Jump to content

Hexanite

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Parsecboy (talk | contribs) at 15:33, 22 July 2009 (correction; Hexanite was used on the G6 torpedoes designed in 1908). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Hexanite was a castable German military explosive developed early in the 20th century before the First World War for the Kaiserliche Marine, intended to augment supplies of Trinitrotoluene, which were then in short supply. Hexanite is significantly more powerful than TNT on its own.[citation needed]

The most common Hexanite formula (by weight) was 60% TNT and 40% Hexanitrodiphenylamine.

Typically, Hexanite was used in underwater naval weapons e.g. warheads for the G7a and G7e series torpedos [1][2] and the 300 kilogram main explosive charge in aluminium-cased [3] buoyant, moored "EMF" magnetic mines capable of being laid by U-boats in 200, 300 or 500 metres of water.[4] [5]

This explosive is regarded as obsolete, so any Hexanite-filled munitions encountered will be in the form of unexploded ordnance dating from the Second World War.

Notes

  1. ^ http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WTGER_WWII.htm
  2. ^ http://www.dutchsubmarines.com/specials/special_torpedoes_mines.htm
  3. ^ http://www.lhg.is/english/eod/
  4. ^ http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WAMGER_Mines.htm
  5. ^ http://www.lhg.is/english/eod/mines/

See also

Stub icon

This explosives-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Hexanite&oldid=303547242"