This is a mirror of some Australian's page. Go there for this article with actual pictures that work, and other explosives and stuff.
HMTD
WARNING: HMTD is dangerous and sensitive to FRICTION, SHOCK, HEAT OR FLAME.
Handle with great care !! Even wet HMTD is dangerous and will detonate with
ease.This is a dangerous explosive! If this explosive is let to sit in the
sun, IT WILL DETONATE!� If you do not have experience with explosives DO NOT
MAKE THIS.�
Due to the extreme sensitivity to heat, shock, and friction make HMTD a poor
choice for the lesser skilled chemist.
Information on HMTD:
HMTD is a very unstable primary explosive compound that can be made from
hexamethylenetetramine, hydrogen peroxide, and citric acid.
With this explosive it is possible to create a blasting cap.� This primary
shock wave will detonate the base charge in the caps. The base charge of the
cap is normally R.D.X. or some other high explosive. The base charge needs
to be powerful and stable, but still sensitive to the primary detonation
wave. The 6700 M/sec. plus base charge detonation velocity, will set off the
main charge.
HMTD is a high performance initiating explosive. It is one of the better
initiating explosives but has some definite drawbacks. HMTD is not stable at
even slightly elevated temperatures. Room temperature will even cause a
decrease in performance with storage time. As one would imagine, due to the
extreme excess of oxygen, the corrosion of metals in contact with the
peroxide is a problem. The metals that will cause problems are aluminum,
zinc, antimony, brass, copper, lead and iron. These metals in contact with
the HMTD even when dry, will cause corrosion.
DETONATION VELOCITY: � 4511 M/sec. @ 0.88 G/cc
��������������������������������������������� 5100 M/sec. @ 1.10 G/cc
FRICTION SENSITIVITY:���� Very Sensitive!!!
BEHAVIOR TO FLAME:��� ��� Small quantities flash like guncotton Large
accumulations will detonate.
Materials Sources
----------------
Hexamethylenetetramine C6H12N4 - solid fuel tablets for camping out
available at army surplus stores.� Also known as urotropine, hexamine,
methenamine, etc.
Hydrogen Peroxide 6% H2H2 - or stronger. It can be purchased at a beauty
supply store. It is sold as hair bleach.�I asked them for hydrogen peroxide.
They said that they don't sell pure H2H2 but they gave me a product that was
used in the process of lightening hair. I got the strongest number. If you
look at the back of the bottle is shows that H2H2 is the main ingredient.
Citric Acid C6H8O7 - Available at Drug or Food stores, known as "sour salt"
(I ordered it from "The King Arthur Flour Baker's Catalogue)
Containers, (I used empty yogurt containers)
Coffee filter
Teaspoon and 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoons
Pan
Distilled water
Procedure
---------
Measure 9 teaspoons of hydrogen peroxide into a container. In 3 portions,
dissolve 2.5 teaspoons of crushed hexamine in the peroxide. Keep the
solution cool for 30 minutes by placing the container in a pan of cold
water. In 5 portions, dissolve 4.5 teaspoons of crushed citric acid in the
hexa-peroxide solution. Permite solution to stand at room temperature or in
the refrigerator until solid particles for at the bottom of the container.
Note: Complete precipitation will take place in 8-24 hours
Filter the mixture through a coffee filter into a container to collect the
solid particles. Wash the solid particles collected in the coffee filter
with 6 teaspoons of distilled water by pouring the water over them. Discard
the liquid in the container. Allow to dry.� In a COOL dry place.� NOT IN THE
SUN! Place these explosives in a container.
Note: Handle dry explosive with great care. Do not scrape or handle it
roughly. Keep from open sparks or flames. Store in a cool, dry place. You
can see what happened bellow when left in the sun.
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Bellow is a picture of an accidental detonation of HMTD. The coffee filter
with the HMTD was drying after filtration. I was not thinking and I left it
in the sun.� The HMTD went off from the intense heat from the sun, making an
enormous BOOM! It sounded like a CO2 bomb. The only reason why it was so
powerful was that it was spread out over the entire filter. You can see what
damage it did to the bench it was laying on. The hole that was blown in the
bench was about eight inches across. If the HMTD went off while I was
working on it, I would have been a goner.
[hmtd_boom.gif (154720 bytes)]� [hmtd_boom2.gif (75975 bytes)]
You can see how dangerous and unstable HMTD is. Extreme caution would be
taken when making HMTD.
Some of the chemicals needed for HMTD:
[hmtd_chem.jpg (85138 bytes)]
READ THIS!� When the complete precipitation has taken place a filmy layer
should have formed.� I have noticed sometimes there will be less or almost
no film in the container.� When this happens BE CAREFUL it usually means
that it is a LOT more powerful then usual.
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