ABSTRACT
Cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine, 1,3,5-trinitro-l ,3,5-triazacyclohexane, hexogen, cyclonite, or best known as RDX, is one of the most important explosives today in use. It has a high chemical stability — not much lower than that of TNT — and an explosive power much greater than that of TNT.1 RDX is considerably more susceptible to shock detonation than is TNT. In 1925 Hale2 described the details of preparation of RDX by nitrating hexa methylenetetramine as well as its explosive properties. During the two World Wars, more elaborate and economical methods of RDX production were developed. During World War II, RDX became an important high-power explosive and was used in detonators, primers and boosters. Today it is used as a component in mixtures with other explosives such as TNT and PETN and as a plastic explosive.
