Can a Scientist Create a More Powerful Explosive than HMX?

The question of whether a scientist can create a more powerful explosive than HMX has been a subject of much discussion. HMX, or octogen, is a widely used high explosive with a TNT equivalence of 1.7. This means one kilogram of HMX releases the same amount of energy as 1.7 kilograms of the well-known explosive, TNT. However, the claim that HMX is "25 times more powerful than TNT" is a significant misrepresentation of its actual capabilities.

Contrasts and Misconceptions

It's important to clarify that when we measure the power of explosives, we use the relative effectiveness compared to TNT. HMX has a relative effectiveness of 1.7, meaning it releases 70% more energy per unit mass than TNT. Similarly, its cousin, RDX (cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine), has a relative effectiveness of 1.6, which is also an improvement over TNT but not by a factor of 25. The claim of 25 times more powerful is thus nonsensical in the context of explosive power comparisons.

Examples of More Powerful Explosives

Some scientists and researchers have explored the possibility of creating even more powerful explosives. Two notable examples are Octanitrocubane (ONC) and octogen (HMX). According to recent studies, ONC has a relative effectiveness compared to TNT of 2.38, which is a significant improvement over HMX. Octogen’s relative effectiveness is 1.7. These improvements in relative effectiveness indicate that while it is possible to create more powerful explosives, the actual increase in power is more modest than the erroneous claim of 25 times more powerful.

Chemical Basis of Explosives

The power of an explosive is closely tied to its chemical structure, particularly the nitrogen content. Explosives are generally composed of high nitrogen content due to the favorable energy release provided by nitrogen molecules. For instance, TNT, with its chemical name of tri-nitro-toluene, contains three nitro groups, while HMX and its cousin RDX contain nitro groups as well. The nitrogen content in these explosives can be roughly correlated with their detonation velocity, which is a key determinant of explosive power.

Furthermore, while theoretical advancements might lead to explosives with even higher relative effectiveness, the practical difficulties in achieving such explosives cannot be overstated. For example, nitration—the process of adding nitrates to organic compounds to increase their explosive power—is a complex and hazardous process. Existing explosives are already optimized to a significant degree, making it highly challenging to surpass them without discovering fundamentally new principles or substances.

Conclusion

While it is intellectually fascinating to think about creating more powerful explosives, the practical constraints and scientific realities mean that such improvements are likely to be incremental rather than dramatic. High explosives like HMX and RDX have been extensively studied and optimized for their intended applications. Scientists and researchers continue to push the boundaries of explosive power but the claims of 25 times more powerful than TNT are baseless and misleading.