COMMON NAME – H-6
TYPE – High explosive mixture
DATE FIRST USED AS AN EXPLOSIVE – 1955
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN – USA
COMPOSITION – 45.1 % RDX (Formulation including nitrocellulose, calcium chloride, and calcium silicate), 29.2% TNT, 21% Aluminum, 4.7% D-2 Wax and lecithin
MOLECULAR WEIGHT – 93
DENSITY – 1.74 g per ml
NORMAL STATE – Grainy solid
PHYSICAL APPEARANCE/COLOR – Gray
INITIATION – 0.20 g Lead azide, 0.10 g Tetryl
SENSITIVITY – Same sensitivity to impact as TNT, 80% detonations from 7.62mm (30 cal) rifle bullet impact
STABILITY – Stable when dry, reacts very slightly with copper, brass, and steel. In the presence of moisture it attacks all metals except aluminum and stainless steel
DETONATION VELOCITY – 7,191 m/s (23,593 fps)
RE FACTOR (BRISANCE) [TNT=1.0] – 1.35
TOXICITY – Toxic if ingested, dangerous level of toxic fumes when detonated
MELTING POINT – 84o C.(183o F.)
IGNITION POINT – 200o C.(392o F.) Detonates at 290o C.(554o F.)
SOLUBILITY – Insoluble in water
APPLICATIONS – PRINCIPLE USES – High explosive charge for underwater munitions
H-6 is an explosive mixture intended to be a safer replacement for Torpex in underwater ordnance. It is a binary explosive mixture of RDX, TNT, Aluminum, and stabilizing D-2 wax. Presently, it is produced in Australia and loaded into a wide variety of munitions. The blast effect of H-6 makes it particularly suitable for underwater munitions including torpedo warheads, depth charges, and limpet mines as well as General Purpose bombs. One of the largest, most powerful, non-nuclear pieces of aircraft ordnance presently is the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast Bomb (MOAB). This weapon has become popularly known as the “Mother of All Bombs.” The 9,500 kilogram (20,944 pound) MOAB bomb contains 8,482 kilograms (18,700 pounds) of H-6 explosive. The weapon is so large that it is not carried by a bomber but is delivered from a cradle pushed out of the back of a C-130 cargo plane.
