File:RDX.svg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
cyclonite
Sign in to saveAlso known as hexogen, T4, cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine, cyclotrimethylene-trinitramine, cyclotrimethylene trinitramine, Hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-s-triazine, Trimethylenetrinitramine, 1,3,5-Trinitro-1,3,5-triazacyclohexane
RDX (Research Department Explosive or Royal Demolition Explosive), or hexogen, also known by other names, is an organic compound with the formula (CH2N2O2)3. It is white, odorless, tasteless, and widely used as an explosive. Chemically, it is classified as a nitroamine alongside HMX, which is a more energetic explosive than trinitrotoluene (TNT). It was used widely in World War II and remains common in military applications. It is lower performing and more toxic than modern replacements like TKX-50.
OverviewAI-generated
Cyclonite, also referred to as RDX, is a chemical compound with the IUPAC name 1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazinane. Its chemical formula is C₃H₆N₆O₆, and it has a molecular mass of 222.035. The substance possesses a density of 1.82, a melting point of 401, and a boiling point of 234. Its vapor pressure is recorded at 0.0004.
Chemical properties include an xlogp value of 1.6 and a topological polar surface area of 147. The molecule contains nine hydrogen bond acceptors and no hydrogen bond donors, with a net charge of 0. A time-weighted average exposure limit of 1.5 is established for this compound.
Cyclonite is associated with 594 entries in PubMed literature. It is referenced by 534 other encyclopedia articles.
Synthesized by Vinony from 23 facts across 4 sources: Wikidata, PubMed, PubChem, Vinony graph. Generated from structured data (not the Wikipedia text) and checked against those facts — may still contain errors.
Chemical data
- Formula
- C3H6N6O6
- Molecular weight
- 222.12 g/mol
- IUPAC name
- 1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazinane
- SMILES
- C1N(CN(CN1[N+](=O)[O-])[N+](=O)[O-])[N+](=O)[O-]
- InChIKey
- XTFIVUDBNACUBN-UHFFFAOYSA-N
- XLogP
- 1.6
- Polar surface area
- 147 Ų
- H-bond donors
- 0
- H-bond acceptors
- 9
- Formal charge
- 0
via PubChem
Research
594 papersvia PubMed
~23 min read
Encyclopedic overview
22 sectionsContents
- Name
- Usage
- Synthesis
- History
- Germany
- UK
- Canada
- UK, US and Canadian production and development
- Woolwich method
- Bachmann process
- Military compositions
- Terrorism
- Stability
- Toxicity
- Civilian use
- Biodegradation
- Alternatives
- Notes
- References
- Bibliography
- Further reading
- External links
RDX (Research Department Explosive or Royal Demolition Explosive), or hexogen, also known by other names, is an organic compound with the formula (CH2N2O2)3. It is white, odorless, tasteless, and widely used as an explosive. Chemically, it is classified as a nitroamine alongside HMX, which is a more energetic explosive than trinitrotoluene (TNT). It was used widely in World War II and remains common in military applications. It is lower performing and more toxic than modern replacements like TKX-50.
RDX is often used in mixtures with other explosives and plasticizers or phlegmatizers (desensitizers); it is the explosive agent in C-4 plastic explosive and a key ingredient in Semtex. It is stable in storage and is considered one of the most energetic and brisant of the military high explosives, with a relative effectiveness factor of 1.60.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “cyclonite” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.