu, Zn and Cd picrates are only slightly more sensitiw, while anhydr Ni picrate is especially sensitive, lying in the sensitivity range between MF and Tetryl... 

According to Taylor Rinkenbach (Ref 4), the sensitivity to impact with a 500g wt is 34cm vs 24cm for MF and 43cm for LA. It is fairly insensitive to friction, as detd by the Friction Pendulum app... 

Note Sodium Picrate, Double Salts of. When an aq soln of Na picrate (3 moles) is stirred and heated with 3 moles of finely powdered Ba or Fb picrate, the resulting double salts are less sensitive to impact than the single salts (and for this reason are less dangerous to handle). The same can be said for other picrate double salts (Ref 4)... 

Sensitivity to Impact. Less sensitive thaii NG Stability. 60 minutes+ in 71° KI test Velocity of Detonation. 6885m/sec and 2000 m/sec ( ), as detd in 10mm ID glass tubes with 1 mm wall (Ref 8)... 

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