Reduced sensitivity melt-cast explosives

Abstract

This melt-cast explosive shares comparable explosive properties to those of COMP B explosives and is melt-pourable and castable under conditions comparable to those of COMP B explosives, but experiences less impact, shock, and thermal sensitivity and avoids the issues of toxicity associated with COMP B. A fundamental and well-accepted component of COMP B, i.e., trinitrotoluene (TNT), is replaced with one or more mononitro-substituted or dinitro-substituted melt-cast binders, such as dinitroanisole, which can be melt cast without presenting the toxicity drawbacks experienced with the use of TNT. The melt-cast binder can also be combined with a processing aid selected from the group consisting of alkylnitroanilines and arylnitroanilines. Preferably, the composition also includes coarse oxidizer particles and energetic filler in fine particulate form.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.