SDM
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RDX
I am trying to synthesize RDX but my nitrated Hexamine turns to slimy goo during the H2O phase. This stuff is too thin to strain through a coffee
filter and refuses to air dry. Heating it will evaporate most of the liquid, but I am left with just a bunch of thicker goo. Please help.
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Detonationology
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Was the temperature monitored? Is it possible that the reaction got above 25˚C?
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SDM
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I mixed the Hexamine with the HNO3 on an ice bath and the temperature may have reached 28c but did not exceed 30c. Then I raised the temp to 60c for
10min. I cooled the solution to 16c before pouring it into my H2O.
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hissingnoise
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You may need to check this out?
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Detonationology
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What did you acquire the hexamine from? Was it sold as hexamine, or solid camp fuel (Esbit)?
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SDM
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I bought it from Skylighter, a fireworks supply company
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greenlight
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You could try nitrating the Hexamine with 60-70% Nitric acid to Hexamine dinitrate which is quite simple and then nitrating with high concentrated
Nitric acid into the desired RDX.
I have heard the Hexamine dinitrate is quite hygroscopic but I never had much trouble although I stored it in a desiccator.
If you use high concentrated HNO3 for the RDX step, you should get a much higher yield than with just hexamine as well as it already has two of it's
nitro groups.
Be good, otherwise be good at it 
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SDM
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Thank you hissingnoise. I used your formula with the purest batch of white fuming I could make and presto! I have salts instead of goo.
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SDM
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Hey greenlight, what formulas do you use for hexamine dinitrate and for nitrating it.
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greenlight
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This works really good for the Hexamine dinitrate as long as you have the nitric I used 62% HNO3 with it and it worked fine:
http://williestop.tripod.com/Highexplosivespictorials/HDN.ht...
For the actual RDX part I used 50 ml vacuum distilled 99% Nitric acid (density-1.51) and 25 grams HDN that had been dried in a desiccator.
The synth was from the old E & W forum, I don't remember what the posters name was but involved adding the HDN to the 99% Nitric acid @ 15-25
Degrees, leaving at room temperature for 15 minutes and then heating it to 55 Degrees and holding for 12.5 minutes before dumping into 800ml ice
water. I ended up with 15.5- 16 grams.
Improved yields (I think 82%) where recorded by using 60 ml 99% HNO3 and some Ammonium nitrate as well. I have the notes on that as well if anyone is
interested as I wrote some of the good stuff from the E & W forum down luckily as it got taken down not long after.
[Edited on 5-10-2015 by greenlight]
Be good, otherwise be good at it
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SDM
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Thanks again greenlight. Can you initiate HDN with HMTD?
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greenlight
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Yeah you probably can with a HMTD det but it's hygroscopic which would affect initiation depending on moisture content and it is a weak explosive
anyway.
Much better to just use it as a raw material for RDX manufacture.
Be good, otherwise be good at it
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bluamine
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OMG!!
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