Skip to content
octogen

Structure via PubChem · Public domain (PubChem)

EntityQ422206· pop 32· linked from 88 articles

Also known as tetramethylenetetranitramine, HMX, cyclotetramethylene tetranitramine, octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine, 1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetraazacyclooctane, 1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocane

HMX, also called octogen, is a powerful and relatively insensitive nitroamine high explosive chemically related to RDX. The compound's name is the subject of much speculation, having been variously listed as High Melting Explosive, High-velocity Military Explosive, or High-Molecular-weight RDX, as well as '''Her Majesty's Explosive'''.

Chemical data

Formula
C4H8N8O8
Molecular weight
296.16 g/mol
IUPAC name
1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocane
SMILES
C1N(CN(CN(CN1[N+](=O)[O-])[N+](=O)[O-])[N+](=O)[O-])[N+](=O)[O-]
InChIKey
UZGLIIJVICEWHF-UHFFFAOYSA-N
XLogP
2.1
Polar surface area
196 Ų
H-bond donors
0
H-bond acceptors
12
Formal charge
0

via PubChem

~5 min read

Encyclopedic overview

10 sections
Contents
  • Synthesis
  • Applications
  • Health and environmental fate
  • Analytical methods
  • Toxicity
  • Biodegradation
  • See also
  • Notes
  • References
  • Further reading

HMX, also called octogen, is a powerful and relatively insensitive nitroamine high explosive chemically related to RDX. The compound's name is the subject of much speculation, having been variously listed as High Melting Explosive, High-velocity Military Explosive, or High-Molecular-weight RDX, as well as '''Her Majesty's Explosive'.

The molecular structure of HMX consists of an eight-membered ring of alternating carbon and nitrogen atoms, with a nitro group attached to each nitrogen atom. Because of its high mass-specific enthalpy of formation, it is one of the most potent chemical explosives manufactured, although a number of newer ones, including HNIW, TKX-50, and ONC, are more powerful.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “octogen” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.