Composition H-6
Composition H-6 is a melt-cast military aluminized high explosive. H-6 was developed in the United States.
The chemical composition of H-6 is specified as follows:[1]
- 45.1 ± 0.3% RDX ;
- 29.2 ± 3.0% TNT;
- 21.0 ± 3.0% powdered aluminium;
- 4.7 ± 1.0% paraffin wax as a phlegmatizing agent;
- 0.47 ± 0.1% calcium chloride as a desiccant to prevent moisture from reacting with Al.
Comp H-6 is used in a number of military applications, specifically as a explosive main fill, in munitions including aerial bombs such as the general purpose Mark 80 bombs in use with the USMC and US Navy (while USAF Mark 80s use a tritonal main fill); and underwater munitions (e.g. naval mines, depth charges and torpedoes) where it has generally replaced torpex, being less shock-sensitive and having more stable storage characteristics. It is approximately 1.35 times more powerful than pure TNT.
Properties
[edit]Manufacture
[edit]Australia is one of the largest manufacturers of Composition H-6, originally being made at St Marys Munitions Filling Factory MFF New South Wales, for the main fill of Mark 82 and 84 general purpose bombs.[3] Manufacturing has since moved to the Mulwala Propellant Facility, NSW.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b "A Critical Diameter Study of the Australian Manufactured Underwater Explosive Composition H6" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-02-17. Retrieved 2015-09-25.
- ^ Some Properties of Australian Produced Explosive Composition H-6 (PDF). DSTO. 1987.
- ^ "Some Properties of Australian Produced Explosive Composition H-6". apps.dtic.mil. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
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