Hexanitrostilbene

Production and use

It is produced by oxidizing trinitrotoluene (TNT) with chlorine bleach (sodium hypochlorite). HNS boasts a higher insensitivity to heat than TNT, and like TNT it is insensitive to impact. When casting TNT, HNS is added at 0.5% to form erratic micro-crystals within the TNT, which prevent cracking.

Its heat of detonation is 4 kJ/g.

It was developed by the chemist Kathryn Grove Shipp at the U.S. Naval Ordnance Laboratory in the 1960s and has been improved on since then.

References

References

1. Jacques Boileau, Claude Fauquignon, Bernard Hueber and Hans H. Meyer "Explosives" in ''Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry'', 2009, Wiley-VCH, Weinheim. {{doi. 10.1002/14356007.a10_143.pub2
2. Because of its insensitivity but high explosive properties, HNS is used in space missions. It was the main explosive fill in the [[Vibroseis. seismic source]] generating [[Mortar (weapon). mortar ammunition]] canisters used as part of the [[Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package. Apollo Lunar Active Seismic Experiments]].[http://www.lpi.usra.edu/lunar/documents/NASA%20RP-1036.pdf NASA reference publication]
3. [http://publications.drdo.gov.in/gsdl/collect/defences/index/assoc/HASH0181/6881f845.dir/doc.pdf Hexanitrostilbene and Its Properties]{{Dead link. (January 2020)
4. Peter Golding, Asoka M. Jayaweera-Bandara, Henry Duffin, "Production of HNS" Patent 5023386. Filed: January 4, 1990.