Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Hexamine the Amazing Fuel! And Alternatives.

MineMan - 16-3-2017 at 18:27

Alright fellow nerds, here is the deal!

Hexamine is an amazing fuel that adds a lot of brisance to compositions. For example, if we take standard 70/30 flash powder, and take away 10 parts aluminum and replace it with 5 parts fine hexamine powder the mix will become much more explosive and brisant... But it's impact sensitivity becomes that of a chlorate flash powder or even a chlorate flashpowder with sulfur. Upon impact the hexamine flash powder mix with create a sharp crack, different from without the hexamine.

For example we know that AN compositions are among the most insensitive... but yet the Gorden Mix is just AN and Hexamine (yes at a molecular level) and it just needs a #6 cap!


Are there any similar fuels to hexamine that will provide the same brisance without the insane sensitivity? Does it have any cousins?

Someone in scientific paper suggested lactose monohydrate?

j_sum1 - 16-3-2017 at 18:56

FWIW, I know that most hexamine fuel tablets have trioxane in them as well. IIRC, around 30% is typical.

Corrosive Joeseph - 16-3-2017 at 19:07

It would be nice to know which brands are the purest............
Some discussion here -
http://www.sciencemadness.org/talk/viewthread.php?tid=17403


/CJ

[Edited on 17-3-2017 by Corrosive Joeseph]

XeonTheMGPony - 17-3-2017 at 05:04

Depends on the brand, here I get a brand called nesbit I think it was only impurity is the wax binder, to get rid of this I ruffly crush it then I put it on the hot plate set to enough to pre-warm the beaker then slowly add distilled water till ti is all completely dissolved and the wax melted.

I then cool in the fridge and remove the solid wax cap and then place on the hot plate to evaporate the water till a super saturate is formed, then cool in freezer filter off crystals rinse and repeat till you have as much recovered as you can tolerate repeating the process lol.

In the end you are left with nice white granular crystals of nice clean hexamine

I'm going to start making it though as I can make pure hexamine via Ammonia and methanol as feed stock.

Tube furnace with copper catylest to form formaldehyde that is then fed into my reaction vessel with concentrated ammonia water

[Edited on 17-3-2017 by XeonTheMGPony]

MineMan - 17-3-2017 at 11:56

cool...so back to the question, are there any somewhat readily available alternatives to hexamine...?

I am guessing the molecule would have to have nitrogen to give it the same great properties as hexamine?

Glycine

Laboratory of Liptakov - 18-3-2017 at 08:15

Glycine http://www.bulkpowders.co.uk/glycine.html

PHILOU Zrealone - 21-3-2017 at 13:21

What is 70/30 standard flash powder? KNO3, KClO3 or KClO4 based?

Glycoluril?
Urea?
Biuret?
Cyanamide or dicyanamide (perchlorate)?
Guanidine (perchlorate)?
Biguanidine (diperchlorate)?
Ethylene diamine (diperchlorate)?
Succinic dinitrile (= dicyanoethane)?
Melamine?
Trinitrotriaminobenzene?
Trinitrotrihydrazinobenzene?

JJay - 21-3-2017 at 13:31

I use hexamine as a backpacking fuel sometimes. I'm not aware of any substitutes on the market.

I've actually never used it for chemistry, but I know it has uses there as well.

XeonTheMGPony - 21-3-2017 at 15:19

Hexamine was all so used in the old days as a urin acidifier to prevent chronic bladder infections in people susceptible to them.

It is a robust chemical, why I want to make a plant to make it.

MineMan - 21-3-2017 at 15:57

Philoue, young padawan, much disappointed in you I am. Always, standard flash 70/30 stands for KPerchlorate and GD Al. Much training you have!

I tried creatine which has a very similar formula to hexamine. It increased the explosiveness like hexamine without increased sensitivity... but, it only had 1/5th the power from witness plate test. Erythitol works ok... trioxane does not work...

May dm/dt (change in momentum over change in time... true definition of force) be with you!

PHILOU Zrealone - 21-3-2017 at 17:06

Quote: Originally posted by XeonTheMGPony  
Hexamine was all so used in the old days as a urin acidifier to prevent chronic bladder infections in people susceptible to them.

It is a robust chemical, why I want to make a plant to make it.

Not an urin acidifier at all...

The infection is reduced because hexamin produces a discrete form of basicity (acid scavenger) and set some formaldehyde free (very strong disinfection media)...the toxicity of hexamine is surprisingly quite low despite the NH3 and CH2=O liberation upon mild hydrolysis...but it must be due to the very low level.

XeonTheMGPony - 21-3-2017 at 17:12
Quote:

Hexamethylenetetramine or methenamine is a heterocyclic organic compound with the formula ... Urinary acidity is typically ensured by co-administering vitamin C (ascorbic acid) or ammonium chloride. Its use had temporarily been reduced in .


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hexamethylenetetramine
Quote:

the active ingredient hexamine or methenamine is considered an anti-infective antibiotics type of medication. The medication works by turning urine acidic



https://www.pharmacygeoff.md/Hiprex_Hexamine_Hippurate_1g_10...

The Re leas of formaldehyde is the second active method but primary preventive is the acidity, cranberries work as well.

That took all of two seconds on google to correct you I double checked my info befor posting as well. Bacteria thrive in basic bladder conditions, any medication that made it more alkaline would be worthless for a normal healthy individual!

[Edited on 22-3-2017 by XeonTheMGPony]

[Edited on 22-3-2017 by XeonTheMGPony]

PHILOU Zrealone - 21-3-2017 at 17:13

Quote: Originally posted by MineMan  
Philoue, young padawan, much disappointed in you I am. Always, standard flash 70/30 stands for KPerchlorate and GD Al. Much training you have!

I tried creatine which has a very similar formula to hexamine. It increased the explosiveness like hexamine without increased sensitivity... but, it only had 1/5th the power from witness plate test. Erythitol works ok... trioxane does not work...

May dm/dt (change in momentum over change in time... true definition of force) be with you!

OK Master MineMan-yodha.
It was just to be sure what was into your product...not all ingrédients are compatible with KClO3...but with KNO3 or KClO4 as you used no problem.
The explosive power increase comes from the gas effect...while KClO4/Al only produces expansion of the entrapped air gas; other fuels than Al will produce permanent gases.

If KClO3 was used, the sensitivity and detonability would be enhanced by some such extra ingredients...then the witness plate would be more damaged...KClO4 is too stable to allow for detonation...maybe fast deflagration.

Yes :D may the
F= m*a = m*dv/dt = m*dx/(dt)²
be with us.

[Edited on 22-3-2017 by PHILOU Zrealone]