Composition B
Composition B (also Composit B or Cyclotol ) is a mixture of two explosives . The mixture consists of 59.5% RDX , 39.5% TNT and 1.0% wax . The wax improves the handling of the explosives. A mixture without wax as a stabilizer is also referred to as Composition B-3.
Composit B was widely used by the United States Army and many other Western forces from the start of World War II until the early 1990s and was the standard explosive for fuses in land mines , rockets , hand grenades and artillery shells . However, with the development of less sensitive explosives, composite B was largely replaced by these. However, some ammunition suppliers recognized by NATO (e.g. Mecar) continue to use Composit B in their production.
Composit B was also used in the ignition devices of the first nuclear weapons with implosion ignition , which were developed by the USA. These include the Trinity Test and Nagasaki ( Fat Man ) bombs .
properties
- Density: 1.737 g / cm³ (Composition B) - 1.750 g / cm³ (Composition B-3)
- Explosion speed: 8018 m / s
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d Gibbs, Terry R., Popolato, Alphonse, Baytos, John F .: LASL explosive property data . University of California Press, Berkeley 1980, ISBN 0-520-04012-0 .
- ↑ Military Specification MIL-C-401
- ↑ Nuclear Weapons FAQ section 8.1.1: The Design of Gadget, Fat Man, and "Joe 1" (RDS-1) (accessed August 29, 2019)