IMX-101

IMX-101 is a high-performance insensitive high explosive composite mixture developed by BAE Systems and the United States Army to replace TNT in artillery shells, starting as soon as 2011.[1][2][3][4] IMX stands for "Insensitive Munitions eXplosives", which refers to the purpose of IMX-101: to provide explosive force equivalent to TNT without its sensitivity to shocks such as gunfire, explosions from improvised explosive devices, fire, and shrapnel. For example, it is believed that a training incident in Nevada which killed seven Marines would not have occurred with the new explosive. On March 23, 2013, the United States Army ordered $780 million worth of the explosive, with a production of millions of pounds annually, to be produced by BAE at Holston Army Ammunition Plant in Tennessee.[5] The new explosive will cost $8 per pound, compared to $6 per pound for TNT.[6]

Composition

It is composed of ingredients including 2,4-dinitroanisole (DNAN) and nitrotriazalone (NTO).[5] The nominal composition is DNAN, NQ (nitroguanidine), NTO.[7][8] Trace amounts of MNA(n-methyl-p-nitroaniline) are included in some formulations to aid in processing.[9][10]

A Family of Insensitive Melt Cast Explosive Formulations: Insensitive Melt Cast Explosives manufactured at Holston Army Ammunition Plant[7]
Formulation Key Ingredients Replaces Purpose Qualification Status (2012)
IMX-101 DNAN + NTO + NQ TNT Artillery and other large caliber munitions Material qualified; Type qualified for 155mm M795, on-going for 155mm M1122 and 105mm projectiles
IMX-104 DNAN + NTO + RDX Comp B Mortar applications Material qualified; Type qualification on-going for 81mm mortar, 60mm & 120mm to follow
PAX-48 DNAN + NTO + HMX Comp B Mortar and tank ammunition Material qualified; Type qualification achieved for 120mm IM HE-T tracer round (NAMMO)
OSX-12 DNAN + NTO + RDX + Al PAX-28 High blast applications Material under evaluation
PAX-21 DNAN + RDX + AP + MNA Main fill for the 60mm M768 Mortar Rounds Currently in-use in theater
PAX-41 DNAN + RDX + MNA Main fill for the Spider Grenade, thus a low critical diameter is required.[11]

The performance of PAX-28, a thermobaric, containing a mixture of RDX, DNAN, Al, AP and MNA was found to have an indoor explosive equivalency factor of 1.62 when compared to Composition B.[12] OSX-12 is being studied as a replacement to PAX-28.

Reception

Time Magazine called IMX-101 one of the "50 best inventions of 2010".[6]

Processing

Like Composition B, IMX formulations are melt-castable without thermal degradation, and are thus processed into munitions by a melt pour process starting with a batch melt kettle heated by a steam heat exchanger.[13]

See also

Further reading

References

  1. ↑ BAE IMX-101 Explosive Approved To Replace TNT In US Army Artillery
  2. ↑ DTIC Background and Introduction to IMX-101, -102 and -103
  3. ↑ The Application of New IM Explosive Candidates - DTIC Online
  4. ↑ Army Approves Safer Explosive To Replace TNT
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Allison Barrie (2013-03-26). "Bye bye, TNT: New generation of explosives for the Army". Fox News.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Mark Thompson (2010-11-13). "Less Dangerous Explosives". Time Magazine.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 This table is closely modelled on Virgil Fung et al. (2012). "2012 IMEMTS, Las Vegas, NV (S2DSEA2012-0148) Process Improvement and Optimization of Insensitive Explosive IMX-101 2012 Insensitive Munitions & Energetic Material Technology Symposium". U.S. Army. (Strangely, DNS failed to resolve dtic.mil - citing web cache. Note composition ratios add to 100.300, at least in the cached version)
  8. ↑ "Propellants, Explosives, Pyrotechnics Volume 39, Issue 2, pages 236–242, April 2014 *Estimations of Vapor Pressures by Thermogravimetric Analysis of the Insensitive Munitions IMX-101, IMX-104, and Individual Components Michael F. Cuddy*, Aimee R. Poda and Mark A. Chappell Article first published online: 2 DEC 2013 DOI: 10.1002/prep.201300069".
  9. ↑ "Photochemical transformation of the insensitive munitions compound 2,4-dinitroanisole".
  10. ↑ "Insenstive High Explosives (IHE)".
  11. ↑ "DEVELOPMENT & OPTIMIZATION OF A PRODUCTION METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING PAX-41".
  12. ↑ "Insenstive High Explosives (IHE)".
  13. ↑ "IMX-104 High Explosive (HE) Loading of 81mm & 120mm Mortars".