Plastic bonded HTMD

[xoo1246]

I extracted some blu-tack binder some time ago, now in a dream I have tried to use it together with HTMD.
I dissolved 0.1 grams of blu tack binder in execess gasoline, when dissolved I added 0.9 grams of HTMD in small portions and mixed carefully. Then the clumpy mixture was placed on a glas plate where the gasoline evaporated for a while.
I used my dream - camera to take two pictures of the result:
<a href="http://w1.478.telia.com/~u47802930/BPHTMD01.jpg" target="_blank">http://w1.478.telia.com/~u47802930/BPHTMD01.jpg</a>
<a href="http://w1.478.telia.com/~u47802930/BPHTMD02.jpg" target="_blank">http://w1.478.telia.com/~u47802930/BPHTMD02.jpg</a>
The resulting BPX can be molded into any shape and doesn't fall apart easy. One problem is that it doesn't attach to surfaces(maybe with some oil in it). But maybe it will find use in caps since it might have a higer density(?), less friction and shock sensitive.
However, many questions remains unanswered, can it burn to detonation in a cap reliably?, what is the density?, etc.
If it doesn't work in caps, it might find use in minature shaped charges initated by crystaline HTMD for those who hasn't got access to PETN and other top of the list explosives.
Now(as usuall), any commentents and ideas?

[zaibatsu]

That looks very good xoo, but how would it increase the density of the HTMD - you're mixing it with another substance. It can't be more dense than straight HTMD pressed, can it?

[endotherm]

i think it could become a bit denser if the platicizer has a higher density than the HMTD. Why not measure the density, sacrifice a piece, measure it's mass with a scale, and then put it in graduated cylinder full of water to record it's volume. Density = Mass/Volume, and compare that with the density of straight HMTD.

[mongo blongo]

Sounds good. I'm surprised it doesn't attach to surfaces very well. In my experiments it's very good for this. The only problem I had is that it tends to fluff up quite a bit so you have to compress it with your fingers. It also has excellent elastic properties.
It will definitely be less friction and shock sensitive. It won't have a higher density because by adding the binder you are decreasing the density.
I'm not sure if it can make the D to D transition if contained or not. You will have to try it.
It could be a good plastic explosive if detonated with a cap but again you will have to try it and see.
Good luck. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="wink.gif" />

[zaibatsu]

endotherm, it may make the resulting explosives-putty mix more dense than just straight, pressed HTMD, but that matters not, because the plasticiser will lower the VOD. The density of the HTMD is what matters.

[endotherm]

True, of course the density of the HTMD will lower simply because there is the same amount of HMTD distributed throughout a larger volume, but i though the question here was asking will the density of the explosive/putty mixture be of a higher density than HMTD alone, and this question is still dependant on the comparison of the densities of the explosive/putty mixture and pure HMTD.
He also wasn't asking about the VOD, just the density, whether that would lower or raise the VOD is obviously important, but irrelevant to the question at hand.

<small>[ June 23, 2002, 11:49 AM: Message edited by: endotherm ]</small>

[xoo1246]

Ok, so I had another day dream, pressed the PB HTMD(1 gram) into a cap, didn't measure the density, but it compressed very well (stupid of me not to measure it, I know!). I dug it down in my garden in contact with a small stone and detonated it. The earth liften a bit, almost no sound, much like when I have tried crystaline HTMD. I dug it up and yes, it had detonated and the were tiny fragments(found only a few, probably from the place the upper part of the cap with no HTMD in contact with the walls) and the stone was damaged. Here are the pictures:
<a href="http://w1.478.telia.com/~u47802930/BPHTMD03.jpg" target="_blank">http://w1.478.telia.com/~u47802930/BPHTMD03.jpg</a>
<a href="http://w1.478.telia.com/~u47802930/BPHTMD04.jpg" target="_blank">http://w1.478.telia.com/~u47802930/BPHTMD04.jpg</a>
<a href="http://w1.478.telia.com/~u47802930/BPHTMD05.jpg" target="_blank">http://w1.478.telia.com/~u47802930/BPHTMD05.jpg</a>

[Zambosan]

Well Xoo, you've certainly spooked me.

<small>[ July 18, 2002, 12:57 AM: Message edited by: Zambosan ]</small>

[xoo1246]

It got help from one of my standard ignitors, a pice of a plastic straw filled with match head composition. Thus it had some help via high pressure and great heat. But it would probably have detonated if the iron strand had been directly in the PBHTMD, I tried to burn a small amount a couple of days ago and it flashed very fast, not as fast as pure HTMD, but fast and more yellow due to the plastic binders carbon atoms I assume.

[xoo1246]

Hmm, I seem to have typed HTMD, when it's supposed to be HMTD all over this forum. Anyway, could this composition be used in detonating cord?

[mongo blongo]

As long as it can maintain a self propagating shock wave then yes.

[inferno]

Xoo - its HexaMethyleneTriperoxideDiamine HMTD.

This sounds promising, it looks good too. Did you separate the binder just by placing in petrol (gasoline)?

[xoo1246]

Yes, it has to be tried expermimentally. I have tried the composition in caps, two this far and they detonated. Blu Tack is dissolved in gasoline then you separate the filler, filtering works somewhat good but it's slow, you can let it stand for a while and remove the upper layer too, then filter the remainings(MongoBlongo came up with the idea). Then you evaporate the gasoline and you have your blu tack binder. If you wish to make BPHMTD, you dissolve 10-15% binder in excess gasoline, add 85-90% HMTD and let the gasoline evaporate, after a while you can start carefully molding the mixture, at first it's not very plastic at all but when all gasoline is gone it is.

[nbk2000]

Might want to try adding a little bit of motor oil to the PBX to maintain flexibility once the gasoline evaporates off. This should also help it stick. Though you may need to use a little more binder too.

[mongo blongo]

I was thinking a bit of motor oil might stop it from fluffing up so much as well. Maybe some cooking oil might do the trick as you won't need as much hence keeping the binder % lower.

[xoo1246]

I used gasoline with oil by misstake once when extracting binder. I was very sticky, I'll try that sometime.