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Iranian C4 charges
- Thread starter weberoed
- Start date
HMX instead of RDX would be a big and expensive difference. I also found a reference to them using PETN, sounded like they used the same formulation as DEMX made by Ensign Bickford, looks and feels like C4 but just s little less powerful
thanks for the reply
thanks for the reply
A slight change in the manufacturing process of RDX, will cause more HMX to be formed as an impurity- still pretty cheap at an industrial level. Microscopic study shows less regular crystal sizes in iranian stuff- this lowers the density, and the power. American stuff has two specified crystal sizes for the RDX; the small pieces take up the space in between the large pieces- keeping the overall density higher. (until you knead the stuff, the space between the crystals gets bigger, and the stuff feels "softer", and easier to work in your hands, but is no longer at the ideal density.). Interesting about the PETN- I haven't heard that before.
I just read the Mil spec on C4 and see the 3 different grades of RDX that can be used, they only vary in particle size but really not that much.. In makeing some of the newer CL explsoives we found that HMX was a good choice, but making it was costly. Still there are a few CL charges made for special use.
PETN in a PBX is nothing really new. Some of the cutting tapes and sheet explsives use it. The first DuPont sheet explosives and cutting tapes were made with PETN. EB took over the production of those explosives when Dupont got out of the business. Ensign Bickford was making a charge called DEMX, when made and put into dynamite shaped sticks it was not very dense and extremely each to knead. I left EB a few years back, they were still making it and the chaulk gun extrudable explosive (which was PETN also). EN EB liked eto work with PETn as they ahd 2 location that made PETN, now only one. One was a batch process, the other was a biazzie (not I mispelled it). That process could make a large amount iof different types and sizes of PETN. Most of it went into their det cord manufacturing.
Also DEMEX was made in the UK but they used RDX.
PETN in a PBX is nothing really new. Some of the cutting tapes and sheet explsives use it. The first DuPont sheet explosives and cutting tapes were made with PETN. EB took over the production of those explosives when Dupont got out of the business. Ensign Bickford was making a charge called DEMX, when made and put into dynamite shaped sticks it was not very dense and extremely each to knead. I left EB a few years back, they were still making it and the chaulk gun extrudable explosive (which was PETN also). EN EB liked eto work with PETn as they ahd 2 location that made PETN, now only one. One was a batch process, the other was a biazzie (not I mispelled it). That process could make a large amount iof different types and sizes of PETN. Most of it went into their det cord manufacturing.
Also DEMEX was made in the UK but they used RDX.