The military
uses HMX in a number of different ways. Mostly it uses HMX in warhead and solid
propellant applications, but HMX does appear in other places as well. For a
warhead to be completely affective it must have a number of different explosives
that all explode at different velocities. The differing velocities of their
explosions provide the warhead with multiple shockwaves that will more
effectively crush a target than just one shockwave. Because HMX has the highest
detonation velocity of any military explosive it is used in many warheads as an
initial shockwave that will crack the target enough for the impending
shockwave(s) to destroy it completely. HMX is used in solid propellants for
multiple reasons. One reason why HMX is used in solid propellants is because it
lessens the amount of smoke produced by the missile. The less smoke the engine
produces, the harder it is for the enemy to spot the missile. Another reason
HMX is used in solid propellants is that it can be used to control the burn rate
of the engine. Different explosives burn at different speeds, so the military
uses explosives in its solid propellants to control the power and range of an
engine. HMX’s burn rate is actually a pretty medium burn rate compared to other
high explosives. One of the lesser known applications of HMX is actually on
airplanes and jets. Ever wonder how bombs and fuel tanks drop off a plane in
mid-flight? The answer is explosive nuts and bolts, which contain HMX as the
explosive. HMX plays a vital role in today’s military that really couldn’t be
fulfilled using other explosives.
(Explosive nut image credit:
www.hstc.com)
Civilian use of HMX is pretty much limited to mining and demolitions. Because
HMX is an expensive, hard to get explosive it isn’t used in bulk in either
mining or demolitions. HMX is used more as a detonator for larger amounts of
other explosives. Most companies that produce detonators put HMX in them to
improve the detonators performance. Because HMX is a very reliable explosive
that’s easy to ignite they use it in small amounts to ensure that the detonators
go off. HMX is also used in something called “det cord.” Det cord is basically
just fiber soaked in explosives that has been twisted into a cord. It is used as
a fuse or detonator for larger amounts of explosives. The more powerful the
det
cord is, the more effective it is, which is where HMX fits in. Other than these
two things HMX doesn’t really have many civilian uses.
(Det cord image credit:
www.fireandsafety.eku.edu)