R. Meyer J. Köhler A. Homburg Explosives

175 Hexogen
heat of explosion
calculated*)
(H2O liq.): 5647 kJ/kg
(H2O gas): 5297 kJ/kg
heat of detonation**)
(H2O liq.): 6322 kJ/kg
specific energy:
1375 kJ/kg
density: 1.82 g/cm 3
melting point: 204 °C
heat of fusion: 161 kJ/kg
vapor pressure:
Pressure
millibar
0.00054 110
0.0014 121
0.0034 131
0.0053 138.5
Temperature
°C
lead block test: 480 cm3 /10 g
detonation velocity, confined:
8750 m/s at r = 1.76 g/cm3 impact sensitivity: 7.5 N m
friction sensitivity: 120 N pistil load
critical diameter of steel sleeve test: 8 mm
Hexogen is soluble in acetone, insoluble in water and sparingly soluble
in ether and ethanol. Cyclohexanone, nitrobenzene and glycol are
solvents at elevated temperatures.
Hexogen is currently probably the most important high-brisance explosive;
its brisant power is high owing to its high density and high
detonation velocity. It is relatively insensitive (as compared to, say
W PETN, which is an explosive of a similar strength); it is very stable.
Its performance properties are only slightly inferior to those of the
homologous W Octogen (HMX).
The “classical” method of production (Henning, 1898) is the nitration of
hexamethylene tetramine (C6H12N4) to Hexogen (C3H6O6N6) using
concentrated nitric acid; the concentrated reaction mixture is poured
into iced water, and the product precipitates out. The structural formula
shows that three methylene groups must be destroyed or split off by
* computed by “ICT-Thermodynamic-Code”.
** value quoted from Brigitta M. Dobratz, Properties of Chemical Explosives and
Explosive Simulants, University of California, Livermore.