The manufacturing process of HMX produces high-purity products, greater than 98 wt %, of which 60 wt % belongs to β form HMX for military use and the remaining 40 wt % belongs to different types (R and γ) of HMX. In the past, the remaining products have been regarded as waste materials and were burned. After improvement of the reuse technique, the remaining 40 wt % products become a reusable high explosive by using the method of slow-cooking and solvent cleaning. This high explosive is named RDXH because its chemical, physical, and detonation properties are between those of RDX and HMX. To determine safe use of RDXH, this study utilizes thermal analysis calorimetry, explosive sensitivity test equipments, X-ray diffraction techniques, and HPLC analysis to investigate the thermal properties, reaction kinetics, energy limits of explosive sensitivity, and chemical composition of RDXH. On average, the DSC experimental results of RDXH present the exothermic onset temperature 233.22 °C, release heat 3287.94 J/g, activation energy 201.16 kJ/mol, and frequency factor 2.31 × 10 17 L/s. In comparison with high explosives RDX and HMX, RDXH has the onset temperature of exothermic reaction between that of RDX and HMX, releases the least heat, and possesses the highest kinetic parameters. The explosive sensitivity test results demonstrate that RDXH belongs to a passive grade and has energy limits similar to those of RDX and HMX. Results of XRD patterns and HPLC analyses indicate that RDXH contains molecular structures of 47.32 wt % RDX and 52.67 wt % HMX. Conclusively, the reusable waste product from HMX producing process, RDXH, could be safely used and transported as a high explosive.
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