Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Continuous Production of Explosives (High-Energy Materials)

Mush - 4-10-2025 at 06:43

Looking for articles of continous prod of explosives . Pref. overview ones if they do exist. This tech. is relatively new could not find much info on that .


[Edited on 4-10-2025 by Mush]

ExcerptSix - 4-10-2025 at 11:06

I'm not sure I fully understand what you mean but Urbanski outlines industrial practices and setup for production of energetic materials in his series: Chemistry and Technology of Explosives.

Fulmen - 4-10-2025 at 12:02

I'm assuming he means continuous processes as opposed to batch processing. BAE seems to be working on it:
https://www.baesystems.com/en/article/major-breakthroughs-in...

The entire thing sounds like scifi voodoo to me, I mean, how do you even... Witchcraft! Burn them.

Mush - 4-10-2025 at 14:58

Quote: Originally posted by ExcerptSix  
I'm not sure I fully understand what you mean but Urbanski outlines industrial practices and setup for production of energetic materials in his series: Chemistry and Technology of Explosives.


In Urbanski's book primarily batch processes are discussed.

Continuous production is a flow production method used to manufacture, produce, or process materials without interruption.

Continuous production of explosives involves using automated, smaller-scale processes known as "flow chemistry" or "continuous flow" instead of traditional large-batch methods. This approach significantly improves safety, efficiency, and product quality while reducing environmental impact.
Quote:

I'm assuming he means continuous processes as opposed to batch processing. BAE seems to be working on it:https://www.baesystems.com/en/article/major-breakthroughs-in...The entire thing sounds like scifi voodoo to me, I mean, how do you even... Witchcraft! Burn them.


Yes ,that is what I meant.

Examples of continuous manufacturing processes

In the case of RDX, TNT and NG I was not aware there are long been used processes.

TNT (Trinitrotoluene): The nitration of toluene to produce TNT can be done through a continuous process, which was pioneered by methods like the Schmid-Meissner and Bofors-Norell processes. Modern systems use microreactors to achieve greater regioselectivity in nitrating toluene, which reduces the formation of symmetrical isomers and allows for purer military-grade TNT.

Nitroglycerin: For decades, the dangerous and unstable nature of nitroglycerin has prompted a shift toward continuous manufacturing. The Biazzi process, for instance, is a continuous flow operation in which glycerol and mixed acids are continuously fed into a reactor. The product is then immediately separated and washed, avoiding the bulk storage of this sensitive material.

RDX and HMX: The energetic materials RDX and HMX are manufactured using continuous nitration techniques like the Bachmann process. Continuous flow helps control the complex nitrolysis reaction, which involves hexamine and nitric acid.

Primary explosives: Continuous flow techniques are even being developed for sensitive primary explosives like silver acetylide-silver nitrate (SASN) 10.1016/j.ces.2024.120634. Using microreactors and vibration platforms, researchers have demonstrated a safe, scalable continuous method that improves purity and performance.

"BAE Systems' new propellant strategy focuses on replacing nitroglycerine and nitrocellulose with a simpler, more stable formulation that relies on RDX and a smaller number of other ingredients. This change is supported by a new continuous flow processing method that makes the synthesis of explosives safer and more efficient. The goal is to create a simpler, more resilient supply chain for munitions, enable faster production, and ultimately strengthen national security by reducing reliance on complex global supply chains for key chemicals. "

Regarding to the BAE article.
What BAE S wants to do is to use RDX as propellant and shell filler as well . Smart idea ,it will make munition production fast and simple.





[Edited on 4-10-2025 by Mush]